Big Joe Turner - All the Classic Hits 1938-1952 (5 CD, 2003/FLAC)

 

Classic Hits 1938-52 is a five-disc, 123-track collection of Big Joe Turner's earliest recording sessions before finding stardom with his mid-'50s R&B sides. While this JSP set isn't extravagant, it's a luxury to have Turner's sides for National, Aladdin, Freedom, MGM, and Imperial remastered and together in one collection. The final disc also includes the Boss of the Blues' first recordings for Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun of Atlantic Records: "Chains of Love," "Sweet Sixteen," "Poor Lover's Blues," and "Still in Love (With You)." Turner tackles blues, swing, and fiery up-tempo jump blues, assisted by Pete Johnson, Wynonie Harris, Pee Wee Crayton, Budd Johnson, Dave Bartholomew, Fats Domino, Joe Houstin, Albert Ammons, Don Byas, Art Tatum, and Hot Lips Page. 



Disc A (JSP7709A): 1938-1941

Joe Turner & Pete Johnson - 1938-12-30
01. Goin' Away Blues
02. Roll 'Em Pete
Pete Johnson & His Boogie Woogie Boys (Joe Turner, Hot Lips Page, Buster Smith, Lawrence Lucie, Abe Bolar, Eddie Dougherty) - 1939-06-30
03. Cherry Red
04. Baby, Look At You
05. Lovin' Mama Blues
Joe Turner, Meade Lux Lewis, Pete Johnson, Albert Ammons - 1939-06-30
06. Cafe Society Rag
Joe Turner & His Fly Cats (Hot Lips Page, Pete Johnson, John Collins, Abe Bolar, A.G. Godley) - 1940-11-11
07. Piney Brown Blues
Joe Turner & Willie 'The Lion' Smith - 1940-11-26
08. Doggin' The Dog
09. Careless Love
10. Jumpin' Down Blues
11. Rainy Day Blues
Art Tatum & His Band (Joe Turner, Joe Thomas, Edmond Hall, John Collins, Billy Taylor, Ed Dougherty) - 1941-01-21
12. Wee Baby Blues
13. Last Goodbye Blues
Art Tatum & His Band (Joe Turner, Joe Thomas, Edmond Hall, Oscar Moore, Billy Taylor, Yank Porter) - 1941-06-13
14. Lucille
15. Rock Me Mama
16. Corrine Corrina
17. Lonesome Graveyard Blues
Joe Turner, Sam Price, Leonard Ware, Billy Taylor - 1941-07-17
18. Nobody In Mind
19. Somebody's Got To Go
20. Ice Man
21. Chewed Up Glass
Freddie Slack Trio (Joe Turner, Freddie Slack, prob. Al Hendrickson, prob. Jud De Naut) - 1941-09-08
22. Rocks In My Bed
23. Blues On Central Avenue
24. Goin' To Chicago
25. Sun Risin' Blues

Disc B (JSP7709B): 1942-1946

Freddie Slack Trio (Joe Turner, Freddie Slack, prob. Al Hendrickson, prob. Jud De Naut) - 1942-01-28
01. Blues In The Night
02. Cry Baby Blues
Joe Turner, Pete Johnson, Ernest Ashley, Dallas Bartley - 1944-10-30
03. It's The Same Old Story
04. Rebecca
05. Little Bittie Gal's Blues
06. I Got A Gal For Every Day In The Week
Pete Johnson's All Stars (Joe Turner, Frankie Newton, Don Byas, Leonard Ware, Al Hall, Harold West) - 1945-02-02
07. S.K. Blues Part 1
08. S.K. Blues Part 2
09. Johnson & Turner Blues
10. Watch That Jive
Joe Turner, John 'Flaps' Dungee, Josh Jackson, Pete Johnson, Dallas Bartley, poss. Bill Martin, two unknowns - 1945-05-10
11. Howlin' Winds
12. Low Down Dog
Joe Turner with Bill Moore's Lucky Seven Band (Warren Brocken, Bill Moore, Lloyd Harrison, Al Williams, Teddy Bunn, John 'Shifty' Henry, Alray Kidd) - 1946-01-23
13. Miss Brown Blues
14. I Got My Discharge Papers
15. My Gal's A Jockey
16. I'm Still In The Dark
17. I Got Love For Sale
Joe Turner, Russell Jacquet, Bill Moore, Lou 'Freddie' Simon, Camille Howard, Teddy Bunn, Shifty Henry, Walter Murden - 1946-01-30
18. Sunday Morning Blues
19. Mad Blues
20. It's A Low Down Dirty Shame (Playboy Blues)
Joe Turner & His Boogie Woogie Boys (Albert Ammons, Red Saunders, poss. Tab Smith, poss. Ike Perkins, three unknowns) - 1946-10-11
21. I'm Still In The Dark
22. Miss Brown Blues
23. Sally-Zu-Zazz
24. Rock Of Gibraltar

