Best Of The Verve Years captures James Cotton in peak form blasting out 20 tracks of rowdy Chicago Blues. Cotton apprenticed on harp in the Delta playing with Sonny Boy Williamson as a teenager and later writing some songs for Sam Phillip's Sun Label (including 'Cotton Crop Blues' with Pat Hare-- who penned "I'm Going To Murder My Baby" and later did time in the state pen for the infraction). Moving to Chicago, Cotton joined Muddy Waters' band taking on harp in the tradition of Junior Wells and Little Walter.

Manager Albert Grossman helped Cotton strike a deal with Verve putting together a band which complimented his raw vocal style and searing harmonica breaks. This band was chock full o' vibrant characters including guitarist Luther Tucker who was run out of Memphis by the cops at the age of nine and drummer Sam Lay who shot his own pecker by hastily pulling a pistol on a stagebound assailant.

Verve Years (recorded March '67 through December '68) condenses Cotton's first three LPs for Verve: The James Cotton Blues Band, Pure Cotton and Cotton In your Ears. This tasty cd consistently yields raunchy tunes including "Jelly, Jelly", "The Creeper", "Blues In My Sleep" and Cotton's take on classics such as "Knock On Wood", "Sweet Sixteen", and "Good Time Charlie".

The Best of the Verve Years is an indispensible collection of James Cotton which gets down to the nitty gritty of the blues.