Keep Jumping, 1944-1952

Personnel includes: Tampa Red, Blind John Davis, Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Crawford, Odie Payne, Walter Horton.
Contains 19 tracks.
Personnel: Tampa Red (vocals, guitar, kazoo); Johnny Jones (vocals, piano); John Gardner (alto); Sonny Boy Williamson I , Big Walter Horton (harmonica); Oett "Sax" Mallard (alto clarinet); Bill Casimir (tenor saxophone); Ransom Knowling, Ernest "Big" Crawford (baritone saxophone); Walter Williams (trumpet); Blind John Davis, Bob Call (piano); Armand Jump Jackson, Lawrence Riley, Odie Payne, Jr. (drums).
Recording information: Chicago, IL (12/15/1944-12/04/1953).
Editor: Daniel Gugolz.
The material on this 19-song compilation isn't quite ideal, covering what were the declining years not only of Red's recordings, but of the RCA-Victor's blues releases. On the other hand, the producers have drawn from among Red's best sides of this era, including "Midnight Boogie" and Midnight Blues" from 1950, both great and amazingly late works. This could be the ideal way to hear most of the stuff here, since Red otherwise cut a lot of second-rate work. The sound is also quite good, although there are no notes of any kind, just a sessionography. And considering that RCA-BMG hasn't even finished issuing Red's 1930s material after three years of reissues, this disc may be the best way for any of us to get this stuff before the end of the century. ~ Bruce Eder