VA - Ground-Breaking Blues (2009)

2009 collection, a special sampler from the British based Blues label Blue Horizon. "Ground-Breaking Blues" is designed as an introduction to Sony Music / Blue Horizon's ongoing "The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions" series. Label founder Mike Vernon provides the sleeve notes and describes the 14 tracks on this CD as his own personal favourites. He believes that they "give an excellent indication of what the would-be purchaser will find should he or she decide to delve further into the available catalogue". As well as acting as a fine sampler for the series, it works as a terrific blues collection in its own right, with key names like Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack and Champion Jack Dupree nestling alongside lesser-known acts such as Gordon Smith, Johnny Shines and Key Largo. The booklet details all personnel / recording dates and locations, and the inlay underneath the CD depicts 16 available titles from the series.