Earwig 20th Anniversary Collection - VARIOUS ARTISTS - 2 CD SET

This second Earwig blues collection celebrates the 20th anniversary since producer and CEO Michael Frank began the label by taking Frank Frost, Sam Carr, and Jack Johnson -The Jelly Roll Kings-into a Memphis studio to record Earwig's first album, Rockin the Juke Joint Down, in 1979. During its first fifteen years, Earwig concentrated on seminal figures in the history of the blues: elder bluesmen under-represented in recordings and live performance-artists such as Honeyboy Edwards, Sunnyland Slim, Homesick James, H-Bomb Ferguson, and Louisiana Red. Earwig also made the first album recordings of Lester Davenport, Aron Burton, Lovie Lee, Big Jack Johnson, and John Primer as bandleaders rather than as sidemen.

In the past five years Earwig has released debut albums by Chicago's blues diva Liz Mandville Greeson, South Side sould blues singer Johnny Drummer, and Detroit's Johnny "Yard Dog" Jones. Jones won a Handy Award and Living Blues' Critics Poll as Best New Artist. Earwig has also specialized in putting together band combinations not found on other labels-Lil Ed with Willie Kent and Eddie C. Campbell; Louisiana Red-in his first American album in almost twenty years-with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith on harmonica; and Honeyboy Edwards with Carey Bell. This generous double CD features cuts from every Earwig artist, and original songs by these artists not found on other labels.