Let The Good Times Roll: The Anthology 1938-1953

The two-disc, 46-cut Good Times does a great job of demonstrating how singer and saxophonist Louis Jordan's music evolved from the fairly straight swing of his early Decca sides to the jump blues that made him a father of rock & roll and soul. "Ain't That Just Like a Woman," for instance, features guitarist Carl Hogan giving birth to one of Chuck Berry's signature licks, while the likes of "Beware" and "Choo Choo Ch' Boogie" balance punch and elegance like the work of few bandleaders before or since. It would've been nice to see the mightily syncopated "Early in the Morning" (later covered by both Ray Charles and Harry Nilsson) taking the place of, say, "The Two Little Squirrels," but there really are few complaints to be made about this collection. --Rickey Wright