2010 reissue of this verrrrry rare single (one known copy on 78?) that comes out of the jug band tradition.  Ridiculously catchy.   Features Blind James Campbell, whose Arhoolie album is also terrific (which is still available here, in dwindling supply).

Lightnin’ Slim was a Baton Rouge blues singer/guitarist who recorded a heap of great sides for Excello.  His frequent producer, Jay Miller, stated, “Lightnin’ to me was the greatest, not only of my artists, but all of them.  Low-down gutbucket blues!”  For this 45, the a-side is an upbeat yet swampy take on John Lee Hooker’s “Boogie Chillen,” celebrating the joys of coming of age and cutting loose.  Love the equestrian percussion.  “Sugar Plum” slows it down to a languid crawl for boozy courting.

Charles “Mad Dog” Sheffield was originally from Texas but later relocated to Lake Charles, Louisiana. He started out a trumpet player, but it appears his recording efforts were exclusively as a blues/R&B singer. His first sessions were for Goldband, singing for Clarence “Bon Ton” Garlow’s group in the mid-50s. This 45 that he cut for Excello in 1961 is his undisputed classic. Like so many of JD Miller’s productions for the label, the tune is creatively arranged, with “little” percussion touches, and a hypnotic, unstoppable groove. The flipside is solid, but “Voodoo” is magic. 2010 reissue.

2012 reissue of one of the classic swamp blues / R&B 45s that Tabby Thomas cut for Excello.  Thomas has had a long and varied career, including running his own club for many years, and thankfully he’s still kicking around Baton Rouge, with a regular program on the airwaves of a 20 watt high school radio station. All aboard the Popeye Train: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB0_ksm92GA.