George Smith and Bacon Fat
The Complete Blue
Horizon Sessions
George
“Harmonica” Smith was born in America in 1924 and under the supervision of
his musical parents, was already learning to master the harmonica at the
tender age of four. A master of the instrument, his first break came at
the age of 25 when he was recruited to play in Muddy Waters' band. This was
to prove a short spell and George soon moved on to front the house band at
Marty Graham’s Orchid Room in Kansas from where he was discovered by Modern
Records and subsequently signed to begin his own solo recording career.
Rod
Piazza, an accomplished harmonica player and front man of Bacon Fat, was
immediately struck upon his first meeting with George Smith and the two went
on to form a strong friendship, which would later develop in to a recording
relationship. Rod teamed up with George in 1968 to form The Southside Blues
Band.
It was
during a visit to the States that Blue Horizon label founder, Mike Vernon
first chanced upon a live performance of The Southside Blues Band and agreed
a deal which would later result in the band name change to Bacon Fat.
It was
decided to record enough material for an album featuring the complete band
unit and another featuring George accompanied by the band, but to be
released under his own name.
These
individual albums; “Grease one For Me” by Bacon Fat, and “No Time to Jive”
by George Smith have now been re-mastered and are released here as a double
CD collection, the next title in The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions
series. Each disc has also been expanded to include several previously
unavailable live performances by the band which was recorded during a UK
tour during 1970.
Click below to see track listings and
hear previews of all tracks:
DISC ONE
DISC TWO
