Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana spawned virtually every significant blues artist, many of whom later migrated West and North in the 30's and 40's. In their new locales, these same artists absorbed regional dialects as heard in the Kansas City stylings of Smokey Hogg's "When I've Been Drinkin'" and the Los Angelino cool of T-Bone Walker's "Call It Stormy Monday" with its sophisticated hollow body electric guitar sound. Chicago's electric style and decorative piano work illuminate Muddy Waters's "Rock Me", Memphis Slim's "How Long" (with Muddy backing) and Clarence Gatemouth Brown's "Gatemouth Boogie". Mississippi Fred McDowell's catchy shuffle "Kokomo Me Baby" reaffirms the inescapable Mississippi Delta origins of blues sound on this release. And blues, jazz and soul mecca New Orleans supplies several key cuts including good-time vocals and rollicking instrumental work from Roy Brown on "Let the Four Winds Blow" (later covered by Fats Domino). The Crescent City also adds the gospel adaptations (and brilliant guitar technique) of Snooks Eaglin "By the Water".

Livin' presents the many facets of blues including reverb guitar, sly singing, and bongos fleshing out Pee Wee Crayton's "Daybreak", the rural railroad howls and chugs perking up Sonny Terry's "Whoopin' the Blues", Big Joe Williams's nine-string guitar and aleatory meter on "Pearly Mae", and the spooky multitracking of John Lee Hooker on "Three Voice Original Mood". There's even an improvisational blues jam, featuring Brownie McGhee, Lightnin' Hopkins, Big Joe Williams, and Sonny Terry riffing on their "Wimmin From Coast to Coast".

You may have to rough it for a lifetime to really feel the blues, but this Capitol disc gets you there in one piece in a fraction of the time.