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I'm so glad to see that Wynonie Harris is finally getting his due as a lynchpin between the jazz and jump blues R&B of the 40s and the birth of rock n' roll in the fifties. This CD is an absolutely perfect single disc introduction to the blues shouter, who, in my humble opinion, outshone even Roy Brown and Big Joe Turner. Wynonie Harris sings music that is pulse pounding, super swingin', funny, infectiously danceable, and it all rocks hard! Here's where rock n' roll really got its first electric injection, and you can see from where Elvis and the Rolling Stones took their early inspiration. On top of it all, the remastering and sound quality on this disc is superb. The early tracks are a bit muffled, but that's because of the equipment used to record them in the first place. Everything here sounds as good as it possible can, and many tracks sound as if they were recorded yesterday!
I discovered the divine Mr. Harris through the retro-swing movement that started in the late 90s (and, nay-sayers aside, is still going!). Many bands covered his songs and helped get people interested in his music again. Swing Session covered "I Feel that Old Age Coming On," Indigo Swing adapted "Grandma Plays the Numbers" (into "Baron Plays the Horses"), the Senders did "Keep on Churnin'," Blues Jumpers tackled "Good Morning Judge," and it seems as if everyone has taken a crack at "Quiet Whiskey," "Down Boy Down," and of course, "Good Rockin' Tonight." Anyone who has ever heard any of these songs from a modern band, or heard them played by a DJ on a radio station and wondered where it all came from, this is the single best disc to buy.
Really, everything on here is great. Every track is wonder of hard swingin' blues and Harris's shining, fun-loving personality. Although Roy Brown did "Good Rockin' Tonight" first and Elvis would make it one of his earlier songs, Harris's version is the best, the most definitive version. I dare you not to start clapping along when you first hear it. You may never have heard "Grandma Plays the Numbers," but this is a hysterical song with a hypnotic rhythm to it; it's one of the gems of the CD.
Other awesome tracks among this great collection: the risqué and naughty "Keep on Churnin'," the oft-covered "Good Morning Judge" (another example of Harris's sense of humor), "Down Boy Down," and the title track, "Bloodshot Eyes," which is probably the piece I hear swing DJs play the most - there's a reason this whole album takes the name of this one song.
If you love rock, swing, or the blues, but haven't heard Wynonie Harris, grab this CD. It's a great price for CD packed with nothing but the best of the best.
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