Brunning Sunflower Blues Band - The Best Of

Foot soldiers of the British blues explosion

An interesting curio from the heyday of the British blues boom: Between them bassist and primary school teacher Bob Brunning and pianist/patent agent Bob Hall formed the backbone of the Brunning Sunflower Blues Band who, between 1968 and 1971, recorded four albums for UK independent labels Saga, Appaloosa and Gemini and even found time to put together the side project Tramp. A founder member of Fleetwood Mac, Brunning played on their initial Blue Horizon sessions before being replaced by John McVie. A stint with Savoy Brown followed before Brunning founded and one time Savoy Brown pianist Bob Hall founded the group in 1967.

Pulling together tracks from their four albums Bullen Street Blues (1968), Trackside Blues (1969), I Wish You Would (1970), The Brunning Hall Sunflower Blues Band (1971) and the eponymous Tramp album from 1969, this 22- track overview paints a picture of an outfit who, with a little help from some friends including Pete French, Steve Rye, Dave & Jo-Ann Kelly and, most memorably, Peter Green on the selections from Trackside Blues, spirited together a gutsy and wholly authentic sound. No mean feat for a band who were, strictly speaking, never anything more than an after-hours operation.

RPM | RETRO 813

Reviewed by Grahame Bent
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