Big Joe Turner was a blues singer like no other, and he was able to work in an astonishing number of styles and settings, from jazz, swing, and boogie-woogie to jump blues, early R&B, and rock & roll, and even bop and straight pop, without ever betraying his talent. This four-disc, 71-track set collects several of
Turner's earliest recordings from various labels, beginning with 1938’s “Roll ‘Em Pete” and running up to 1951, when
Turner signed with Atlantic Records. That means his classic version of “Shake, Rattle and Roll” is here, along with other early
Turner gems like “Cherry Red” (with
Pete Johnson), “Careless Love” (with
Willie “The Lion” Smith), and “Rocks in My Bed” (with
the Freddie Slack Trio), making this a nice survey of
Turner’s early catalog.