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1987 Analog Reissue of Classic 1967 Chess Release of Composer/Guitar Master/Pioneering Blues Vocalist Buddy Guy Entitled Left My Blues in San Francisco, Produced by Gene Barge, Orchestration by Charles Stepney and Gene Barge, Edited by Malcolm Chisholm & Dave Purple, Supervising Engineer Is Ron Malo, Research and Coordination by Bob Schnieders, Mastered by Greg Fulginiti at Artisan in Los Angeles - "Buddy Guy is one of the most celebrated blues guitarists of his generation (arguably the most celebrated), possessing a sound and style that embodies the traditions of classic Chicago blues while also embracing the fire and flash of rock & roll.  began his recording career in 1959 and scored his first hit in 1960 with "First Time I Met the Blues." He spent much of the next decade a well-regarded journeyman, praised by peers and blues fans without breaking through to a larger audience; his best album of the '60s originally didn't even have his name on it (' ). However, he found an audience in Europe in the '70s and rock fans began discovering his work through the endorsements of noted fans , , , , , and .  released little material in the '80s (his best-known album of the decade was 1981's , one of the few that received an American release), as he focused on live work. But in 1991,  finally enjoyed a commercial breakthrough with , and since then he's been one of the biggest names in contemporary blues, touring frequently and cutting new material on a regular basis. In the 21st century,  was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, kept recording (2001's , 2008's , and 2010's  are high points from this period), played an annual residency at his Chicago nightclub Legends, and even played at the White House, inviting President  on-stage for a duet on "Sweet Home Chicago."  was born in Lettsworth, Louisiana on July 30, 1936, and is said to have first learned to play on a home-made two-string instrument fashioned from wire and tin cans.  graduated to an acoustic guitar and began soaking up the influences of blues players such as , , and ; when his family relocated to Baton Rouge,  had the opportunity to see live performances by  (aka ) and , whose raw, forceful sound and over-the-top showmanship left a serious impression on him.  started playing professionally when he became a sideman for , and he learned to work the crowd and overcome early bouts of stage fright. In 1957,  cut a demo tape at a local radio station and sent a copy to Chess Records, the label that was home to such giants as , , and , shortly before buying a one-way train ticket and moving to Chicago, eager to make music his career.  didn't enjoy immediate success in Chicago, and struggled to find gigs until his fiery guitar work and flashy stage style (which included hopping on top of bars and strutting up and down their length while soloing, thanks to a 100-foot-long guitar cable) made him a regular winner in talent night contests at Windy City clubs.  struck up friendships with some of the city's best blues artists, including , , , and , and landed a steady gig at the 708 Club, where he became known as a talent to watch. In 1958,  arranged for  to meet , the owner of local blues label Cobra Records, and  was soon signed to Cobra's sister label Artistic Records.  produced 's debut single, "Sit and Cry (The Blues)," as well as its follow-up, "This Is the End," but in 1959, Cobra and Artistic abruptly closed up shop, and like labelmate ,  found a new record deal at Chess. His first single for Chess, 1960's "First Time I Met the Blues," was an artistic triumph and a modest commercial success that became one of his signature tunes, but it was also the first chapter in what would prove to be a complicated creative relationship between  and label co-founder , who recognized his talent but didn't appreciate the louder and more expressive aspects of his guitar style. While  enjoyed minor successes with outstanding Chess singles such as "Stone Crazy" and "When My Left Eye Jumps," much of his work for the label was as a sideman, lending his talents to sessions for , , , , and many others. And one of 's definitive '60s recordings wasn't even issued by Chess;  had been performing occasionally with blues harpist , and  and his band backed  on the 1965 Delmark release , a masterful exercise in the Chicago blues style, with  credited as "Friendly Chap" on initial pressings in deference to his contract with Chess. Chess didn't issue an album of 's until the 1967 release of , and when his contract with the label ran out, he promptly signed with Vanguard, which put out  in 1968. As a growing number of rock fans were discovering the blues,  was finding his stock rising with both traditional blues enthusiasts and younger white audiences, and his recordings for Vanguard gave him more room for the tougher and more aggressive sound that was the trademark of his live shows. (It didn't hurt that  acknowledged  as an influence and praised his live show in interviews.) At the same time,  hadn't forsaken the more measured