Jimmy Reed - I'm Jimmy Reed

Jimmy Reed — I'm Jimmy Reed

The Bluesville Series from Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds!

Inspired by the original Prestige label imprint established in 1959

All-analog mastering by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab at Blue Heaven Studios!

180-gram vinyl pressed at Quality Record Pressings

Highlighting trailblazing blues musicians from legendary labels

"It's no secret that Jimmy Reed was one of the most influential and successful Chicago blues recording artists of all time. Reed's laid-back, slightly slurred singing, irresistible down-home grooves, and distinctive rack-mounted harmonica style combined with the poetic universality of his lyrics produced a staggering amount of blues classics in the late 1950s and early 1960s, nearly 20 of which made the R&B charts with numerous crossover hits appearing on Billboard's Hot 100 pop charts. It was a feat that remained unequaled by any other blues artist. The popularity of Reed's very accessible and easygoing style was widespread and his influence went well beyond the blues, making an impact on other musical genres including rock, pop, and country. His influence in the blues was so deep that it played a major role in shaping an entire sub-genre when his recordings reached Louisiana musicians like Slim Harpo, Lazy Lester, Lonesome Sundown, and others who would go on to create the distinct style that eventually became known as swamp blues.

"Reed's classic first LP, I'm Jimmy Reed, was originally released by Vee-Jay in 1958 and collected some of his finest singles for the label in the five years since his debut session in 1953 after he became the first blues artist signed to the fledgling company: Craft Recordings, in partnership with Acoustic Sounds, has beautifully remastered this landmark release through their ongoing Bluesville Series from the original analog tapes by top sound engineer Matthew Lutthans at the Mastering Lab at Blue Heaven Studios and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings.

"Sparing no attention to any details, from the pristine audio quality to the old-school tip-on style jacket replication to the plating and pressing, this all-analog release looks  and sounds spectacular, something that is immediately apparent from the opening punch of Earl Phillips' snare drum on Reed's 1957 bestseller Honest I Do, which leads off the album. Reed and his entire band, right down to each individual instrumentation, have never sounded better, more natural, or more dynamic. The great guitarist Eddie Taylor, Reed's longtime partner who's widely credited with creating the loping shuffle style known as "the Jimmy Reed sound" with his distinctive and impeccably timed rhythms and fills, is a true delight to hear with such presence.

"Besides the lead-off track, the album features other well-known early hits by Reed including "Ain't that Lovin' You Baby," "You Got Me Crying," "I Can't Stand To See You Go," "You Got Me Dizzy" and the timeless classic that put him on the R&B charts for the first time in March of 1955, "You Don't Have to Go." But the collection also includes some choice lesser-known hits and B-sides that are not only thoroughly enjoyable but also a bit unique for Reed. "Roll & Rhumba," the B-side of his first release, High and Lonesome (1953), that was also issued on Chance, finds the new recording artist cashing in on the current Afro-Cuban rhythm craze backed by his former Gary, Indiana-based band members John Brim (who led the group) and Albert Nelson, who appears here on drums before the iconic guitarist would later switch back to the instrument and adopt "King" as his surname. Reed's more recognizable instrumental "Boogie in the Dark" from the following session later that year also features Nelson's solid drumming along with Taylor's patented rock-steady rhythm and some sparing but haunting slide guitar work from a young Johnny Littlejohn. Another interesting inclusion is the somewhat forgotten gem "Little Rain," which peaked at No. 7 on the R&B charts in 1957 and features some unorthodox percussion, along with some of Reed's most poetic and romantic lyrical imagery.

"I'm Jimmy Reed is one of the essential classic early Chicago blues albums from its golden age. Virtually everyone reading these words has most likely heard many of these recordings time and again. Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds' remarkable reissue of this monumental album brings such a freshness and vitality to these certified classics that it's like hearing them all over again with brand new ears." — Gene Tomko, Living Blues, January 2025

A compilation of singles released from 1953 and 1958, I'm Jimmy Reed is Jimmy Reed's debut full-length LP. Initially released in 1958 on Vee-Jay Records, this album features "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby."

This reissue is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings with a replica paper-wrapped tip-on jacket.

 

 

Side A

1. Honest I Do

2. Go On To School

3. My First Plea

4. Boogie In The Dark

5. You Got Me Crying

6. Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby

Side B

1. You Got Me Dizzy

2. Little Rain

3. Can’t Stand To See You Go

4. Roll & Rhumba

5. You’re Something Else

6. You Don’t Have To Go

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