This satisfying collection covers the early part of the great blues singer's career from his mid-forties, Philo and Mercury days through his tenures at Modern and Chess in the early '50s. The 17 rare cuts have been nicely remastered and feature Witherspoon backed by the Jay McShann Band and other, unknown personnel on blues, jazz, and jump blues cuts. Being equally at home in all these idioms, Witherspoon is commanding on everything from ballads like "Strange Woman Blues" to the gospel revival novelty "Practice What You Preach." He also eats up the big-band swing number "Geneva Blues" and makes decent work of rock & roll cuts like "My Girl Ivy." Witherspoon is at his best, though, on driving blues swingers like "Big Daddy," "Why Do I Love You Like I Do," and "Daddy Pinocchio." A fine collection that compliments both his other early collections and the comeback recordings he made for Prestige in the early '60s.

Track Listing
1 Cain River Blues
2 Shipyard Woman Blues
3 I Want a Little Girl
4 Confessin' the Blues
5 All My Geets Are Gone
6 Hard Working Man's Blues
7 Practice What You Preach
8 Strange Woman Blues
9 Hey Mr. Landlord
10 Third Floor Blues
11 Oh Boy
12 Wee Baby Blues
13 Geneva Blues AKA Evil Woman
14 Big Daddy
15 Daddy Pinnochio
16 Why Do I Love You Like I Do?
17 My Girl Ivy