Jimmy Rogers, one of Chess Records' less well-known recording artists under his own name though he was a mainstay of
Muddy Waters' band in the early '50s, was well-represented by the two-CD set
Complete Chess Recordings issued in 1997, the year of his death. But that collection, with its numerous alternate takes, was a little more than the average blues fan needed, so this still-generous one-disc, 22-track distillation is a welcome addition to his catalog. Though
Rogers did not formally launch a solo career until 1956, he was making occasional records for Chess as early as 1950, with "That's All Right" inaugurating his work as a leader. Not surprisingly, the band in which he served as guitarist backed him on these efforts, with
Waters,
Willie Dixon,
Little Walter, and
Otis Spann, among others, sitting in. The collection follows him up to his sole hit single, "Walking By Myself," and beyond, with the sound evolving from traditional Chicago electric blues in the
Waters mold to more of a rock & roll sound by the last track "Rock This House."
Rogers may not have the distinctiveness as a vocalist that
Waters possesses, but he gets his points across and the music is classic blues of its type. ~ William Ruhlmann