The title's a bit of a ringer here; this is actually what Telarc considers the best tracks Wells recorded for their label between 1993 and 1997 -- music taken from his last four albums before his untimely death in early 1998. Wells won a fair amount of trophies with this quartet of albums, and while the material isn't anything that's going to make hardline fans want to toss out their copies of Hoodoo Man Blues, the music and production are exemplary on every track. Guest appearances proliferat...   [ read more ]

CD $17.08

Culled from various live recordings Junior Wells made in his final year or so, Live Around the World: The Best Of is not a "best-of." Instead, it intends to present the legendary Chicago bluesman in a late-career renaissance -- or, as Donald E. Wilcock says in his affectionate liner notes, "This album is not the last gasps of a dying legend." To a certain extent that's true, because Wells does not sound tired, weary, or disengaged. He turns in spirited, energetic performances throughout and his...   [ read more ]

CD $7.59

Underrated mid-'70s collection boasting a contemporary, funky edge driven by guitarists Phil Guy and Sammy Lawhorn, keyboardist Big Moose Walker, and saxman A.C. Reed. Especially potent is the crackling "The Train I Ride," a kissin' cousin to Little Junior Parker's "Mystery Train." ~ Bill Dahl, All Music Guide

CD $12.33