Pictorial Discography of Blues & Rhythm Classics

One of the most popular posts on this blog has been the discography of Blues & Rhythm Series of the defunct French label Classics (aka Chronological Classics). This is a follow-up to that post, while the information about the label and its discography still can be accessed here.

Going through these names, images and dates is like discovering a new continent in music. Although the focus of this blog has been mostly jazz, this collection is absolutely essential in understanding many developments in jazz since the 1950s. In addition to that, some of these artists later ventured into more straight jazz framework and produced a good body of work (Bill Doggett, Rusty Bryant, Tiny Grimes, etc.)

A detailed discography of these sessions would unveil even more prominent jazz names as the sidemen. My own introduction to the series was with Big Maybelle which completely blew me away. Still hardly a surprise as I learned that Hot Lips Page was among the musicians! Or for instance, if you've followed this blog, last month I mentioned another memorable collection from this label (by Joe Morris) on which one can listen to early Johnny Griffin, Elmo Hope, Percy Heath and Philly Joe Jones in one session. 

In brief, there are more great names hidden beneath the smiling and neatly dressed folks on the cover.

Ace Harris 1937-52 5087

Amos Milburn 1946-47 5018

Amos Milburn 1947 5047

Amos Milburn 1948-49 5077

Amos Milburn 1950-51 5117

Amos Milburn 1952-53 5158

Andrew Tibbs 1947-1951 5028

B.B. King 1949-1952 5053

B.B. King 1952-53 5148

Big Bill Broonzy 1949-1951 5078

Big Bill Broonzy 1951-1952 5124

Big Bill Broonzy 1951 5101

Big Jay Mcneely 1948-1950 5009

Big Jay Mcneely 1951-1952 5058

Big Jay Mc Neely 1953-55 5170

Big Mama Thornton 1950-1953 5088

Big Maybelle 1944-1953 5089

Bill Doggett 1952-1953 5097

Bill Doggett 1954 5175

Bill Samuels 1945-1947 5112

Billy Ward 1950-1953 5120

Billy Ward & His Dominoes 1953-54 5178

Billy Wright 1945-1950 5046

Bull Moose Jackson 1945-1947 5054

Bull Moose Jackson 1947-1950 5105

Bull Moose Jackson 1950-53 5156

Buster Bennett 1945-1947 5037

Charlie Singleton 1949-1953 5121

Chris Powell 1949-1952 5065

Clyde Mc Phatter & The Drifters 1953-54 5142

Crown Prince Waterford 1946-1950 5024

Dave Bartholomew 1947-1950 5002

Dave Bartholomew 1950-1952 5055

Dave Barthoiomew 1952-55 5169

Dud And Paul Bascomb 1945-1947 5061

Earl Bostic 1945-1948 5005

Earl Bostic 1948-1949 5022

Earl Bostic 1949-1951 5039

Earl Bostic 1952-1953 5093

Earl Bostic 1954-55 5179

Earl King 1953-55 5174

Eddie Vinson 1945-1947 5017

Eddie Vinson 1947-1949 5042

Effie Smith 1945-1953 5116

Elmore James 1951-1953 5082

Fats Domino 1949-1951 5025

Fats Domino 1951-1952 5060

Fats Domino 1953 5095

Fats Domino 1954-55   5301

Fats Domino 1955-57   5302

Fats Domino 1957-58   5303

Fats Domino 1958  5304

Faye Adams- 1952-54 5141

Floyd Jones 1948-53 5130

Freddie Mitchell 1949-1950 5034

Gatemouth Brown 1947-51 5030

Gatemouth Brown 1952-1954 5127

Guitar Slim 1951-54 5139

Hal Singer 1948-1951 5073

Hank Ballard & Midnighters/ The Royals 1952-54 5132

The Hawks/The Bees 1953-54 5160

Howlin’ Wolf 1951-1952 5056

Howlin’ Wolf 1952-1953 5098

Ike Turner 1951-1954 5176

Ivory Joe Hunter 1945-1947 5015

Ivory Joe Hunter 1947-1950 5049

Ivory Joe Hunter 1947 5026

Ivory Joe Hunter 1950-1951 5113

J. B. Lenoir 1955-56 5184

J.B. Lenoir 1951-1954 5128

