Chicago / The Blues / Today! Vol. 3

Well, I already had Volumes 1 and 2 of this series, so yeah, when I ran across a copy of Volume 3, I was going to grab it – and I was also going to be surprised there had been a 2006 reissue, because that’s what this is! I guess they reissued the whole series in 2006 – but only reissued Volume 1 in 2022. In any case, if you’re even the most casual fan of any kind of blues, this is a worthwhile addition to the collection.

This volume features what I would say are pretty unknown or forgotten bands in the form of Johnny Young’s South Side Blues Band and the Johnny Shines Blues Band, along with a single track credited to Big Walter Horton’s Blues Harp Band with Memphis Charlie – Musselwhite, that is. But those credits obscure the fact that this is entirely a Big Walter Horton record, as he’s in both the other bands and on nearly every track. And there is nothing wrong with that!