Announcing the launch of Bluesville Records — Craft’s revitalized reissue series and editorial platform which honors America’s bedrock music genre. In addition to releasing foundational blues titles from such legendary labels as Prestige, Vee-Jay, Riverside, Vanguard, Stax and Rounder, Bluesville Records will also elevate the legacies of the trailblazing artists behind these albums while honoring their immeasurable impact on modern music. For more information, visit bluesvillerecords.com.
Each handpicked Bluesville title will be released on vinyl in partnership with Acoustic Sounds. The first two titles, John Lee Hooker’s Burning Hell and Skip James’ Today!, will arrive June 7, 2024 and are available for pre-order today. The rollout will continue throughout the year and beyond, with classic titles from Albert King, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Jimmy Reed and Blind Gary Davis, among others.
The albums will feature all-analog mastering (AAA) by GRAMMY®-nominated engineer Matthew Lutthans (The MasteringLab) and will be pressed on 180-gram vinyl at QRP. Faithfully reproduced tip-on jackets round out every release, while obis will offer insightful reflections on the album by GRAMMY®-winning producer, writer and musician, Scott Billington. Additionally, each title will be available to stream in remastered hi-res audio.
CRAFT RECORDINGS HONORS AMERICA’S BEDROCK GENRE WITH THE LAUNCH OF BLUESVILLE RECORDS
Shining a spotlight on legendary blues artists and their integral impact on modern music, the revitalized reissue series focuses on foundational titles from the vaults of Prestige, Vee-Jay, Riverside, Vanguard, Stax and Rounder, among others
In addition to audiophile-quality vinyl reissues (in partnership with Acoustic Sounds), Bluesville Records will offer a wealth of digital content, including hi-res reissues, curated playlists, and in-depth editorial content
Bluesville Records to release its first titles on June 7th:
John Lee Hooker’s Burning Hell (1964) and Skip James’ Today! (1966)
John Lee Hooker – Burning Hell
Frequently known as “The King of the Boogie,” GRAMMY Award-winner John Lee Hooker (1917–2001) was one of the most important American artists of all time, whose prolific, seven-decade-long career continues to reverberate today. As a young man, the Mississippi-born singer, songwriter and guitarist relocated to Detroit, where he established himself in the industry—making his debut recordings and scoring his earliest hits (including 1948’s R&B No.1, “Boogie Chillen’”). Over a decade later, back in Motor City, Hooker laid down one of his first full-length LPs, Burning Hell, for Riverside Records.
Recorded in Detroit in April 1959 (during a session that also produced 1960’s The Country Blues of John Lee Hooker), Burning Hell was a stylistic outlier for the artist, who was better known at the time for his electric, R&B-influenced sound. Instead, Riverside sought to highlight Hooker’s Delta roots, capturing him in an intimate setting, where he was accompanied only by his acoustic guitar. The resulting album showcased Hooker’s commanding presence as an artist, as he delivered a soulful blend of original songs (“Graveyard Blues,” “You Live Your Life and I’ll Live Mine” and the title track, among them) as well as a selection of blues standards, including Big Joe Williams’ “Baby, Please Don’t Go,” Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightnin’,” and the Charlie Segar/Big Bill Broonzy-penned “Key to the Highway.”
As powerful as the recording was, Burning Hell wasn’t released until 1964—not long after Hooker had become a sensation in the UK, amid the blues revival. Originally only available in Europe, the album quickly became a sought-after rarity, coveted by blues and folk aficionados across the globe. Today, it remains a standout title in Hooker’s prolific catalog of work. In a retrospective review, AllMusic hailed, “Burning Hell ranks among John Lee Hooker’s most edgy and focused performances,” while UKVibe praised, “There is a freshness to the interpretations that transcends time and place.”
This long-awaited reissue of Burning Hell marks the first worldwide reissue on a single vinyl LP as well as its debut in hi-res audio. Tracklist further below.
Burning Hell Tracklist:
Side A
1. Burning Hell
2. Graveyard Blues
3. Baby Please Don’t Go
4. Jackson, Tennessee
5. You Live Your Life And I’ll Live Mine
6. Smokestack Lightnin’
Side B
1. How Can You Do It?
2. I Don’t Want No Woman If Her Hair Ain’t No Longer Than Mine
3. I Rolled And Turned And Cried The Whole Night Long
4. Blues For My Baby
5. Key To The Highway
6. Natchez Fire
Skip James – Today!
Singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist Skip James (1902–1969) was a seminal Delta bluesman, who (like many of his counterparts) didn’t find broader fame until his later years. Born Nehemiah Curtis James in Mississippi, the artist had a reputation that preceded him, fueled by allegations of a wild lifestyle and unpredictable mood swings. Whether or not these rumors were true, they certainly added to the bluesman’s mystique as he launched his career in the 1920s. In 1931, James recorded a series of singles for Paramount Records but, as the Great Depression took hold, he failed to find success. Over the next 30 years, he would remain relatively unknown, working in the church as a minister and choir director.
In the ’60s, amid rumors of James’ death, blues enthusiasts John Fahey, Henry Vestine (Canned Heat) and Bill Barth sought out the artist—finding him to be very much alive—and encouraged him to return to the stage. James made his long-awaited comeback at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival, enjoying newfound fame among a younger generation of fans. Over the next five years, he also recorded a series of albums, including 1966’s Today! for Vanguard.
Today! found the bluesman revisiting many of his 1931 singles, including the popular “I’m So Glad” (famously covered by Cream on their 1966 debut, Fresh Cream), “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues,” “Special Rider Blues” and “Drunken Spree.” Haunting and emotionally raw, the pared-down session also showcased James’ unique fingerpicking technique on the acoustic guitar, as well as his talents on the piano. While the album was primarily a solo outing, James was joined by bassist Russ Savakus on his sole cover—the Leroy Carr standard, “How Long.”
In The Grove Press Guide to Blues on CD, journalist Frank-John Hadley noted, “The songs on the marvelous Today! find a self-respecting and sensitive Black American being completely true to himself, using a feyly tuned guitar and a heart-stopping high tenor to give emotional cogency to his lyrics on life in an unforgiving, merciless prewar Mississippi.” AllMusic praised, “Skip James might have made the best music of anyone who resurfaced during the mid-’60s ‘rediscovery’ era for Mississippi country blues types. Certainly, there weren’t many albums made during that time as good as this one; wonderful vocals, superb guitar, and a couple of tunes with tasty piano make this essential.”
Now, fans can enjoy this enthralling album in its original format—marking its first wide availability on vinyl in over three decades and will be available in hi-res audio for the first time. Tracklist below.
Today! Tracklist:
Side A
1. Hard Times Killing Floor Blues
2. Crow Jane
3. Washington D.C. Hospital Center Blues
4. Special Rider Blues
5. Drunken Spree
6. Cherryball
Side B
1. How Long
2. All Night Long
3. Cypress Grove
4. Look Down the Road
5. My Gal
6. I’m So Glad
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