Disc C (JSP7709C): 1946-1947

Joe Turner, Red Saunders, poss. Tab Smith, poss. Ike Perkins, three unknowns - 1946-10-12
01. Milk And Butter Blues
02. That's When It Really Hurts
03. I'm In Sharp When I Hit The Coast
04. New Ooh Wee Baby Blues
Billed as Big Vernon (Joe Turner & Pete Johnson) - c. 1947-11
05. Around The Clock Part 1
06. Around The Clock Part 2
Flennoy Trio (Joe Turner, Lorenzo Flennoy, Winston Williams, prob. Lucky Enois) - 1947
07. I Don't Dig It
08. Ooo-Ouch-Stop
Billed as Wynonie Harris & Joe Turner (their duet vocal plus six unknowns) - 1947-07
09. Battle Of The Blues Part 1
10. Battle Of The Blues Part 2
11. Going Home
12. Blues
Joe Turner, Sammy Yates, Jack McVea, Pete Johnson, Pee Wee Crayton, Frank Clarke, Rabon Tarrant - 1947-11-06
13. Morning Glory
14. Nobody In Mind
15. Low Down Dog
16. Back Breaking Blues
17. Empty Pocket Blues
18. Roll 'Em Pete
19. Ice Man Blues
Joe Turner, Charles Grey, Riley Hampton, Otis Finch, Ike Perkins, Robert Moore or Ellsworth Liggett, James Adams, one unknown - 1947-11-29
20. Nobody In Mind
21. Lucille, Lucille
22. Rocks In My Bed
23. Careless Love
Same or similar as tracks 20-23
24. Last Goodbye Blues
25. Whistle Stop

Disc D (JSP7709D): 1947-1949

Joe Turner, poss. Charles Grey, Riley Hampton, Otis Finch, Ike Perkins, Robert Moore or Ellsworth Liggett, James Adams, one unknown - 1947-12-09
01. Hollywood Bed
02. Howlin' Winds
Pete Johnson & His Orchestra (Joe Turner, James Ross, Art Farmer, Frank Sleet, Pete Peterson, Milburn Newman, Addison Farmer, Robert Brady) - 1948-06-28
03. Radar Blues
04. Trouble Blues
05. Wine-O-Baby Boogie
06. B & O Blues
07. Christmas Date Boogie
08. Tell Me Pretty Baby
09. Old Piney Brown Is Gone
10. Baby Won't You Marry Me
Joe Turner, Walter 'Dootsie' Williams, Kirkland Bradford, Maxwell Davis, Jewell Grant, Pete Johnson, Ralph Hamilton, Jesse Sailes - 1948
11. I Love Ya, I Love Ya, I Love Ya
12. Born To Gamble
Joe Turner & His Band (Walter 'Dootsie' Williams, Kirkland Bradford, Maxwell Davis, Jewell Grant, Pete Johnson, Herman 'Tiny' Mitchell, Ralph Hamilton, Jesse Sailes) - 1949
13. Messin' Around
14. Mardi Gras Boogie
15. My Hearts Belongs To You
16. So Many Women Blues
17. I Don't Dig It
18. Rainy Weather Blues
19. Feelin' So Sad
20. Boogie Woogie baby
21. Married Woman Blues
22. Moody Baby
Joe Turner, Russell 'Fats' Emory, Joe Houston, five unknowns (music by Joe Houston) - c. 1949
23. Wish I Had A Dollar
24. Fuzzy Wuzzy Honey

Disc E (JSP7709E): 1949-1952

Joe Turner & His Orchestra (Goree Carter, four unknowns) - 1949-12-22
01. Adam Bit The Apple
02. Still In The Dark
03. Life Is Just A Card Game
04. Jumpin' At The Jubilee
Dave Bartholomew's Orchestra (Joe Turner, Dave Bartholomew, Waldron 'Frog' Joseph, Joe Harris, Clarens Hall, Herb Hardesty, Fats Domino, Ernest McLean, Peter Badie, Thomas Moore, one unknown) - c. 1950-04
05. Story To Tell
06. Jumpin' Tonight
07. Lucille
08. Love My baby
09. Blues Jumped The Rabbit
10. The Sun Is Shining
Joe Turner, Joe Bridgewater, Pluma Davis, Wernon Bates, Jimmy Toliver, more than six unknowns - c. 1950-12
11. Just A Travelin' Man
12. After A While You'll Be Sorry
13. I Want My Baby (When The Rooster Crows)
14. Midnight Is Here Again
15. Feelin' Happy
Van 'Piano Man' Walls' Orchestra (Joe Turner, Harry Van Walls, five unknowns) - 1951-04-19
16. The Chill Is On
17. After My Laughter Came Tears
18. Bump Miss Suzie
19. Chains Of Love
Joe Turner, Taft Jordan, Budd Johnson, Freddie Mitchell, Ernest 'Pinky' Williams, Harry Van Walls, Rector Bailey, Leonard Gaskin, Connie Kay - 1952-01-20
20. I'll Never Stop Lovin' You
21. Sweet Sixteen
22. Don't You Cry
23. Poor Lover's Blues
Joe Turner, Joe Morris, Salvatore Davis, William Burchett, Freddie Mitchell, Ernest 'Pinky' Williams, Dave McRae, Harry Van Walls, poss. Shebs Hobbs, two unknowns - 1952-09-23
24. Still In Love (With You)
25. Baby I Still Want You