About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

Trumpet player, vocalist, composer, and arranger Dave Bartholomew is one of the true kings of New Orleans music; he is a legend whose legacy reaches far beyond the confines of the Crescent City. He began his recording career in the late '40s with his own band and scored first with "She's Got Great Big Eyes" and "Dum Mae," and continued into the heyday of his protégé Fats Domino when he moved toward arrangement and composition -- at the age of 83 he performed and arranged on Dr. John's fine N'Awlinz: Dis Dat or d'Udda album. This Collectables compilation is split between his '40s and '50s sides and includes all the big records. The three previously mentioned titles are here as are "Country Boy," "Sweet Home Blues," "Bad Habit," "The Golden Rule," his magnificent version of "Stormy Weather," the two-part "Lawdy Lawdy Lord," and his signature "blue" tune, "My Ding-a-Ling," made infamous by Chuck Berry 20 years after Bartholomew recorded it. There are a couple of unusual cuts here in "Gumbo Blues," which is a previously unissued master take from the "Dum Mae"/"Dave's Boogie Woogie" session, and alternate takes of his hits "Twins" and "The Golden Rule." While the two-volume Chronological Classics series from France is preferable, The King Sides is an excellent budget-priced collection that includes all the necessary major titles. Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

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