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Little Brother Montgomery was a blues, boogie-woogie and jazz pianist and singer, who was hugely versatile, working solo and with bands, and equally impressive across all the genres, with a highly distinctive style. Born in Louisiana near New Orleans, he was influenced by family friend Jelly Roll Morton, and over the years was associated with the Mississippi town of Vicksburg, which gave its name to several of his song titles, and Chicago, where he later worked and made most of his records. This 72-track 3-CD collection comprises the A & B sides of just about all his releases on the Paramount, Melotone, Bluebird and Century labels from 1930-47, along with titles from the 1954 album “Windin’ Ball Recordings” on Saydisk, the 1960 album “Tasty Blues on Bluesville and the 1961 album “Blues” on Folkways. It comprises many solo recordings, plus some with his jazz quintet, featuring trumpeter Lee Collins, and recordings with singers Irene Scruggs, Annie Turner and Creole George Guenson. It’s a fascinating and substantial overview of two different phases of his career, and offers an entertaining showcase for his highly personal style.
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