Otis Spann - Ebony And Ivory Blues (2012)

With a style that merged boogie-woogie neatly into the blues, Otis Spann found his first success as the pianist for Muddy Waters, and he played on virtually all of Waters' classic tracks between 1953 and 1969, but as the house pianist for Chicago's Chess Records, he also figured prominently on sides from Willie Dixon, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter, Junior Wells, Etta James, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and countless others. Spann was also a fine singer and leader in his own right, and on his own sides, as well. This wonderful two-disc set collects Spann's early solo outings for Chess from the '50s, as well as material from his 1960 sessions in New York with Robert Lockwood, Jr. and St. Louis Jimmy Oden, and rounds things into a complete portrait by including sides he did with B.B. King, James Cotton, Hubert Sumlin, and many others. Spann is regarded as Chicago's greatest post-war blues pianist. This set shows why.

TRACKLIST

CD 1:

01. It Must Have Been The Devil
02. Five Spot
03. I'm Leaving You
04. I'm In Love With You Baby
05. Worried Life Blues
06. This Is The Blues
07. Beat-Up Team
08. The Hard Way
09. Country Boy
10. My Home Is In The Delta
11. It Must Have Been The Devil
12. Rambin' On My Mind
13. Take A Walk With Me
14. Little Boy Blue
15. My Daily Wish
16. Great Northern Stomp
17. Otis In The Dark
18. Walkin' The Blues
19. Cow Cow Blues
20. Spann And Bob

CD 2:

01. Monkey Face Blues
02. One Doggone Reason
03. Strange Woman Blues
04. It Hurts Me Too
05. Baby Child
06. Talkin' The Blues
07. Can't Stand Your Evil Ways
08. Otis Blues
09. Half Ain't Been Told
10. Going Down Slow
11. The Girl I Love
12. Bad Condition
13. Come Day, Go Day
14. Got My Mojo Working
15. Evil Is Going On
16. No Money Down
17. I'm A Man
18. As Long As I Have You
19. Let Me Love You Baby
20. Don't Start Me Talking