That Eric Alper

Bluesville Records, the hub for all things blues from Craft Recordings, is pleased to return two long-out-of-print classics to vinyl: Furry Lewis’ Back on My Feet Again (1961)—captured in the initial years of the singer-songwriter and guitarist’s career revival—and 1959’s Memphis Slim at the Gate of Horn, recorded not long before the influential pianist, singer, and songwriter left Chicago for Paris. Arriving August 1st and available for pre-order today, both LPs will be issued on vinyl in partnership with audiophile leader Acoustic Sounds and feature all-analog mastering by GRAMMY-nominated engineer Matthew Lutthans (The Mastering Lab). The albums are pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings (QRP) with faithfully reproduced tip-on jackets (including Studs Terkel’s original liner notes for Memphis Slim at the Gate of Horn). Rounding out each title is an insightful obi strip with new notes by GRAMMY®-winning producer, writer and musician Scott Billington. Additionally, the remastered albums are available in hi-res and standard digital now.

Since launching in early 2024, Bluesville Records has celebrated America’s bedrock music genre, as well as the trailblazing musicians that contributed to its rich traditions, through handpicked titles—culled from the catalogs of such legendary labels as Stax, Prestige, Vee-Jay, Vanguard, Rounder and Riverside. In addition to its ongoing schedule of reissues, Bluesville seeks to honor these foundational artists—and their immeasurable impact on modern music—through a variety of initiatives, including curated playlists, in-depth editorial content, dedicated social media channels and much more. For more information, visit bluesvillerecords.com and read about the latest releases below:

Furry Lewis – Back on My Feet Again

Known for his gentle vocals and nimble guitar technique, Walter “Furry” Lewis was among the earliest active bluesmen to find fame later in life, amid the ’60s folk/blues revival. Born in the 1890s, Lewis was inspired by Memphis’ vibrant music scene and, as a teenager, launched his career as a performer on Beale Street. In the late 1920s, he cut his first sides for Vocalion and Victor Records, including “Kassie Jones” Parts 1 and 2, “Billy Lyons and Stack O’Lee,” “Judge Harsh Blues” and “John Henry”—all of which would become signature tunes for him. But that momentum was short-lived. As the Great Depression took hold of the country, Lewis was forced to retire from his musical dreams and take a job as a street sweeper.

30 years later, however, Lewis was given a second chance at stardom when music historian Sam Charters sought out the bluesman, encouraging him to return to the studio. His second album from this period was 1961’s Back on My Feet Again, originally issued via Prestige Records’ Bluesville imprint. Recorded at Memphis’ Sun Studios by Scotty Moore (Elvis Presley’s original guitarist), Back on My Feet Again finds Furry in a stripped-down setting—his soulful vocals accompanied only by his acoustic guitar. His dynamic approach to the instrument is on full display, as he employs his signature stylings (including rolling finger-picking and slide playing) and revisits several of his well-known early recordings, including “John Henry” and “Big Chief Blues,” while weaving in traditional material (“Shake ’Em on Down”) as well as newer compositions—“Back on My Feet Again” among them. Despite Furry’s lengthy break from music, his talents never wavered. “As singers mature their music often achieves a new expressiveness,” Charters once remarked about Lewis’ career revival.

AllMusic writes that the album “show[s] Lewis in excellent form, his voice as good as ever and his technique on the guitar still dazzling. Audiences—initially hardcore blues and folk enthusiasts, and later more casual listeners—were delighted, fascinated, charmed, and deeply moved by what they heard.” Indeed, Lewis enjoyed the spotlight for the last two decades of his life—playing the festival circuit, opening for acts like The Rolling Stones and Leon Russell, appearing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and even inspiring the Joni Mitchell song, “Furry Sings the Blues.” 

Click here to pre-order and stream Back on My Feet Again and scroll down for a tracklist.

Memphis Slim at the Gate of Horn

Known for his deep, commanding vocals and spirited piano technique, Peter “Memphis Slim” Chatman (1915 – 1988) was not only one of blues’ most versatile players but also one of its most prolific—with over 500 recordings to his name. Named for his hometown, Slim spent much of his youth touring the Southern bar and dance hall circuit before relocating to Chicago in 1939, where the city’s thriving blues scene offered greater opportunities. There, he found work as a sideman, working with some of the city’s biggest stars—most notably, Big Bill Broonzy. During their tenure together, the guitarist and singer encouraged Slim to find his signature voice as a performer, and, by the end of World War II, the younger artist was ready to fly on his own.

Over the next decade, Slim and his band released a string of Top 10 R&B hits, including “Blue and Lonesome,” the poignant “Mother Earth,” “The Come Back” and “Messin’ Around,” which topped the chart in 1948. A 1949 B-side, “Nobody Loves Me,” (known better as “Every Day I Have the Blues”) would soon become a standard, recorded over the years by B.B. King, Fleetwood Mac, Carlos Santana and Ray Charles, among many others. As American roots music found a new generation of fans, Slim signed to Vee-Jay Records, where he recorded a collection of his best-known songs for 1959’s Memphis Slim at the Gate of Horn.

The album featured many of the above-mentioned hits, plus favorites like the effervescent boogie “Rockin’ the Blues,” “Gotta Find My Baby” and “Slim’s Blues.” Making its debut was the instrumental “Steppin’ Out,” which would soon become a signature piece for Eric Clapton. Joining Slim was his longtime bandmate Matt “Guitar” Murphy (famously featured years later in The Blues Brothers film). Despite being recorded at The Gate of Horn, a 100-seat Chicago folk club, the album was not captured during a live performance. Rather, the set is intimate—offering fans a rare opportunity to catch the influential artist at his finest. “When you hear a blues artist sing something he himself created, you hear a performance in its most exciting, throbbing moment,” wrote Studs Terkel, who penned the album’s original liner notes. “A man is telling you of his heart and soul. Here is the beauty of this album.”

Click here to pre-order and stream Memphis Slim at the Gate of Horn and scroll down for a tracklist.

Memphis Slim at the Gate of Horn Tracklist (Vinyl)

Side A:

1.  The Come Back

2.  Steppin’ Out

3.  Blue And Lonesome

4.  Rockin’ The Blues

5.  Slim’s Blues

6.  Gotta Find My Baby

Side B:

1.  Messin’ Around

2.  Wish Me Well

3.  My Gal Keeps Me Crying

4.  Lend Me Your Love

5.  Sassy Mae

6.  Mother Earth

Furry Lewis — Back on My Feet Again Tracklist (Vinyl)

Side A:

1. John Henry

2. When My Baby Left Me

3. Shake ‘Em On Down

4. Big Chief Blues

5. Old Blue

Side B:

1. I’m Going To Brownsville

2. Back On My Feet Again

3. White Lightnin’

4. Roberta