Besides the fact that this is a Martin Scorsese “presentation,” and his PBS series on the blues has just aired, this is a rather timely reissue. Lenoir, sensitive to senseless war and political injustice, often put his views into the lyrics of his songs. With the current turmoil/mess the USA has gotten itself into, some of these songs—recorded nearly 50 years ago—hit home again. Specifically, I’m referring to “Eisenhower Blues” and “Korea Blues,” songs that relate to global/American affairs at the time.

A Chicago via Mississippi artist, Lenoir’s guitar style was closely patterned after Jimmy Reed/Eddie Taylor’s style and he was often backed by two driving saxes that played in tandem. His voice was quite unique, as he could easily be mistaken for a woman, an issue he addresses in the brilliant “Natural Man.” A bit of a label hopper, Lenoir had one release on Chess in 1951, before returning for a four-year on and off run in 1954. Lenoir never had a hit that pushed him to the top of the heap, but he was a rock solid artist. Songs like “Give Me One More Shot” and “Mama Talk To Your Daughter”—Lenoir was fond of addressing his girl’s mother in his lyrics—were storming uptempo pieces. “Don’t Dog Your Woman” and “Sitting Down Thinking” demonstrate that Lenoir knew what the blues was all about. The sax work of Alex Atkins and Ernest Cotton deserves special mention as they really make these recordings swing. Listen to “Five Years” and you’ll be astounded. This is essential listening for any Chicago blues fan, but I have two bones to pick with MCA. This collection contains only 13 tracks, while the MCA/Chess vaults contain at least 24 tracks. That means that many listeners probably won’t ever get a chance to hear classics like “Carrie Lee” and “J.B.’s Rock,” tracks that were once available on vinyl. Also there’s better in action photos of Lenoir that exist that aren’t included on this release. With that off my back, this is still a great release.