Jimmy ‘Baby Face’ Lewis was a singer, songwriter and guitarist who burst on the post-war R&B scene when he appeared on records singing and playing with the orchestras of Floyd Campbell and Tab Smith, making an impact with his rocking vocals and his highly individual and contemporary guitar sound and style. Recording for Atlantic from 1949 and 1954, he made a series of singles that spanned jump blues, R&B and proto-rock that brought him the nickname of “Madman Of The Guitar”, although chart success proved frustratingly elusive. It was a promising career that was abruptly brought to a halt when he was arrested for drug-dealing, part of a lifestyle that sadly saw his early demise in 1969 at the age of 40. This 26-track CD comprises those early releases with Floyd Campbell and Tab Smith on the Aladdin and Manor labels and his own early single for Savoy, followed by all his A and B sides on Atlantic, including one as featured singer with Joe Morris’ Blues Cavalcade, and a final release with The Tone Twins. He was an extrovert performer who brought an exciting new dimension to R&B as it moved towards the rock ‘n’ roll revolution.
1. RIDING WITH JIMMY Jimmy 'Baby Face' Lewis With Floyd Cambell And His Orch. (Aladdin 3003) 1947
2. LONESOME ROAD Jimmy 'Baby Face' Lewis With Floyd Cambell And His Orch. (Aladdin 3003) 1947
3. JOSEPHINE Jimmy 'Baby Face' Lewis With Floyd Cambell And His Orch. (Aladdin 3004) 1947
4. GETTIN' OLD Jimmy 'Baby Face' Lewis With Floyd Cambell And His Orch. (Aladdin 3004) 1947
5. GRANDMA AND GRANDPA Baby Face Lewis (Savoy 5547) 1948
6. DUSTY ROAD Baby Face Lewis (Savoy 5547) 1948
7. I'M WISE TO YOU BABY Tab Smith Orchestra Feat. Jimmy 'Baby Face' Lewis (Manor 1164) 1949
8. EVERY SUNDAY BEFORE MONDAY Jimmy 'Baby Face' Lewis with Tab Smith Orchestra (Manor 1197) 1949
9. BULGING EYES Jimmy 'Baby Face' Lewis with Tab Smith Orchestra (Manor 1197) 1949
10. ALL NIGHT LOVER BLUES Jimmy 'Baby Face' Lewis & His Band (Atlantic 884) 1949
11. HOW LONG BABY (STANDIN' AND LOOKIN' BLUES) Jimmy 'Baby Face' Lewis & His Band (Atlantic 884) 1949
12. MAILMAN BLUES Jimmy 'Baby Face' Lewis (Atlantic 901) 1950
13. I'M SO GOOD TO YOU (PRETTY BABY) Jimmy 'Baby Face' Lewis (Atlantic 901) 1950
14. I'M STILL IN LOVE Jimmy Lewis & His Trio (Atlantic 913) 1950
15. ALL THE FUN'S ON ME Jimmy Lewis & His Trio (Atlantic 913) 1950
16. I'VE GOTTA RIGHT TO LOVE Jimmy Lewis & His Trio (Atlantic 927) 1951
17. SLIPPIN' AND SLIDIN' Jimmy Lewis & His Trio (Atlantic 927) 1951
18. LOVE FEVER BLUES The Joe Morris Blues Cavalcade Feat. Jimmy Lewis (Atlantic 940) 1951
19. LET'S GET TOGETHER AND MAKE SOME LOVE Jimmy Lewis & His Band (Atlantic 943) 1951
20. I'LL BE FAITHFUL TO YOU Jimmy Lewis & His Band (Atlantic 943) 1951
21. CHERRY WINE Jimmy Lewis (RCA Victor 20-4899) 1952
22. DARK AND LONELY ROOM Jimmy Lewis (RCA Victor 20-4899) 1952
23. LOVE BROKE MY HEART AGAIN Jimmy Lewis (Cat 103) 1954
24. LAST NIGHT (I WAS IN HEAVEN) Jimmy Lewis (Cat 103) 1954
25. HEY PRETTY GIRL The Tone Twins With The Jimmy Lewis Band (Atlantic 1064) 1955
26. HOW CAN I WIN YOUR LOVE The Tone Twins With The Jimmy Lewis Band (Atlantic 1064) 1955
