Ivory Joe Hunter – Since I Met You Baby – The ’50s Collection – 2CD

Pianist, singer and songwriter Ivory Joe Hunter was a blues balladeer extraordinaire, specialising in a unique brand of highly tuneful and soulful blues songs that bucked the trend for more raucous and extrovert blues in the 1940s and early ‘50s, although he could rock and boogie with the best of them as well. Born in Texas in 1914 – “Ivory Joe” were his given names and not a nickname - he made his first recordings as a talented youngster for the Library of Congress in 1933. He worked on radio in Texas in the early ‘40s before moving to Los Angeles, and joining Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers for a while before making his first solo records in 1945. He had a string of hits in the late ‘40s which appear on Acrobat’s existing product “Ivory Joe Hunter – Jukebox Hits 1945-50” (ACMCD4208), registering a landmark No. 1 with “I Almost Lost My Mind” in 1950. This great value 51-track 2-CD set picks up the story from that point and comprises selected A & B sides from his releases on the MGM, Atlantic & Dot labels during the 1950s – by the end of the decade his chart career was over. It features all his twelve R&B and pop chart entries from this era, including the R&B No. 1s "I Almost Lost My Mind", "I Need You So" and "Since I Met My Baby", and the Top 10 hits “It's A Sin", S.P. Blues”, “Jealous Heart”, “Love's A Hurting Game”, and “Empty Arms”. The selections in the set include some great grooving instrumentals and rock ‘n’ roll flavoured material alongside the trademark ballads, and it’s a fine showcase for an artist with one of the most distinctive styles in blues.

Track Listing:

CD1: 
Ivory Joe Hunter: 1. I Almost Lost My Mind -   2. If I Give You My Love -   3. Why Fool Yourself -   4. S.P. Blues -   5. I Need You So -   6. Leave Her Alone -   7. Let Me Dream -   8. Gimme A Pound Of Ground Round -   9. Living A Lie -   10. It's A Sin -   11. You Thrill Me -   12. I Ain't Got No Gal No More -   13. I Can't Resist You -   14. I Can't Get You Off My Mind -   15. Wrong Woman Blues -   16. Blue Moon -   17. U Name It -   18. Laugh (Though You Feel You Want To Cry) -   19 Where Shall I Go -   20. I'm Sorry For You My Friend -   21. I Will Be True -   22. Rockin' Chair Boogie -   23. Music Before Dawn -   24. I Had A Girl -

CD2:
Ivory Joe Hunter: 1. Don't Make Me Cry -   Ivory Joe Hunter & His Ivory Tones: 2. I Got To Learn To Do The Mambo -   Ivory Joe Hunter: 3. I Must Be Talking To Myself -   4. I Feel So Good -   Ivory Joe Hunter & His Ivory Tones: 5. It May Sound Silly -   6. Heaven Came Down To Earth -   7. I Need Somebody -   Ivory Joe Hunter And His Ivorytones With Orchestra: 8. I Need You By My Side -   9. A Tear Fell -   Ivory Joe Hunter: 10. That's Why I Dream -   11. You Mean Everything To Me -   12. You Can't Stop This Rocking And Rolling -   13. Since I Met You Baby -   14. Empty Arms -   15. Love Is A Hurting Game -   16. Everytime I Hear That Song -   17. She’s Gone -   18. All About The Blues -   19. You're On My Mind -   20. I'm So Glad I Found You -   21. Yes I Want You -   22. You Flip Me Baby -   23. I Just Want To Love You -   24. City Lights -   25. Stolen Moments -   26. A Cottage For Sale -   27. Did You Mean It -