In Session

Description

New York studio guitarist "Wild" Jimmy Spruill was a highly sought-after session musician in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Though little recognized in his lifetime, he became, posthumously, an almost legendary, even mythical figure. This compilation attempts to paint a portrait, admittedly imperfect, of his early work, juxtaposing his number-one hits and major commercial successes with rarer tracks. All perfectly illustrate Spruill's percussive, rhythmic, and incisive playing style. Among the artists featured are big names like Dave "Baby" Cortez, Wilbert Harrison, The Commandos (i.e., King Curtis and his band, incognito), The Shirelles, Buster Brown, Elmore James, Bobby Lewis, Lee Dorsey, Solomon Burke, etc. Perhaps lesser-known, but equally deserving, are names like Noble "Thin Man" Watts, Tarheel Slim, Bobby Marchan, etc. Also included are three solo singles by Spruill, highly sought after by collectors.