Various Artists — Destination Jail Vol 2

Here’s the follow-up to Bear Family Records 2023’s compilation Destination Jail, with its focus on being locked up behind bars, and everything connected with it. This new collection takes in twenty-four tracks from between the 1950s and 1960s- with its genre make-up of rock ‘n’ Roll, the blues, and related- with a fair focus on black American artists

The CD is presented in a clear jewel case. This features, as always with a Bear Family Records release, a detailed booklet twenty-two-page inlay booklet. It takes in a seven-and-a-half-page essay regarding prisons in the US/ general prison-related music. Then in the rest of the booklet, we get a write-up about each of the tracks, and the artists that recorded them- as well as artists' pictures.

In the first half of the compilation, we move from the hand-clapping swing, horn sassiness, and gravely sing-song vocals of  “Good Morning Judge” by Wynoie Harris. Onto the steady blues stomp of Lonesome Sundown’s “My Home Is A Prison” with its steady strutting guitars & boogie-woogie piano edges. There’s the horn-swooned & wavering backing vocals rock ‘n’ roll of “Jail Bird” by El Pauling And Royal Abbit- which features a wonderful quivering lip singing meeting a jailer rant resolve.

Moving on to the second we go the slow horn stomp & paino key judder of Andre Willaims' “Jail Bait”- with its spoken/sung vocals regarding the dangers of sleeping with underage girls. We have the rough ‘n’ ready boogie of Will Nix’s “Prison Bound Blues” with honking harmonica & bounding piano keys. Moving onto the sombre &  slowly chugging gospel doo-wop of A Prisoner’s Payer by The Prisonaries.

Destination Jail Vol 2 severs up another varied & worthy selection of tracks regarding being sent to/ or stuck in the slammer. All making for another excellent compilation from the fine folks at Bear Family Records…. Here’s hoping for more additions to the ‘Destination’ series soon!