Baby Face Leroy Foster's chronological recordings overlap and intersect nicely with those made by
Muddy Waters during the late '40s and early '50s. Both men hailed from rural Mississippi.
Foster made it to Chicago in 1945, two years after
Muddy.
Foster shows up on some of
Muddy's Aristocrat recordings from 1948 and 1949.
Muddy in turn participated in six of the nine sessions reissued here. While
Muddy stuck with Aristocrat beyond the point in 1950 when it turned into Chess Records,
Foster's recorded musical output landed on the Aristocrat, J.O.B., Regal, and Parkway labels. This interesting compilation of rare blues performances follows
Leroy Foster's brief and sporadic career from November 1948 to 1952.
Foster had a casual way of singing the blues, often busting out with gruff words of encouragement for his fellow musicians. These included, in addition to the equally outspoken
Muddy Waters, harmonica men
Snooky Pryor and
Little Walter, guitarists
Jimmy Rogers and
Robert Jr. Lockwood, and pianist
Sunnyland Slim.
Foster also periodically switched from guitar to the drums.
Foster made his own haunting,
Blind Willie Johnson-potent recording of "Rollin' and Tumblin'" with
Muddy and
Little Walter in January 1950, one month before
Muddy followed suit with his own righteous rendition. This amazing compilation is packed with the sort of undiluted Mississippi/Chicago blues that'll cut right through you like a hot knife through a butter lamb.