An Introduction to Johnny Copeland is a satisfying compilation focusing on 16 of the Texas bluesman's rare sides waxed for independent labels in the '50s and '60s. Long before
Copeland began releasing popular soul-blues on the Rounder label in the '80s and (albeit briefly) with Verve in the early '90s, he recorded umpteen regionally distributed singles. Sweat-drenched ballads alternated with gritty, greasy R&B workouts, usually augmented by a horn section and sounding very similar to what
Junior Parker or
Bobby "Blue" Bland were releasing at the time. Please note that this reissue includes the majority of cuts from Fuel 2000's Collection: Working Man's Blues issued in 2002, but for some reason three cuts were omitted: "Funny Feeling," "It's My Own Tears That's Being Wasted," and "I Got to Go Home." ~ Al Campbell