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| Alligator Records Celebrates 35th Anniversary  Alligator Records, the country's largest contemporary blues label, is celebrating its 35th anniversary with 2-CD set: ALLIGATOR RECORDS 35 X 35 - 35 SONGS, 35 YEARS OF GENUINE HOUSEROCKIN' MUSIC hitting the street on April 4, 2006 in which Alligator president Bruce Iglauer and staff look back, in chronological order, at highlights from artists' debut releases for the label. 35 X 35 is not just another best-of compilation. Alligator founder and president Bruce Iglauer and staff chose to spotlight songs from the Alligator debut release from each featured artist. From She's Gone (the very first track on the very first Alligator album, 1971's Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers) to the legendary Mavis Staples' chilling A Dying Man's Plea, 35 X 35 is effectively a chronological history of Alligator, a story told in music highlighting every style of blues and roots music the company has released. From the searing hard blues of Hound Dog Taylor, Son Seals, Albert Collins, Luther Allison, Koko Taylor and Buddy Guy to harmonica-driven workouts from Big Walter Horton, Carey Bell, James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite and William Clarke to the Gulf Coast piano blues of Professor Longhair, Katie Webster and Marcia Ball to the acoustic music of Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women and Corey Harris, it is clear that Alligator Records has been, and will remain, at the forefront of modern blues music in all of its many shades. With personal notes on each track from Iglauer in the accompanying 40-page booklet, 35 X 35 is proof of the staunchly independent label's single-minded vision for all these years: to record nothing but deeply rooted "Genuine Houserockin' Music."write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |