ProStudioMasters.com

Singer, songwriter, guitarist and harmonica player Jimmy Reed (1925–1976) was one of the most revered bluesmen of the 20th century. His electrified songs not only inspired a generation of artists but also were covered by such legends as Elvis Presley, the Animals, Tina Turner, the Yardbirds and the Rolling Stones, just to name a few. Born in Mississippi, Reed relocated to the Midwest, where he honed his talents through busking and, by the early ’50s, had established himself as a vital player in the scene, signing to Chicago’s Vee-Jay Records. Over the next decade, Reed (who often wrote with his wife, Mary) released a steady stream of hits. His debut full-length, 1958’s I’m Jimmy Reed, culled 12 of these best-loved singles—all released between 1953 and 1958—including “Honest I Do” (No.4 on the R&B chart and No.32 on the Pop chart) and “Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby,” which peaked in the R&B Top 10 and quickly became a standard, covered by blues artists, pop singers and rockers alike. Other highlights include Top 5 R&B hits like “You Got Me Dizzy” and “You Don’t Have to Go,” as well as such popular B-sides as “Boogie in the Dark.” Joining Reed on these recordings is an array of talented players, including drummer Earl Phillips and celebrated blues guitarist Eddie Taylor. Several soon-to-be legends also appear on the album—John Brim (on one of Reed’s earliest recordings, “Roll & Rhumba”) and Albert King, as well as drummer Vernel Fournier. Hailed by Record Collector as “arguably the first great blues album,” I’m Jimmy Reed became a must-have for every self-respecting blues fan—not to mention countless aspiring rock-and-rollers. Reed, who continued to enjoy a prolific career into the ’60s, was later honored with posthumous inductions into the Blues Hall of Fame® and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame®. Speaking to the album, Scott Billington remarked, “Jimmy Reed’s music is deceptively simple—his laconic vocals and squeaky high harmonica solos give the impression of a back porch musician. However, his songs are among the most enduring (and at times most poetic) in the blues. . . . His first album, I’m Jimmy Reed, is his best, beautifully recorded at Bill Putnam’s Universal Recording in Chicago (to this record producer’s ears, the snare drum sound on ‘Honest I Do’ is impossibly perfect). I’ve spent decades coming back to this album every so often, and I get something new each time.”