Personnel: Taj Mahal (vocals, guitar, harmonica); John Mayall (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Eric Clapton, Freddie King, George Thorogood, John Lee Hooker, Albert King, Lowell Fulson, Luther Allison, Muddy Waters, Robert Cray, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Susan Tedeschi, B.B. King, Buddy Guy (vocals, guitar); Junior Wells Chicago Blues Band, Paul Butterfield (vocals, harmonica); Gregg Allman (vocals, organ); Etta James, Mama Reed, Herman "Little Junior" Parker, Willie Dixon, Z.Z. Hill, Big Mama Thornton, Koko Taylor, Bobby "Blue" Bland (vocals); Duane Allman (guitar, slide guitar); Dickey Betts, Eddie "Guitar" Burns, Albert Jr. Lowe, Elvin Bishop, Jesse Davis , Leroy Emanuel, Hubert Sumlin, Hugh McCracken, Jimmy Rogers , Lee Baker, Albert Collins, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Michael Bloomfield, Pete "Guitar" Lewis, Steve Cropper, Lefty Bates, Cash McCall, Dino Zimmerman (guitar); Joe Arnold (flute, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Little Walter, Pat Hayes (harmonica); Donald Hankins (saxophone, baritone saxophone); Choker Campbell, Hank Carter, David "Fathead" Newman , Floyd Newman, Gene Barge, Julien Beasley, Jimmy Beck, Johnny Board, Aaron Varnell, Leroy Cooper, Charles Chalmers (saxophone); Henry Hayes, Gus Fontenette (alto saxophone); Jarrett Gibson, Theodore Arthur, Hubert Myers, Andrew Love, Ben Branch (tenor saxophone); Charles Crawford, Rayfield Davers (baritone saxophone); Joe Scott , Frank Mitchell, Murray Watson, Philip Gilbeaux, Tommy Nevue, Melvin "Lil' Son" Jackson, Wayne Jackson (trumpet); Fats Morris, John Watson , Pluma Davis (trombone); Dewey Oldham (piano, organ); Devonia Williams, Floyd Morris, Donny Hathaway, Teddy Reynolds, Paul Drake, Lafayette Leake, Leonard Caston, Otis Spann, Sonny Thompson , Booker T. Jones, Bruce McCabe (piano); Walter McNeil, Carl Banks, Mark Naftalin, Ricky Peterson, Tom West (organ); Paul "Blind Man" Harris, Peter Boe (keyboards); Johnny Otis (vibraphone); Chris Layton, Clifton James, Roger Dawkins, Earl Phillips, Fred Below, Leard Bell, Chick Booth, Herbert Henderson, Laval Belle, Bill Warren, John Starks, Al Duncan , Al Jackson, Jr., Oscar Moore, Philip Paul, Sam Lay, Hughie Flint, Herb Lovelle, Morris Jennings, Chuck Blackwell , Oscar Lee Bradley, Jeff Simon, Butch Trucks, Rob Stupka (drums); Charlotte Chenault, Jewel Bass, Thomisene Anderson (background vocals).

Liner Note Author: Mary Katherine Aldin.

Recording information: Brookline, MA (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); Burbank, CA (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); Chicago, IL (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); Cincinnati, OH (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); Crowley, LA (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); Dallas, TX (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); Detroit, MI (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); Hollywood, CA (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); Houston, TX (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); Jackson, MS (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); London, England (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); Los Angeles, CA (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); Memphis, TN (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); Miami, FL (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); Minneapolis, MN (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); Montreux, Switzerland (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); Muscle Shoals, AL (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); Nashville, TN (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); New Orleans, LA (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); New York, NY (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); The Filmore East, NY (01/07/1954-??/??/1997); Watertown, MA (01/07/1954-??/??/1997).

Photographers: Paul "Blind Man" Harris; Les Gruseck; Ray Flerlage; Frank Ockenfels; Ebet Roberts; Michael Putland; Jim Steinfeldt; Gilles Petard; Hiroyuki Arakawa; Brian Smith ; Paul Natkin; Jim Marshall ; Tom Terrell.

Arrangers: Joe Scott ; Gene Barge.

This two-CD set is both an entertaining sampler of this richly varied American art form and an informative micro-history. It contains works by some of the blues' most celebrated pioneers--including Big Mama Thornton's original version of Elvis Presley's later hit "Hound Dog," the Chicago blues of Muddy Waters' "Hoochie Coochie Man," and Albert King's haunting "Born Under a Bad Sign"--as well as by its most ardent latter-day practitioners, such as Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Jonny Lang. "Mean Old World," Clapton's rarely heard acoustic duet with Duane Allman, is a special highlight, but for down-and-dirty blues nothing beats John Lee Hooker's inimitable "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer."

None of the cuts on this two-disc, 38-track collection is particularly obscure or hard to find elsewhere, but what makes it a useful set is having them all in one package, and the end result is a nice introduction to modern electric blues. Included are such classic blues performances as Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog," T-Bone Walker's "Call It Stormy Monday," Slim Harpo's "I'm a King Bee," Jimmy Reed's "Big Boss Man," John Lee Hooker's "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer," Albert King's "Born Under a Bad Sign," Etta James' "I'd Rather Go Blind," and Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Flood Down in Texas," among many others. Again, nothing here is going to make a blues collector jump up and shout, but they aren't going to complain, either, since every cut is a stone cold classic. ~ Steve Leggett