Before the Second World War, the African American population of Ohio was small and concentrated in the southern part of the State, mainly in Cincinnatti; black music recordings from that era in the state are pretty rare. But the great northward migration from the old slave states during and after the war drew large numbers of blacks to the factories of Akron, Dayton and particularly Cleveland. This encouraged musical entrepreneurs to establish independent recording companies in Ohio that produced music for the new populations. The state’s powerhouse for music was of course the King label and its subsidiaries run by the iron fist of Syd Nathan in Cincinnati. So it is quite appropriate that this CD set has a preponderance of tracks from this source, and from King’s Chicago outpost. With 24 page booklet annotated by John Ridley.

Disc One

1. Don’t You Know The Ramblers

2. Suffering With The Blues Little Willie John

3. Natural Born Lover The Gum Drops

4. Love Have Mercy Rufus Beacham

5. Every Whicha Kinda Way Earl Connelly King

6. Come In This House Joe Tex

7. A Woman’s Intuition Tiny Topsy

8. Got a Feelin’ Willie Wright & His Sparklers

9. Teardrops On Your Letter Hank Ballard & The Midnighters

10. Just A Little Bit Of Lovin’ Donnie Elbert

11. How Lonely Can You Be Donald Height

12. Without Your Love The Five Jades

13. I’m Gonna Love You, Love You ‘Til I Die Clarence Paul

14. Now Baby Don’t Do It El Pauling & The Royalton

15. I Want Love The Mascots

16. Baby, You’re Right James Brown & The Famous Flames

17. Ain’t No Cotton Pickin’ Chicken Lulu Reed

18. Have No Fear Ricky Lyons

19. Yes, You Made It That Way The Valentines

20. It Hurts Inside The 5 Royales

21. Hesitation Lee Roye & The Emeralds

22. I’m Hurting Billy Gales

23. Watch Over Me Freddie King & Lulu Reed

24. Everything I Do Donnie Murphy and The Ambassadors

25. Dynamite Big Jay Bush & The House Rockers

26. I Wanna Know Syl Johnson

27. I Just Wants Me Some Love Johnny Guitar Watson

Disc Two

1. Your Well Ran Dry Carol Ford

2. Signed, Sealed and Delivered James Brown

3. You Hurt Me Little Willie John

4. I Don’t Know About You Lloyd Nolan

5. You Gonna Miss Me Albert Washington

6. You Have My Blessings Mary Johnson

7. I Know My Baby Loves Me So Springers

8. Show Me Some Sign The Charters

9. Come On Home Baby Big Jay Bush

10. You’d Better Think Twice Jesse Anderson

11. I Love You J C Akins

12. I Won’t Have It King Pins

13. Better Days Ahead Guitar Crusher

14. It Hurts To Be In Love Freddie King

15. So This Is Love Lonnie Lester

16. I’m A Lonesome Rooster T C Lee

17. All The Time Kenny Smith & Jeri Jackson

18. Come Change Your Name To Mine Cleveland Robinson

19. I Still Remember The Kelly Brothers

20. Lot Of Money Little Emmett Sutton

21. Don’t Let It Get You Down Ike Perry And His Lyrics

22. So Many Days The Vonns

23. Please Please Please Syl Johnson

24. Party At Lester’s Lou Ragland & The Band Masters

25. Beauty Claudette Johnson

26. You Better Know It Expressions

27. If I Ever Needed Your Love Gene Allison