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I was in San Francisco on business, a seminar at the San Francisco Hilton. Of course I blew into town the very day the hotel workers went on strike, or got locked out, or something, but they were making a lot of racket and chanting. Actually, it was more shouting than chanting. (It took me two days to understand they were shouting "CHECK - OUT - NOW!! CHECK - OUT - NOW!!"). I've never thought of myself as a union buster, but anyway I didn't check out; instead, I hid out in my room until late in the week when I made a brief foray to do some window shopping on the Haight.

In contrast to the bad vibe at the Hilton, all was peaceful and serene on Haight Street. With a pocket full of per diem money, I stopped in at Recycled Records. I walked out a half an hour later with a handful of Christmas blues compilations (actually four compilations, along with Mary-Kate and Ashley's Cool Yule). I was in hog heaven until I returned from shopping and checked in with my check-out-now buddies.

Genuine Houserockin' Christmas was the newest of the compilations I found that day, released just last year (2003). There are a variety of blues styles represented on the record: there's delta blues, New Orleans boogie woogie, Zydeco-flavored blues, some outright french & squeeze-box Zydeco, and a good helping of contemporary R&B. There's even some white boy blues. I've heard of most of these artists, so they must be pretty well-known.

Austin, Texas, is pretty well-represented with Marcia Ball singing a spirited Christmas Fais Do Do and W.C. Clark performing a delta style Christmas Party. Generally, this record stretches to encompass many, if not most, blues and blues-influenced genres.

The record takes a few chances, and these chances evidently paid off because Genuine Houserockin' Christmas is a fun-filled and action-packed hour of houserockin' blues music.

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2004)

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From the liner notes:

Executive Producer: Bruce Iglauer

Various Artists

Genuine Houserockin' Christmas

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Track List