BLUES RECORDS

ROOSTER BLUES - LIGHTNIN� SLIM -ENGLISH BLUE HORIZON 7-63863 HE KNEW THE BLUES - SLIM HARPO -ENGLISH BLUE HORIZON 7-63854 LONESOME LONELY BLUES - LONESOME SUNDOWN - ENGLISH BLUE HORIZON 7-63864

LOUISIANA BLUES - VARIOUS ARTISTS - ARHOOLIE 1054

SWAMP BLUES - VARIOUS ARTISTS -EXCELLO EXC 8015/8016

These five albums all focus on the bluesmen who recorded for Jay Miller�s Excello label and, for those interested in the Louisiania, swamp-laden blues that scratched the national charts only with Slim Harpo�s �Raining In My Heart� and �Scratch My Back,� they offer an invaluable insight into the still-active blues world in the Crowley, Louisiania area. The three Blue Horizon discs speak for themselves. The Lightnin� Slim is a just-about total re-issue of his first Excello album. Slim also recorded for Chess (unissued), Feature and Ace and was one of the most popular of Excello�s bluesmen who played a starkly simple guitar and had a perfect blues voice—give �My Starter Won�t Start� or �Hoo Doo Blues� a listen. Slim (Otis Hicks) now lives in retirement in Detroit but, as Mike Leadbitter notes, Slim�s wail of �blow your harmonica son� to Lazy Lester will never be forgotten.