The Very Best of Johnny "Guitar" Watson [Rhino] (CD - 1999)

Personnel includes: Johnny "Guitar" Watson (vocals, guitar, piano); Harold Grant, Howard Roberts, Wayne Bennett, Rene Hall (guitar); Israel Baker, Harry Hyams, Sydney Sharp (strings); Edward Hale (alto saxophone); "Big" Jim Wynn (tenor & baritone saxophones); Milt Bradford, Sammy Parker, Billy Smith, Bill Gaither, Maxwell Davis, Chuck Higgins, James Benson, Chauney Lockie (tenor saxophone); Jewell Grant, Clyde Dunn (baritone saxophone); James Parr, Joe Bridgewater (trumpet); Devonia Williams, Willard McDaniel, Ernie Freeman, Floyd Dixon (piano); Ralph Hamilton, Mario Delagarde, Joe Ursey, Billy Hadnott (bass); Charles Predergraft, Eli Toney, Bill English, Robert "Snake" Sims, Jesse Sailes, Gaynel Hodge, Chuck Smith (drums).

Producers include: Ralph Bass, Jake Porter, Joe Bihari, Johnny Otis, Floyd Dixon.

Compilation producers: James Austin, Jimmie Vaughan.

Recorded between 1952 and 1963. Includes liner notes by David Ritzand and James Austin.

Digitally remastered by Bob Fisher.

Personnel: Johnny "Guitar" Watson (vocals, guitar, piano); Charles Norris, Howard Roberts , Harold Grant, Rene Hall, Wayne Bennett (guitar); Elliot Fisher, Harry Hyams, Leonard Malarsky, Johnny Otis, Sidney Sharp, Israel Baker (strings); Edward Hale (alto saxophone); Jim Wynn (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Chuck Higgins, Billy Smith , Chauney Lockie, Milt Bradford, Bill Gaither , James Benson, Samuel Parker, Maxwell Davis (tenor saxophone); Jewell L. Grant, Clyde Dunn, Big Jim Wynn (baritone saxophone); Robert Taylor , Joe Bridgewater, James Parr (trumpet); Devonia Williams, Ernie Freeman, Floyd Dixon, Robert Gross, Willard McDaniel (piano); Chuck Smith, Sharkey Hall, Gaynel Hodge, Eli Toney, Charles Prendergraft, Robert Sims, Jesse Price, Billy Gene English, Jesse Sailes (drums).

Audio Remasterer: Bob Fisher .

Recording information: Los Angeles, CA (1952-1963).

Photographer: Michael Ochs.

THE VERY BEST OF JOHNNY "GUITAR" WATSON is a misleading title. This compilation covers only Watson's earliest recordings, but it shows what an explosive and diverse talent he was right from the start (and would continue to be throughout a career that went well into the 1990s). Though he started off as a pianist (Watson shows off his hot boogie woogie skills on a few tracks here), his true goal was to do some damage with the guitar.

"Space Guitar," for example, from 1954--which leads off this set--is a mind-blower. With its blistering fingering and psychedelic effects, the song sounds like nothing so much as Jimi Hendrix some 13 years before Hendrix burst onto the scene. But even when Watson takes it back home for some gutbucket blues, his style is pyrotechnic and distinctive. In his dexterity and the fierceness of his attack, Watson sounds far, far ahead of his time, a fact that only adds to the pleasure he provides on these fine blues tracks. minimize