It's hard to imagine, going back some 50 years in time afterwards, the impact that a single LP might have on someone, but when it comes to the Blues Classics label — founded by Arhoolie's Chris Strachwitz, as a way of 'liberating' (as he once put it) the 78s in his rather extensive collection — that influence has literally been inestimable. At a time when other labels were almost exclusively issuing pre-war blues (with the exception, perhaps, of Mike Rowe's "pwb" label), Blues Classics bucked the existing trend by issuing a wide variety of material, up to and including postwar Blues and Gospel records from the 1940s and '50s. Blues Classics apparently got its start in 1964 with a Memphis Minnie LP (we use the word "apparently" here rather advisedly, as firm issue dates are hard to nail down when it comes to the label), and by the time of their fifth LP, a year later, had started in on their highly acclaimed "Country Blues Classics" series, in which performances by Elmore James and Johnny Shines appeared right alongside those of Frank Stokes and Scrapper Blackwell. It was not only indicative of the broad musical interests of Arhoolie's founder, but also his impeccable taste as well. With the issuance of their eighth LP, a compilation devoted to Chicago Blues of the 1950s, Blues Classics inaugurated a regional series that has since become the hallmark of their catalog. Other volumes that followed paid homage to Detroit, Texas, and Memphis and the Delta (the latter three, the focus of this program), as well as a standout collection of Down Home Blues, simply entitled "Juke Joint Blues." And for those who were lucky enough to have gotten their hands on these precious slabs of vinyl at the time they were first issued, they were like gifts from above — eye openers that added new names to our roster of beloved artists, and timeless performances that have endured beyond the passage of years. Over the last 30, 40, or 50 years, reissue albums have since come and gone, and for Blues fans who've been around a while, we've more than seen our fair share. But albums that stand up not only to the test of time, but continue to remain vital, relevant, and important decade after decade are rare indeed. They not only possess a special place of esteem in our collections, but also in our hearts as well. A sentiment that many others would certainly attest to as well. So, thank you, Mr. Strachwitz, for 'liberating' all this great music so many decades ago. "Blues Classics" indeed. In the end, you couldn't have picked a name any more appropriate than that. Pictured: One of the distinctive covers from the Blues Classics series. Cover photo of Richmond, Texas by Chris Strachwitz.
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