Audiophile blues...

"I have to totally disagree with "sound quality will suck in most cases".Many blues sessions recorded on tube equipment in the 50s."

+1

Short response: MANY does not trump MOST, neither are they Mutually Exclusive. My Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf etc.... CDs could have been done better. And since when has 50's technology and Tube equipment been a benchmark for great sound.

Chess records reissues its stuff periodically. Artists include Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon, Little Walter, Etta James, Chuck Berry, and many others included on compilations. I can't vouch for the sound quality of each reissue but you can check out one or two and then go from there.

Some SACDs of the blues worth checking out include:
Hoodoo Man Blues by Junior Wells, a classic
Addressing the Nation with the Blues by Byther Smith
Mississippi Magic by Terry Evans
Last Fair Deal by Rory Block
Luke and the Locomotives by Robert Lucas
Dealin' by Joe Beard

Robert Johnson, The Centennial Collection, released last year to mark his 100th birthday, is the best sounding collection of his music by a pretty wide margin. It's incredible how much noise they removed from the 78s while still leaving the music.

Enjoy!

Tomcy6:
I have the chess boxes of Muddy, Dixon and Howlin' Wolf. Great stuff. For some reason the CDs in the Muddy box have begun to physically deteriorate. On the playing side, and it started not long after purchase.
I have the Robert Johnson initial Box issue. I might try the one you mentioned. The sound quality on the first one contained just too much noise for me. Same with the Bessie Smith boxes.
Hoodoo Man Blues is indeed a classic. Chicago.

Thanks for you input and info.
Cheers

Casey33:
Muzikat:

I withdraw my statement about the sound quality. I now realize I was thinking mainly of the REALLY old stuff from the 20s-30s like charley Patton, Robert Johnson and Bessie Smith etc...... My Bad.
Cheers