Screamin Hawkins Jay - Screamin' the Blues

If you know anything about Screamin' Jay Hawkins at all, you'll know to play this record like you play Russian Roulette; one hand on the trigger and the other over your heart. In a production line world of yawn-a-minute clones, these handcrafted Screamin' specialties seek to break the mold. Showcasing his inspiration from the freshest sounds of the era, a self-taught, knockabout competence on the piano and saxophone and, with more than the touch of the bizarre, Jay is the master of shaping hits as unique as they are strange. Becoming a household name after the success of 'I Put a Spell on You', this remarkable collection of tracks seek to prove that with or without the fame, Jay conducted business as unusual. With the first half of the album written before his rise to popularity and the second shortly after, this pre and post 'Spell' selection proves him far from a one-off wonder and a truly a one of a kind talent, unchanged by the fame and doing it just as well long before it appeared.