J.T. Brown 1950-54 5157

Jim Wynn 1945-1946 5043

Jim Wynn 1947-1959 5070

Jimmy Mccracklin 1945-1948 5062

Jimmy Mccracklin 1948-1951 5110

Jimmy Mc Cracklin 1951-54 5180

Jimmy Rushing 1946-1953 5085

Jimmy Witherspoon 1947-1948 5051

Jimmy Witherspoon 1948-1949 5080

Jimmy Witherspoon 1950-51 5165

Jo-Jo Adams 1946-1953 5083

Joe Liggins 1944-1946 5020

Joe Liggins 1946-1948 5063

Joe Liggins 1948-1950 5108

Joe Liggins 1950-52 5155

Joe Lutcher 1947 5075

Joe Morris 1946-1949 5057

Joe Morris 1950-1953 5125

John Brim 1950-1953 5086

Johnny Ace 1951-54 5138

Johnny "Guitar" Watson -1952-55 5172

Johnny Otis 1945-1947 5027

Johnny Otis 1949-1950 5067

Johnny Otis 1950 5102

Johnny Otis 1951 5162

Johnny Sparrow 1949-55 5163

Julia Lee 1927-1946 5119

Julia Lee 1947 5144

King Perry 1945-1949 5081

King Perry 1950-1954 5129

Larry Darnell 1949-51    5145

Leroy Foster 1948-52 5137

Lightnin’ Hopkins 1946-1948 5014

Lightnin’ Hopkins 1948-1949 5045

Lightnin' Hopkins 1948 5023

Lightnin’ Hopkins 1949-1950 5079

Lightnin' Hopkins 1950-51 5133

Lil Green 1940-1941 5072

Lil Green 1942-1946 5099

Lil Green 1947-51 5131

Little Esther 1951-1952 5066

Little Esther 1952-53 5147

Little Junior Parker 1952-55 5167

Little Walter 1947-1953 5091

Little Walter 1953-55 5183

Lloyd Glenn 1947-1950 5016

Lloyd Glenn 1951-1952 5069

Lloyd Glenn 1954-57 5187

Lloyd Price 1952-1953 5100

Lonnie Johnson 1947-48 5189

Lonnie Johnson 1948-49 5177

Lonnie Johnson 1949-52 5153

Lowell Fulson 1946-1947 5044

Lowell Fulson 1947-1948 5071

Lowell Fulson 1948-1949 5122

Lowell Fulson 1949-51 5164

Lula Reed 1951-54 5136

Mabel Scott 1946-1950 5068

Mabel Scott 1951-1955 5107

Marion Abernathy 1947-1949 5001

Martha Davis 1946-1951 5123

Milt Buckner 1946-1951 5032

Muddy Waters 1941-1948 5008

Muddy Waters 1948-1950 5029

Muddy Waters 1950-1952 5109

Otis Blackwell 1952-54 5140

Paula Watson 1948-1953 5104

Percy Mayfield 1947-1951 5114

Professor Longhair 1949 5004

Ray Charles 1949-1950 5000

Ray Charles 1950-1952 5050

Ray Charles 1953-54 5134

Roy Brown 1947-1949 5021

Roy Brown 1950-1951 5036

Roy Brown 1951-1953 5090

Roy Milton 1945-1946 5041

Rusty Bryant 1952-54 5182

Ruth Brown 1949-1950     5003

Ruth Brown 1951-1953 5084

Ruth Brown 1954-56 5181

Sarah Mclawler 1950-1953 5111

Saunders King 1942-1948 5064

Saunders King 1948-54 5149

Sherman Williams 1947-1951 5076

Smiley Lewis 1947-52 5166

Sonny Boy Williamson 1951-1953 5094

Sonny Boy Williamson 1956-56 5188

Sticks Mcghee 1947-1951 5012

Sticks Mc Ghee 1951-59 5168

Stomp Gordon 1952-56 5185

Sugar Boy Crawford 1953-54 5143

Sugar Chile Robinson 1949-1952 5052

Sunnyland Slim 1947-1948 5013

Sunnyland Slim 1949-1951 5035

Sunnyland Slim 1952-55 5171

T-Bone Walker 1929-1946 5007

T-Bone Walker 1947-1950 5074

T-Bone Walker 1947 5033

T-Bone Walker 1950-1952 5118

T-Bone Walker 1952-54 5152

T-Bone Walker 1955-57   5300

T.J. Fowler 1948-1953 5103

Terry Timmons 1950-1953 5092

The Clovers 1950-1953 5115

Tiny Bradshaw 1934-1947 5011

Tiny Bradshaw 1949-1951 5031

Tiny Grimes 1944-1949 5048

Tiny Grimes 1949-1951 5106

Tiny Grimes 1951-54 5146

Titus Turner 1949-54 5151

Todd Rhodes 1947-1949 5019

Todd Rhodes 1950-1951 5040

Todd Rhodes 1952-54 5159

Tom Archia 1947-1948 5006

Tommy Ridgiey 1949-54 5161

Viviane Greene 1947-1955 5173

Walter Brown 1945-1947 5010

Walter Brown 1947-1951 5038

Willie Mabon 1949-54 5154

Willis Jackson 1950-54 5135