Ike Turner/Jackie Brenston - A Proper Introduction to Ike Turner with Jackie Brenston

Ike Turner was there at the epicenter of rock & roll in its earliest incarnation, first as a pianist and then as an electric guitarist with a naturally raw and biting tone, and his "Rocket 88," recorded in 1951 at Sam Phillips' famous Sun Studios with Jackie Brenston fronting things, has frequently been cited as the first real rock & roll record. This set features several 1950s tracks where Turner and his Kings Of Rhythm back a whole host of R&B and blues artists, including Brenston, B.b. King, Howlin' Wolf, Charley Booker, Bobby "blue" Bland, and Little Milton, and if it isn't necessarily rock & roll, it's R&B done at its roughest and rawest. Highlights include the historic "Rocket 88," a stomping, explosive "How Many More Years" from Wolf, the electrified country blues of Booker on "Rabbit Blues," and the slashing "Somebody Told Me" by Little Milton. Ragged, loose, and garage-sounding, these sides show what Ike was up to in his pre-Tina years. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide