El Toro R&B 110. [2009]
In A Daze – Miss Larceny Blues – Roll, Roll, Roll – Gimme Gimme Gimme – Jeety-Boat Joad – Florida Blues – Ashes On My Pillow – Open The Door Richard – Birmingham Boogie – I Want To Ride Like The Cowboys Do – Let Me In – Strike While The Iron’s Hot – The Jungle King – The Cadillac Song – Blow Champ Blow – Chocolate Candy Blues – The Hucklebuck – Pacifying Blues – That’s The One For Me – Sharp Little Sister – Main Street – I’ve Got The Upper Hand – Moanin’ Dan
Hot Lips Page could have been a serious rival to Louis Armstrong both as a vocalist and a trumpet player. Sadly, it never materialised due to bad moves and mistakes from his management (though it may have been deliberated as Page shared the same manager than Armstrong). But Page became a sought after session man, playing with Billie Holiday, Artie Shaw, Pete Johnson and Wynonie Harrie with whom he recorded “Good Rockin’ Tonight”. He also assembled various small jump blues combo under his own name and recorded sides for labels like Columbia, RCA, King, Harmony, Circle etc. With those hotter than pepper bands he pionneered the pre-rock’n’roll era in a genre similar to the great Louis Jordan (whom he admired). This compilation gathers 27 of his best sides recorded between the 40’s and his death in 1954, including unissued material and duet with female singers like Little Sylvia, Pearl Bailey and Mildred Anderson.
Absolutely and totally essential.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis