The Best Of Joe Williams: The Roulette, Solid State And Blue

These classic recordings, from 1957 through 1970, feature the great baritone's ornate, debonair, and dramatic renditions of blues and ballads Williams's striking, rich tone and polish won him access to the star-studded big bands and combos here: those of Jimmy Jones, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis; Harry "Sweets" Edison, Horace Ott, and Jimmy Mundy; and, of course, the orchestra of his musical inspiration and mentor, Count Basie. The album starts out with "Everyday I Have the Blues," a Memphis Slim tune and 1950 Lowell Fulson hit that would become Williams's own signature tune, thanks to this version with Basie. Also here is "Roll 'Em Pete," a Joe Turner blues (a sardonic love pitch to a girl who lives up on a hill) that inspired Williams early in his career.