Article Contributed by Mike
Published on 2026-04-22
Bluesville Records, the blues hub from Craft Recordings, is back with two red-hot titles from Albert King and Eddie Kirkland. The first is King’s legendary 1972 masterpiece, I’ll Play the Blues for You, featuring the Blues Hall of Fame–worthy title track. The second is Kirkland’s 1962 debut, It’s the Blues Man!, featuring saxophonist King Curtis, as well as some of the singer-songwriter’s most powerful performances on record, including “Saturday Night Stomp.”
As with all handpicked Bluesville titles, both albums have been meticulously (AAA) remastered from the analog tapes by GRAMMY®-nominated engineer Matthew Lutthans (The Mastering Lab) and will be reissued on vinyl in partnership with audiophile leader Acoustic Sounds. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings (QRP) and housed in faithfully reproduced tip-on jackets, each LP is accompanied by an insightful obi strip with new notes by GRAMMY®-winning producer, writer, and musician Scott Billington. Arriving June 12th and available for pre-order and pre-save today, the remastered albums will also be available across digital platforms in hi-res and standard audio. King’s electrifying “I’ll Play the Blues for You” and Kirkland’s “Saturday Night Stomp” are available to stream and download now.
Albert King – I’ll Play the Blues for You
Often referred to as one of the “Kings of the Blues,” alongside Freddie King and B.B. King (no relation), Albert King (1923–1992) was one of the most influential blues artists in history, revered for his deft artistry on the electric guitar (most famously on a Gibson Flying V) and his deep, husky vocals. Combining an urgent Delta blues style with contemporary soul rhythms, King redefined the genre for the modern era. The Mississippi-born, self-taught musician eventually settled in Memphis (by way of Gary, IN, and St. Louis, MO), where he promptly signed with legendary soul label Stax Records.
There, with the collaboration of Stax’s in-house team of musicians, writers, and producers, King settled into his signature sound and was soon scoring hit after hit on the R&B charts, including “Laundromat Blues” (1966), “Crosscut Saw,” and the iconic “Born Under a Bad Sign” (both 1967). That synergistic relationship continued into the ’70s, with King’s seventh studio album, I’ll Play the Blues for You.
Produced by Allen Jones, who would go on to helm several of King’s projects, the 1972 album is vibrant, funky, and modern. A whip-tight rhythm section is courtesy of The Bar-Kays and The Movement (who also backed fellow Stax star Isaac Hayes), while the legendary Memphis Horns keep the energy high. King leads the band through a variety of epic jams, including “Don’t Burn Down the Bridge,” “I’ll Play the Blues for You,” and “Breaking Up Somebody’s Home,” the latter two of which clock in at over seven minutes long. “Breaking Up Somebody’s Home,” which served as the album’s sole single, broke the Hot 100 and was an R&B Top 40 hit. In 2017, the title track, “I’ll Play the Blues for You,” was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
Scott Billington calls I’ll Play the Blues for You “one of King’s best, with his warm vocals and soaring guitar solos perfectly framed by the tightly focused arrangements.” AllMusic praises King’s “exquisite six-string workouts…. I’ll Play the Blues for You [is] one of a handful of his great Stax sets.”
Click here to pre-order/pre-save I’ll Play the Blues For You and scroll down for the tracklist.
Eddie Kirkland – It’s the Blues Man!
Born in Jamaica and raised in Alabama, Eddie Kirkland (1923–2011) was a man of many talents—a self-taught guitarist, harmonica player, singer, and songwriter—who famously spent a considerable amount of time on the road during his long, prolific career. As a teenager, he left the South for Detroit to play with John Lee Hooker, spending over a decade touring and recording alongside the iconic bluesman. In the early ’60s, Kirkland joined Otis Redding’s group, serving as his guitarist and bandleader for several years. In between these two stints, Kirkland found the time to write and record his own material and, in 1962, released his debut album, It’s the Blues Man!, via Tru-Sound Records, a short-lived subsidiary of Prestige Records.
Helmed by legendary recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder, the visceral, high-energy session pairs Kirkland with saxophonist King Curtis and his band. A versatile artist, Curtis was an in-demand sideman who played with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, and Buddy Holly. Here, he keeps the electric grooves tight, as Kirkland delivers an engaging set of R&B originals. Among the highlights are “Train Done Gone” and the hypnotic “Man of Stone” (famously covered by John Mayall on his 1967 LP, Crusade), while Kirkland showcases his passionate side on slow burners like “I’m Gonna Forget You” and “Have Mercy on Me.”
In his notes, Billington calls It’s the Blues Man! “a modern blues powerhouse, with Kirkland’s raw vocal delivery and in-the-pocket guitar playing carving out a musical landscape all his own…. This is a legendary and highly collectable album.” The Guardian hailed it as “an album still remarkable for its originality and raw power,” while All About Jazz called Kirkland “a creative but scandalously underrated blues musician and songwriter,” praising his “unique guitar playing and his powerful soul-drenched vocals.”
Click here to pre-order/pre-save It’s the Blues Man! and scroll down for the tracklist.
I’ll Play the Blues for You Track Listing
Side A:
1. I'll Play the Blues for You (Parts 1 & 2)
2. Little Brother (Make a Way)
3. Breaking Up Somebody’s Home
4. High Cost of Living
Side B:
1. I’ll Be Doggone
2. Answer to the Laundromat Blues
3. Don’t Burn Down the Bridge (Cause You Might Wanna Come Back)
4. Angel of Mercy
It’s the Blues Man! Track Listing
Side A:
1. Down on My Knees
2. Don’t Take My Heart
3. Daddy Please Don’t Cry
4. Have Mercy on Me
5. Saturday Night Stomp
6. I’m Gonna Forget You
Side B:
1. I Tried
2. Man of Stone
3. I’m Goin’ to Keep Loving You
4. Train Done Gone
5. Something’s Gone Wrong in My Life
6. Baby You Know It’s True
