Buzzin The Blues

Bear Family's luxurious CD boxed set, Slim Harpo 'Buzzin' The Blues The Complete Slim Harpo', was honored with the 'Blues Music Award 2016' as 'Best Historical Album of the Year'. The award ceremony was part of the Blues Foundation's gala evening in the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tennessee on the evening of May 5th. The award was presented to Detlev Hoegen, Bear Family Record's managing director, by Thomas Ruf (Ruf Records, Germany) and Andrew Galloway (Electro-Fi Records, Canada). Bear Family would like to express deepest thanks to Martin Hawkins, William Gambler and Johnny Pallazotto. The complete works of one of the masters of Louisiana 'swamp blues' and 'swamp pop. ' CDs 1 and 2 hold all Slim Harpo's Excello label 45s and original album tracks. CDs 3 and 4 have all the recordings unissued in Harpo's lifetime and all the alternative takes of issued songs. CD 5 features a live recording made in 1961, one of the very earliest to capture an original and important blues artist in their prime. There are four previously unissued live songs and one previously unknown song. Slim Harpo made his impressive entrance into the world of blues recordings in 1957. Here was a man with an unforgettable name, a strong song I'm A King Bee and a finely-crafted minimalist style, at once familiar and novel. In 1961 Slim Harpo made a crossover entry into the American Rhythm 'n' Blues and Popular Music charts when Rainin' In My Heart became one of those barely-categorisable hits that just couldn't be ignored. Then came Baby, Scratch My Back, a soulful rhythmic number that led to tours with the rock elite.