Jimmy McCracklin

Jimmy McCracklin's body of work for the Modern label, done in two separate stints -- one in 1948-1950, the other in the mid-'50s -- actually didn't yield all that much material, adding up to ten singles. However, by piling on a load of outtakes, tracks that appeared years later on other compilations, and some other odds and ends, Ace managed to stretch McCracklin's Modern output out to two lengthy CDs. This, the second of the pair, focuses on his mid-'50s Modern work, including both sides of the four singles he put out with the company in 1954 and 1955, one track ("My Mother Said") that didn't appear until a 1962 LP compilation, eight previously unreleased outtakes, and six cuts from Modern singles by three guys who performed as McCracklin accompanists at various points (guitarist Jerry Thomas, saxophonist Johnny Parker, and Baby "Pee Wee" Parham). By its nature, this disc is going to appear almost exclusively to specialist blues collectors, and though it's respectable, it's somewhat journeyman 1950s West Coast R&B-blues, lacking as much sparkle as the best of McCracklin's recordings. It's interesting, though, to hear him playing raw harmonica on some tracks, like "Gonna Tell Your Mother" (an obvious cop of J.B. Lenoir's "Mama Talk to Your Daughter"), and Thomas plays some chilling if unrefined guitar on "The Panic's On." Thomas' stinging, raw guitar gets more of a chance to stretch out on his single, which also features strong upper-register vocals and a brass arrangement, and is the best of the three 45s by McCracklin accompanists compiled at the end of the CD. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide