H-Bomb Ferguson - Big City Blues 1951-54 (2006)

Long before his 1990s re-emergence as a fright wig wearing blues star, Robert "H-Bomb" Ferguson had recorded a series of Wynonie Harris-styled jump blues singles in the '40s and '50s for a variety of labels and under various names, including several as the Cobra Kid. Although he was so close to Harris' delivery and repertoire on these sides that most critics dismissed him as an outright clone, Ferguson's booming, wink-and-a-smile voice was obviously something special. Ferguson first recorded under the moniker H-Bomb in 1951 when he signed with Savoy Records, and the name stuck. This generous 31-track collection from Rev-Ola Records includes Ferguson's Savoy tracks, as well as sides he cut for the Atlas, Prestige and Esquire labels between 1951 and 1954, and features such gems as "Rock H-Bomb Rock," "On My Way," "Preachin' the Blues," "Bookie's Blues," and his best known tune, "Good Lovin'." Discouraged with the direction of his career, Ferguson took up residence in Cincinnati, OH in 1957, where he was content to be a regional treasure (all the while experimenting with increasingly bizarre wigs and headgear) until his debut album, Wiggin' Out, was released in 1993 on Chicago's Earwig Records. The album established Ferguson as a true original in his own right, and gave the colorful singer a national stage until his death in 2006. The joy and energy obvious in these early sides makes the Harris comparisons merely academic at this point, and these are wonderful examples of late period jump blues by any measure. Unfortunately Rev-Ola (who are usually pretty reliable) dropped the ball on this one by seriously messing up the running order on the printed CD cover, inside booklet and even on the CD label itself. The music is great, but it unfolds in an entirely different sequence than what is listed. ~by Steve Leggett