Reviewed December 2001
Buddy Guy
Left My Blues In San Francisco
Chess/MCA Records CHD-31265
32:53
(photo credit: Jerry Griffith)
Keep It To Myself; Crazy Love; I Suffer With The Blues; When My Left Eye Jumps; Buddy's Groove; Goin' Home; She Suits Me To A Tee; Leave My Girl Alone; Too Many Ways; Mother-In-Law; Every Girl I See
I felt it was time to re-introduce Buddy Guy to you. And what a great album to start with!
This is Buddy's first release, which came out in late 1967. The songs on this release were recorded over a five year period, from 1962 thru 1967, and include covers of Sonny Boy Williamson and Willie Dixon. While the songs were originally someone else's, Buddy makes them his own. Other songs were written by album producer and sax player extraordinaire Gene Barge. The originals are "classic" Buddy Guy, or what are now classic. I Suffer With The Blues, She Suits Me To A Tee, Leave My Girl Alone are all songs Guy is well known for. Stevie Ray Vaughan's cover of Leave My Girl Alone is nearly as good as Buddys.
Buddy had some excellent musicians on these songs over the years. Phil Upchurch, Reggie Boyd and Jack Meyers on bass, Charles Stepney and Phil Thomas on drums, Matt Murphy and Lefty Bates helpin' Buddy with the guitar work, Lafayette Leake on keys, and a variety of great sax players including Gene Barge, A.C. Reed and Milton Bland.
George "Buddy" Guy was born in Lettsworth, Louisiana on July 30th, 1936, and taught himself to play guitar while in his teens. He worked clubs around the Baton Rouge area with notable bluesmen such as Otis"Lightnin' Slim" Hicks, James "Slim Harpo" Moore, and Leslie "Lazy Lester" Johnson . In 1957 he moved to Chicago, working as a mechanic during the day while sharpening his licks in the southside bars at night.
This album is the culmination of Buddy's stinging guitar style and exciting stage presence which have become his trademark.