approach he used with ;  and  cut an album that also featured  on piano for Blue Thumb called , and in 1972,  partnered with  and  to produce the album . In 1974,  and  played the Montreux Jazz Festival, with  of  sitting in on bass; the show was later released as a live album, , with  credited as producer. By the end of the '70s,  was without an American record deal, and his career took a hit as a result; while he recorded some material for specialist labels in Europe and Japan, and Alligator issued two collections in 1981,  and , for the most part  supported himself in the '80s by extensive touring and live work, often appearing in Europe where he was more well-respected than in the United States. Despite this, he continued to plug away at the American market, buoyed by interest from guitar buffs who had heard major stars sing his praises; in 1985,  told a reporter for Musician magazine, "Buddy Guy is by far and without a doubt the best guitar player alive...he really changed the course of rock & roll blues," while  declared, "Without , there would be no ." In 1989,  opened his own nightclub in Chicago, Buddy Guy's Legends, where he frequently performed and played host to other top blues acts, and in 1991, after a well-received appearance with  at London's Royal Albert Hall (documented in part on the album ), he finally scored an international record deal with the Silvertone label, distributed by BMG. 's first album for Silvertone, , featured guest appearances by , , and , and featured fresh versions of several fan favorites as well as a handful of new tunes; it was the  album that finally clicked with record buyers, and became a genuine hit, earning  a gold album, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album.  wasted no time cutting follow-ups, releasing  in 1993 and  in 1994, both of which racked up solid sales figures and won  further Grammy Awards. In 1993,  reunited with  on the stage of his Legends club; it would prove to be one of ' last live performances, and the show was released in 1998, several months after ' passing, on the album . While most of 's work in the late '90s and into the new millennium was the sort of storming Chicago blues that was the basis of his reputation, he also demonstrated he was capable of exploring other avenues, channeling the hypnotic Deep Southern blues of  on 2001's  and covering a set of traditional blues classics on acoustic guitar for 2003's . In 2004,  won the W.C. Handy Award from the American Blues Foundation for the 23rd time, more than any other artist, while he took home his sixth Grammy Award in 2010 for the album .  also received the National Medal of the Arts in 2003, and was awarded Kennedy Center Honors in 2012. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, with both  and  presenting him with his award, and in 2012 he performed a special concert at the White House, where he persuaded President  to join him at the vocal mike for a few choruses of "Sweet Home Chicago."  continued his late-career revival with the 2012 memoir When I Left Home: My Story and the summer 2013 release of the ambitious, guest star-laden, double-album . The record reached number one on Billboard's Top Blues Albums chart and 27 on their Top 200. Two years later,  returned with , another album recorded with producer , who has helmed the guitarist's albums since 2008's . In 2018,  took time off from his busy road schedule to release a studio album, , which featured guest appearances from , , and . The album earned  the Grammy Award (his eighth) for Best Traditional Blues Album." -"Buddy Guy's last Chess album finds him shifting gears to keep up with the scene. His turns on "Keep It to Yourself," "Crazy Love," "When My Left Eye Jumps," "Leave My Girl Alone," and "I Suffer With the Blues" are some examples of this mercurial guitarist at his explosive best. The rest of the album is filled with groovy, soul-styled workouts; some of them succeed and some sound a bit dated, but overall this is one of Buddy's stronger efforts." - Spectacular Personnel for the Various Lineups Feature Living Legend Buddy Guy & Vocals, Matt Murphy or Lefty Bates on Additional Guitars, Phil Upchurch, Reggie Boyd, Jack Meyers or Leroy Stewart on Bass, Charles Stepney or Phil Thomas on Drums, the Brilliant Lafayette Leake on Organ, Jarrett Gibson, the Great Gene Barge, Abe Locke, the Talented A.C. Reed or Milton Bland on Tenor Saxes and Sonny Turner & Murray Watson on Trumpets! - Selections on Side 1 Are Sonny Boy Williamson's Keep It to Yourself, Willie Dixon's Crazy Love, the Buddy Guy Penned I Suffer with the Blues, A. Perkins/Willie Dixon's When My Left Eye Jumps and the Gene Barge Classic Buddy's Groove - Tracks for Side 2 Are the Willie Dixon Standard Goin' Home, Original Buddy Guy Compositions She Suits Me to a Tee, Leave My Girl Alone, Willie Dixon's Too Many Ways, Gene Barge's Mother-in-Law & the Matt Murphy/Willie Dixon Classic Every Girl I See - Used Copy, Cover Very Good++, Record Very Good++, Product Code CH-9262 - California Residents Add 10.25% Sales Tax - International S & H Extra -