(Earwig Records) 2019
Narvel “Cadillac Baby” Eatmon ran his little Bea & Baby label (and various subsidiaries) on Chicago’s South Side, releasing a ton of great blues, R&B, and gospel that eluded complete reissue until this four-CD boxed set, boasting everything the logos put out. All the expected early ‘60s classics by Eddie Boyd, L.C. McKinley, Hound Dog Taylor, and others are here, along with a wealth of long-lost obscurities. I wrote the track-by-track essay, joining blues authority Jim O’Neal, Earwig owner Michael Frank, and gospel expert Robert Marovich in the booklet.
