Traditions endure and remain vital when artists
interpret rather than just copy. This set of 13
songs, including 4 of Elly's original compositions, brings 
a contemporary set of aesthetics, rooted in tradition,
to a variety of blues and gospel styles. You’ll hear
influences of Cajun, ragtime, old timey, jazz and
country, affirming the proximity and cross pollination
of all these styles, and their commonality in actual
practice, both today and historically. We Americans
grew up together with an incredible richness and
variety of musics. Elly and Earwig Music hope this album  
encourages an appreciation and enjoyment of that living diversity.

05 Alabama Blues

featuring 17 original, very danceable tunes written and performed by Louisville, Kentucky based Rusty Ends Blues Band, a funky, roadhouse band.

MUSICIANS:
Rusty Ends: vocals & guitar
Robbie Bartlett: lead (3, 11) & background vocals (4, 16)
Dave Zirnheld: bass & background vocals (4, 16)
Gene Wickliffe: drums all tracks except as noted
Danny Kelly: drums (6, 9, 10, 15)
Rod Wurtele: electric piano (4, 7, 13, 16)
Hammond B-3 organ (2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17)
Jim Rosen: harmonica (1, 4, 5, 11, 13)
Gary Hicks: trumpet (7, 10, 14)
Kelly Bechtloff: saxophone (7, 10, 14)
Barry Shaw: percussion
All songs written by Rusty Ends
Previously released in 1996 on Rollin’ & Tumblin’ Records                        © ℗ 1996 Rusty Ends

11. Broken Dreams For Sale

1. What's Next

Heart-centered songs about love, loss, perseverance in the face of adversity and other timeless themes, written and performed by new discovery Payson Lyons, Knoxville, Tennessee singer/songwriter and acoustic guitarist. Co-produced by guitarist Colin Linden of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings fame and by Michael Frank, CEO of Earwig Music Company. From Payson’s forthcoming debut album Long Days Journey Into Light 

Payson Lyon - vocals, acoustic and electric guitar
Colin Linden - electric and acoustic guitar, steel guitar
John Dymond - bass
Bryan Owings - drums
Fats Kaplin - organ and fiddle
Janice Powers - Hammond B3
Michael Frank - harmonica on Where's Home

7 Borderline

6 Pale Fire

5 Where's Home

4 Casena's Song

3 Sugarloaf Road

2 Cold Gray Steel

12 Invisible Fire

9 I Hate It When

Musicians: 
Rusty Ends guitar.
Robbie Bartlett vocals 
Dave Zirnheld bass, 
Danny Kelly drums 
David Barrickman keyboards

This song is on the Earwig Music playlist: Blues and Other Holiday Delights, which spotlights various Earwig Music artists especially for the holidays by Rusty Ends, Elly Wininger, Lady J Huston, Corky Siegel, Nora Jean Wallace

Christmas All Over The World - Rusty Ends Blues Band

When you are feeling blue and lonesome and don't know what to do, Elly's got a tune for you. 

written by Elly Wininger and Stephen Miller
Elly Wininger: Vocal
Stephen Miller: Electric Guitars
Lou Pappas: Upright Bass
Jason Miller: Trombone
Produced by Elly Wininger with Julie Last

Blues For Christmas Single

Blues For Christmas - Elly Wininger

Lil Ed Williams & Willie Kent • Who’s Been Talking (1998) Earwig 4941 CD
This record features a slew of previously unrecorded tunes written by Ed and Willie, plus some lesser-known chestnuts from their influences, Muddy, Howlin’ Wolf, and Elmore James, and some Chicago soul thrown in for good measure. On the Willie Kent vocal tracks Eddie C. Campbell plays lead guitar and Lil Ed plays rhythm, and on Ed’s vocal tracks he plays lead while Eddie C. plays rhythm guitar. The much in-demand session keyboardist Allen Batts plays acoustic piano and Hammond organ, and Cleotha “Bald Head Pete” Williams plays drums. Willie Kent plays bass on all tracks. This is some of the most passionate singing on record by Willie Kent, way too under-recognized as a vocalist.

“An album of pure authentic Chicago blues…a potent combination of veteran talent. Muddy and Wolf would approve of this one.” 
– Real Blues


09 I Wanna Get Married

07 Newspaper Blues

02 Someday

01 Who's Been Talking

Jim Brewer was a stalwart of the Maxwell Street Market blues scene for forty years, and at the time of this recording was still playing there every Sunday. He was also working in coffeehouses, folk clubs and folk festivals when later Earwig founder Michael Frank met him in 1972 and became his manager. This is one
of only two Jim Brewer album sessions ever released. The first was on Silo Records and is long out of print. “Tough Luck is Delta blues at its best—its words and melodies sing of the human condition in its most expressive manner. Listeners who enjoy Son House or Mississippi John Hurt will welcome the music of Jim Brewer.” – Cadence

Rock Me Mama

In 1989 on a brutally cold February night in Madison, Wisconsin, Earwig recorded Big Jack with Jack’s five piece band from Clarksdale,  Mississippi augmented by his past band mates Frank Frost, Sam Carr and “Little Geno” Tucker. That album was not released due to the band being unfamiliar with Jack’s original tunes. Because Jack had a lot of original tunes, Earwig recorded him later that year with a crack Chicago band on the album "Daddy When Is Mama Comin Home". Not until Jack came back to Chicago to play with the Aron Burton Blues Band in 1994 and 1995 was Earwig finally able to capture Jack live at his full power, doing his mix of blues classics and his own contemporary Delta blues storytelling.

“You’re listening to real blues played by a real blues man. It doesn’t get any better than this; you’ll feel like you’re sitting right there in a smoky club when you listen to Live In Chicago.” – Music Paper

01 Pistol Packin' Mama

“Aron Burton Live stands with the best of them. With the exception of two studio tracks, the album was recorded live in 1995 at Buddy Guy’s Legends and features guest appearances by harpist Lester Davenport and vivacious vocalist Liz Mandville Greeson. Vocals are spread among the band members, which is appropriate because Burton’s avowed goal is to present a blues revue that puts the spotlight on all the stage talent. Aron Burton Live is a sterling example of just how
good Chicago blues can still be.” – Illinois Entertainer


8 I'm Just A Natural Man

This album features Honeyboy’s old-school guitar and vocals—fresh takes on old gems and the first-time release of historic recordings. New 2007 sessions with harmonica greats Bobby Rush, Billy Branch and Johnny “Yard Dog” Jones, previously unreleased studio recordings of Honeyboy and Big Walter Horton, and circa 1976 concert tracks both solo and with Sugar Blue. Michael Frank, guitarist Paul Kaye, Rick Sherry and Kenny drummer "Beedy Eyes" Smith play on the album on various tracks. Honeyboy and Bobby Rush also tell some short blues tales. This is a concept album to evoke the duets Honeyboy played from the 1930s through 1960s with Sonny Boy
Williamson, Big Walter Horton, Little Walter Jacobs, Carey Bell and other great harp players. This was Honeyboy’s last studio recording.


Crawling Kingsnake

Piano "C" Red, whose given name was Cecil Fain, was born September 14, 1933, in Montevallo, Alabama, USA.  He moved to Chicago in 1952 from Atlanta, and began playing professionally. At some point in the 1960s he adopted the name James Wheeler. By day a cab driver, in the evenings Red transformed himself into Chicago boogie-woogie legend, Piano "C". Red. His first yearnings to be involved in music were inspired by his mother, who sang spiritual songs around the house. He was tutored by a local piano player known as Fat Lilly, who was initially reluctant until Wheeler bribed him with moonshine whiskey. Wheeler moved to Chicago in 1956. He began his recording career with Chess Records in 1963, recording versions of "Slow Down And Cool It" and "Hundred And Two". He also shared a stage with many of the blues greats of the time, including Elmore James, Muddy Waters and Memphis Slim. However, like many of his ilk, he never enjoyed access to a full-time recording contract. By the 1990s, when he finally began to achieve more than local acclaim, he had retired to performing only occasional sets at selected Chicago restaurants and cafés. Despite this, he and his Flat Foot Boogie Band consistently play engaging, Little Richard/Ray Charles-styled pop-blues well into the early hours. Among his best compositions is the autobiographical "Cab Drivin' Man", which was also the title of his self-produced debut album.

Piano "C" Red, spent years driving a cab by day and playing in Chicago blues clubs at night, and he was a mainstay musician of the Maxwell Street outdoor market for many years, even after the city moved it and cleaned it up. He was paralyzed in 2006 after being shot by a carjacker.   Red died in Chicago at age 79 in June 2013. To the end he loved to entertain the nursing staff and patients by playing his electric piano and even occasionally playing public gigs.

Big John Big John

evocative of the acoustic guitar of Ry Cooder, but a Les Copeland original

Ry Cooder

Chicago based blues and roots label which has released many acclaimed albums by elder blues legends as well as by younger generation veterans of the Chicago, Mississippi Delta and national blues scenes, as well as a a few jazz, gospel and world music albums. Earwig also has a fine catalog of some of the greatest folktale storytellers, including Jackie Torrence, Laura Simms, Bobby Norfolk and Alice McGill. 

Earwig Music fine traditional & contemporary blues

Popular tracks