Above Picture cropped from the cover of “The Story of Chess Records” by John Collis

Chess Records of Chicago put out some of the best blues, R&B, and early rock and roll records of the Fifties and Sixties and is now the subject of not one but two different movies coming out: “Cadillac Records” starring Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess, Cedric the Entertainer as Willie Dixon, Mos Def as Chuck Berry, Columbus Short as Little Walter, Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters, and Beyoncé Knowles as Etta James and “Who Do You Love” with a lesser known cast (I would have listed the leads but no offense intended I never heard of any of them). I thought before the great music of Chess Records is trivialized and “bastardized” by companies trying to cash in on these movies, that I’d recommend the best “Best Of” original recording collections on CD of some of the great Chess Recording Artists, so anyone interested in hearing more will know where to look. I’ve listed the Chess Recording Artists in Alphabetical Order. Oh, here’s my review on the Cadillac Records Movie in this Blog. Click Here.

Chuck Berry “The Definitive Collection”

Chuck Berry is the King of Rock and Roll. Without Chuck Berry there would be no rock and roll and probably no Beatles and Rolling Stones who were among the many rock groups covering his songs and “Back to the Future” would never have been made, just kidding! Seriously though, Chuck Berry was and is one of the most influential musicians in Rock and Roll History writing and playing Riffs no one heard before! The Definitive Collection is a great collection of 30 Chuck Berry classics with excellent remastered sound and great booklet notes by Bud Scoppa. Featuring hits like “Maybellene”, “Roll Over Beethoven”, “Brown Eyed Handsome Man”, “School Day”, “Rock And Roll Music”, “Sweet Little Sixteen”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “Little Queenie” and 22 more in chronological orders, all digitally remastered and sounding better than ever.

Bo Diddley “The Definitive Collection”

Along with his label mate Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley is one of the most influential figures in the history of rock as he brought his hard-edged relentless driving “shave and a haircut” rhythm and beat on his trademark rectangular guitar. Bo Diddley’s sound and originals influenced most of the British Blues Boom of the 1960’s and his original songs have been covered by groups like The Rolling Stones (Mona), The Yardbirds (I’m a Man), Quicksilver Messenger Service (Who Do You Love), Humble Pie (Roadrunner) amongst others. This 20 track collection has all of his best stuff including the afore mentioned classics as well as “Bo Diddley”, “Diddley Daddy”and “You Can’t Judge A Book” amongst others.

Buddy Guy “The Complete Chess Studio Recordings”

George “Buddy” Guy was one of Chicago Blues major guitarists, a five-time Grammy Award-winning winner and inspiration to musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, the later 2 also covering his songs. Among other things, Buddy Guy is known for his live showmanship strolling into the audience while jamming and trailing a long guitar chord.

This 2 CD 46 track collection of Buddy Guy’s singles and alternate or unreleased takes in the 1960’s for Chess, showcases his trademark stinging guitar sound and preaching vocals. Among these recordings are the his signature tunes “I Got My Eyes On You”, “Stone Crazy”, “Watch Yourself”, “When My Left Eye Jumps”, “First Time I Met the Blues” and “My Time After Awhile.”

Etta James “The Essential Etta James”

Etta James has one of the most striking, goosebump-raising voices in music and during 1960’s and mid 70’s she sang like a cross between Billie Holiday and Janis Joplin, one of the greatest blues R n B singers ever. This 44 track 2 CD collection chronologically arranged displays all her vocal talents during that period with Chess: smokey standards, jazzy sexy blues, rockin’ R&B, scorching soul, ballads and torch songs. Among the classics in this collection are: Tell Mama, All I Could Do Is Cry, At Last and I’d Rather Go Blind which have been covered by Christine Perfect of Fleetwod Mac and Savoy Brown amongst others.

John Lee Hooker “His Best Chess Sides”

John Lee Hooker is the founder of the boogie. He recorded so many albums on so many labels its hard to keep track. John Lee was at his musical peak when he recorded these tracks for Chess during 1952 to ‘54. Unlike most of the musicians listed here, John Lee did most of his recordings in Detroit not at Chess Studios. This 15 track CD features some of John Lee Hooker’s best boogies as well as slow blues and the primal fire of Hooker’s voice and raunchy guitar. The majority of the performances are basically solo performances, with Hooker’s foot stamping out the beat on a wooden floor producing some amazing rhythms and sounds from his guitar. Amongst the musicians covering his songs are The Animals, George Thorogood (who covers “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer” and Dr. Feelgood (Madman Blues). Featured tracks besides the aforementioned in include “Groundhog Blues”, “I’m in the Mood” and “Walkin’ The Boogie”.

Koko Taylor “What It Takes”

This is a great collection of Koko Taylor’s 1960’s and early 70’s Chess best recordings, 18 great hot sizzling tracks, many written by the great Willie Dixon with some of the best musicianship you ever heard. The album features in my opinion some of Buddy Guy’s best guitar playing - Buddy’s on a bunch of these recordings, Willie Dixon’s deep driving bass, great drumming, great piano, great guitars by other musicians, great songs and of course Koko Taylor’s incredible voice, this is what the Blues to me is all about. All the tracks are great and “Wang Dang Doodle” and “Let Me Love You Baby” are classics covered by many British Blues Explosion groups including the Jeff Beck Group and Savoy Brown.

Little Walter “His Best” or “The Essential Collection”

Little Walter was to the harmonica what Jimi Hendrix was to the guitar! Little Walter Jacobs was originally a harp player with Muddy Waters’ band and when when his instrumental “Juke” became a hit in 1952 he launched his solo career. Little Walter one of the most influential harp players in blues history if not the most influential. The songs on both compilations captures Little Walter’s raw jukin’ sound magnificently recorded at the Chess Studios. I’ve listed 2 albums above: “His Best” by far the tightest of the two but for some reason excludes Walter’s classic “Dead Presidents” which is included in “The Essential Collection. The Essential Collection is a 2 CD set with all 20 tracks of “His Best” plus 26 more tracks, 46 in all, including “Dead Presidents” but also including some less then memorable tracks as well. Your call.

Among the highlights on both albums are Walter’s instrumental “Juke”, with Jimmy Rogers and Muddy Waters playing guitar, Walter’s original “Blues With A Feeling”, “Boom Boom Out Goes The Light”, T-Bone Walker’s “Mean Old World”, “Mellow Down Easy”, “My Babe” and “Hate to See You Go”. Additionally as previously mentioned “Essential” has the incredible “Dead Presidents”. The Rolling Stones covered Walter’s original “Confessin’ the Blues”, Eric Clapton with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers covered “It Ain’t Right”, Derek and The Dominos covered “Key to the Highway” among the many of Walter’s songs musicians recorded.

Muddy Waters “The Anthology: 1947-1972″

McKinley Morganfield aka Muddy Waters is considered “the Father of Chicago Blues”. He brought an a thunderous,electrified Delta country sound to the blues. Muddy Waters recorded with some of the best blues musicans backing him including Little Walter on harmonica; Jimmy Rogers on guitar; Otis Spann on piano. The Rolling Stones named themselves after Waters’ “Rollin’ Stone”. Cream covered “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” and Waters’ music influenced Eric Clapton. Willie Dixon Dixon wrote some of Muddy Waters’ most famous songs, including “I Just Want to Make Love to You” and “Hoochie Coochie Man”.

This 2 CD 50 song Anthology covers Waters’s first years at Chess through the late 1960s and besides the above mentioned hits includes I’m Ready, “Mannish Boy” “Hoochie Coochie Man”, “Got My Mojo Working”, “Trouble No More” and “You Shook Me” which Led Zeppelin covered, amongst others.

Sonny Boy Williamson II “His Best”

Rice Miller aka Sonny Boy Williamson II, harmonica player, singer and songwriter, was a major musical influence and mentor to such great Chicago Blues harp players as Little Walter, Junior Wells and James Cotton. Sonny Boy had his greatest success and acclaim when he recorded for Chess subsidiary Checker Records from 1955 to 1964. In the early 1960s he toured Europe several times during the height of the British blues boom, and recorded with The Yardbirds and The Animals, and appearing on several European TV broadcasts. Original classic he wrote or cowrote have been covered by groups like the Who (Eyesight to the Blind), Allman Brothers (One Way Out), Ten Years After (Help Me) and Rory Gallagher (Don’t Start me Talkin”).

This 20 track collection has all of his best recordings including the afore mentioned classics as well as “Nine Below Zero”, “Checkin On My Baby” and “All My Love in Vain” (Not Robert Johnson song) amongst others.

Howlin’ Wolf “The Definitive Collection”

With his booming bone chilling voice and 6′4″ 300 pound almost supernatural demonic presence, Chester Burnett aka as Howlin’ Wolf, was one of the seminal performers of electric blues and songs he wrote or performed like Smokestack Lightnin’,”How Many More Times”, “Back Door Man”, “The Red Rooster”, “Spoonful” become standards of blues and blues rock performed by such greats including The Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, Cream, Led Zeppelin and the Doors. Howlin’ Wolf’s recordings send chills down ones spine with some of the most influential, nastiest, electric guitar played by Hubert Sumlin. This 20 track collection has all of his best stuff including the afore mentioned classics as well as “Wang Dang Doodle”, “Ain’t Superstitious” and “Howlin’ for My Darlin’” amongst others.

You can find all of these albums if interested at discount prices online from 2008 Audio Click Here

If you liked this article, please give it a quick review on Digg, Reddit, Stumbleupon, Propeller, or anywhere else. This blog features free computer help and tips, TV and movie reviews, sports, health advice, employment help, gas saving advice, money saving tips, dating advice, e-commerce ideas and more. Gifts and Free Advice Blog Homepage

The following discount e-commerce sites are owned by the writer of this blog and purchases help support and let this Blog be Politically Incorrect:

Discount 2008 and 2009 Gifts

New and Used Discount Software and Computers

Discount 2009 HDTV

Discount 2008 Books and Upcoming 2009 Books

Discount New and Used Audio Equipment, Home Theater Systems, CDS

Discount New and Used Jewelry and Watches

Order Discount

Satellite TV Sports featuring Free Weekly Cable Sports Schedules

Discount Allergy One Stop Store Featuring Best Air Purifiers, Hepa Vacuums, Dust Mite Protection Covers, Sinus and Hay fever Relief and Much More at lowest Discount Prices. Fast Delivery

Discount New and Used Sci-Fi Fantasy Books and Comics

Subscribe to Gifts and Free Advice by Email

\