At nineteen, Texas-born Ivory Joe Hunter
made his first recording - on a 1933 Library
of Congress cylinder. He honed his chops
playing gigs around the Gulf Coast region,
even hosting his own radio show for a time
in Beaumont.
During the war years, Ivory Joe became a
crowd-pleasing fixture on the California
club circuit. His first commercial
recording, "Blues at Sunrise" (with Johnny
Moore's Three Blazers) was the first of
several R&B chart-toppers between 1945 and
1949.
He churned out hits during the ‘50s: "Don't
Fall in Love With Me," "What Did You Do to
Me," "Waiting in Vain," “Guess Who,” "I
Almost Lost My Mind," "I Need You So,” "It's
a Sin,” “Since I Met You Baby,” "Empty
Arms," "Love's a Hurting Game," and “City
Lights.”
Ivory Joe’s lifelong love of Country
manifested itself in the 1960s as he became
a frequent guest on the Grand Old Opry. This
album, recorded a few years before his death
in 1974, is appropriately called This Is
My Country.
This 12-track collection
demonstrates Hunter’s mastery of his craft
as a singer, songwriter, and musician.
Fittingly, Ivory Joe is well-served by the
cream of Nashville musicians backing him,
like the great steel guitar maestro Pete
Drake, whose spectacular performance on
“Walking The Floor Over You” keeps the
band playing and playing because no one
wanted to interrupt the magic taking place.
Other go to tracks include “It’s Too
Late,” “Playing With A Losing Hand,”
and “Just A Girl I Used To Know.” |