Joe Leonard, Jr.
ran the
Lin
and
Kliff
labels out of Texas in the early '50s, being one of the first to see the commercial potential of
Elvis
and rockabilly music. He countered by signing up local talent, sometimes leasing the masters to
MGM
or
Imperial
when the sides started to show promise on his own imprints. This sparkling 26-song compilation spotlights the cream of
Leonard
's output on those two labels. From the boppin' country sounds of
Buck Griffin
(
"Stutterin' Papa"
) to the hard-edged rockabilly of
Andy Starr
"Round and Round,"
"She's a Going Jessie"
), to the raucous performances of the
Strikes
(their three missing tracks that aren't on the
version of this series, including an alternate take of
"If You Can't Rock Me"
), these are some of the music's shining ground-floor moments. Televangelist
Kenneth Copeland
makes with the shake on
"Fanny Brown"
"Where the Rio de Rosa Flows"
while more rock & roll-oriented sides from the
Atmospheres
, the
Tu-Tones
,
David Ray
Don Terry
Jokers
Steve Wright
J.B. Brinkley
, and
Don Curtis
complete this top-notch package. If you can't spring for
Bear Family
's four-disc run of the
/
story, here's a great chance to grab all the hot rockers on one disc. ~ Cub Koda