My Best Friends: The Blues

Some of my best friends have the blues - 50 years of bass back-up, blues, booze, and indie music.

It's not easy to produce a truly original concept CD album in the modern era, as nearly every idea has been explored since the inception of albums in the late 1940s. Despite this, the CD I present to you is a unique indie compilation featuring 23 lead singers and 24 tunes with blues influences or "bluesy" subject matter, each offering a distinct and innovative take on the genre. The common thread that ties these diverse tracks together is the bass provided by Big Al Jano on each one.

Although known as an indie producer, bassist, and occasional satirical songwriter, Big Al is featured on only one tune in this collection - the broadcast version of his 1987 college cult classic, The Condom Man (which has been revised to be more politically correct). To the best of our knowledge, there is no other compilation that carries this unique concept over 50 years of indie music. Any producer who may have attempted this feat would receive our condolences for the likely stress of restoring old master tapes and selecting tracks for inclusion.

The chosen tunes in this quasi-blues compilation are Big Al's personal favorites for each singer and are selected to complement each other. Some tracks were produced in world-class multi-track studios, while others were captured live to tape with no remixing. Big Al has always believed that striving for "perfection" in a recording can result in a sterile and dull product. As he once stated, "I've always preferred the 'feel' of a track over its preciseness and picked the selections for this compilation with that in mind."

In addition to the CD, a 20-page full-color booklet is included, featuring information and photos of each lead singer, as well as a credit list of supporting musicians. For collectors, a complete 50-year discography of Big Al's works is also provided. Notably, his 1968 psychedelic album "The Square Root of Two" by The Night Shadows is listed and is recognized as the most valuable album ever produced in the state of Georgia, with copies currently selling for over $1600 each.

Jaime White/Hottrax Records ([email protected])

TRACK SYNOPSIS 1. "Spice In My Life" featuring Sammy B (Sammy Blue) - Piedmont Blues with Delta-Zydeco rhythm (1999) 2. "(Gonna Have A) Good Time" featuring Scott Marks - Up-tempo blues rocker with a 5-piece horn section (1976) 3. "Blindside" featuring Bobby "Bones" Jones - Hammond organ style Piedmont Blues with a barroom feel (1960) 4. "Through The Rain" featuring Allan Collay - Southern Blues Rock with soulful Cajun influenced vocals (1968/1974) 5. "Lucille" featuring Butch "Trooper" Cooper - Chicago style rocking blues with harmonica (2001) 6. "Give It Everything We've Got" featuring Rick Ware - Jump-blues with smoking tenor & soprano saxophones (2002) 7. "Oh Linda" featuring Allen Collay - New Orleans style funky barroom blues (1974) 8. "Sista Mary" featuring Danny Deese - Blues for a Rock concert (1978) 9. "See See Rider" featuring Judy Argo - Live jazz diva performing Georgia's oldest traditional blues tune (1963) 10. "Roll With Me" featuring Bill Sheffield - Piedmont style Bluesrock with vocals and guitars (1997) 11. "I Don't Want To See You Cry Anymore" featuring Delanna Brody - Heavy metal bluesrock recorded live on cassette (1983) 12. "Auld Lang Syne Hip Hop" featuring Mike Lorenz - New Year's song performed in early Hip Hop/Rap style by the late Blues (and Bluegrass) singer (1984) 13. "Insurance Man Blues" featuring "Too Tall" Thomas Thompson - Post-war Blues for Blues purists (1957) 14. "Be Careful What You Ask For" featuring Liane Webb - Alternative Southern Blues Rock with slide guitar (1996) 15. "Caught In Between" featuring Roger "Hurricane" Wilson - Jersey style Blues Rock (1993) 16. "Plenty Of Trouble" featuring Charlie Adams (a.k.a. Adam Charles) - Psychedelic political bluesrock (1969) 17. "Silver Grill Blues" featuring Diamond Lil - Campy Country style blues in concert (1984) 18. "The Way It Used To Be" featuring Little Phil - British inspired rock with a Blues message (1965) 19. "We're Only Fooling Ourselves" featuring Wayne Chaffin - Tin Pan Alley style blues tune with a jazz progression (1979) 20. "Disco Disaster Blues Strut" - Instrumental reflecting on the impact of disco on live music venues (1980) 21. "Elevator" featuring Little Erv & Helene - R&B tune combination with a 1960s boy & girl duo style (1962) 22. "Rock Me" featuring Luther Houserocker Johnson - Century-old blues classic with barrelhouse piano and traditional blues guitar (1988) 23. "I Wish You Very Well" featuring Bobby Bahr - Fusion of mid-western vocals with Southern Bluesrock (1973/2007) 24. "The Condom Man - Broadcast Version" featuring Big Al Jano - Broadcast rendition of the college classic, originally available on vinyl (1987-1988)

The original CD will be released only to radio stations that authorize the PR materials available upon request.

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