Blowing the Fuse is a killer series of compilation CDs issued by Germany's premier archivist label, Bear Family. Subtitled "R&B Classics That Rocked the Jukebox," each volume is compiled by year. 1948 was a boom year for jukeboxes across the United States. This volume, like most of the others, contains 28 affirmed classics of the early postwar years though some of these titles have been obscured a bit by history. Assembled by Dave "Daddy Cool" Booth, the sequencing of these tracks has proved invaluable in this series. With
the Ravens "Write Me a Letter" opening it all up,
Julia Lee files in with "King Size Papa" and gets trailed by
T-Bone Walker's monster "They Call It Stormy Monday," which is tailed by the Paul Williams's "Thirty-Five Thirty" and
Crown Prince Waterford's risqué "Move Your Hand, Baby." Is this six tracks of pure gold or what? But it gets better, with
Bull Moose Jackson's "I Love You, Yes I Do,"
Nellie Lutcher's "Fine Brown Frame," and a host of others including
Mabel Scott's "Elevator Baby," and
Lonnie Johnson's awesome "Tomorrow Night." Other artists featured here are Paul Watson,
Muddy Waters, Jimmy Liggins,
Amos Milburn and
Roy Brown, among many others. Colin Escott has written authoritative liner notes -- there is a small set for each cut -- and the package is full of killer photos and housed in a handsome digipack. Sound quality is consistently fine throughout. ~ Thom Jurek