Worried Blues - Little Brother Montgomery (1LP Vinyl)

Worried Blues by Little Brother Montgomery.

There is a particular magic in hearing a piano player who came up in the barrelhouses and juke joints of the Deep South, and this reissue of "Worried Blues" delivers Little Brother Montgomery in full command of his craft. Recorded in Chicago on September 1, 1969, the album catches Montgomery at the keyboard, singing and playing with the kind of lived-in authority that only comes from a lifetime spent at the piano bench.

Side A opens with "No Special Rider" and moves through "Prisoner Bound Blues," "You Gotta See Your Mama Every Night," and "Cow Cow Blues," a sequence that shows off Montgomery's easy way with tempo and touch. "Gin House Blues" and "New Vicksburg Blues" round out the first side, the latter carrying the geographic memory of the Mississippi world that shaped his sound. Throughout, his voice and piano work sit at the center, unhurried and deeply felt.

The flip side ranges even wider, from the rolling drive of "London Shout" and "Oh, Daddy" to the candid, spoken warmth of "Little Brother's Early Pieces And History," a track that lets the man tell his own story. "No Special Boogie" and "Farrish Street Jive" keep the energy loose and swinging, before the record closes out with "Muleface Blues," a fitting sign-off from a player who never lost the feel of where he started.

Montgomery does not carry the session entirely alone. Jeanne Carroll adds vocals, and Michael A. Stewart brings steel guitar into the mix, giving certain moments an extra layer of color against the piano. The result feels intimate and conversational, closer to a room full of friends than a formal studio date.

This edition was produced, recorded, and photographed by Gene Rosenthal, whose hands-on involvement gives the package a personal stamp. The liner notes come from Dick Spottswood and Michael A. Stewart, offering context for both the music and the man behind it. Jeff Powell handled the lacquer cut, and the pressing includes a download code so the music travels with you beyond the turntable.

For collectors of prewar-rooted blues and barrelhouse piano, this reissue is an essential document of a foundational voice. Little Brother Montgomery bridged the world of Vicksburg juke joints and the Chicago blues scene, and "Worried Blues" captures that bridge in real time. Pick it up, drop the needle, and let one of the great piano bluesmen do what he did best.

Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. No Special Rider
A2. Prisoner Bound Blues
A3. You Gotta See Your Mama Every Night
A4. Cow Cow Blues
A5. Gin House Blues
A6. New Vicksburg Blues
B1. London Shout
B2. Oh, Daddy
B3. Little Brother's Early Pieces And History
B4. No Special Boogie
B5. Farrish Street Jive
B6. Muleface Blues

Credits:
Jeff Powell - Lacquer Cut By
Dick Spottswood - Liner Notes
Michael A. Stewart - Liner Notes
Gene Rosenthal - Producer, Recorded By, Photography By
Michael A. Stewart - Steel Guitar
Jeanne Carroll - Vocals
Little Brother Montgomery - Vocals, Piano

Notes:
Recorded in Chicago, IL September 1, 1969.

Includes download code.

Reissue of [r5970267].

Artist: Little Brother Montgomery

Format: 1LP

Genre: Blues

Label: Fat Possum Records

Catalog Number: FP1604-1

Release Year: 2017

Country: United States

Condition: Sealed (New)