• Track Listing

Legendary pianist/singer/songwriter JIMMY McCRACKLIN covered a great many musical bases, but essentially taking in West Coast Blues, Jump Blues and R&B. Regarded as the most important musician to have come out of the Bay Area in the post-WWII era, he went on to enjoy a long career, spanning seven decades. McCracklin formed the first line-up of his celebrated BLUES BLASTERS in 1946, with guitarist Robert Kelton, who was replaced by Lafayette Thomas in 1949. The band carved out a mighty reputation, upon which he built his subsequent career. This compilation anthologises McCracklin's earliest recordings, between 1945-51, including pre-Blues Blasters sides, for a wide raft of different record labels. It is the prequel to another Jimmy McCracklin Jasmine 2-CD set, "Hear My Story" (JASMCD3080), which picked up his recording career from 1952.