Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall

Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall
Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall
Studio album by Jimmy Reed
Released	1961
Recorded	1954–1961
Genre	Chicago blues
Length	62:47
Label	Vee-Jay
Producer	Calvin Carter
Jimmy Reed chronology

Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall is a double album by Jimmy Reed, released in 1961.

Overview

Though the title suggests that the record was recorded live, it consists of studio recreations of a Carnegie Hall performance along with additional studio recordings.^[1]

"Bright Lights, Big City", which opens the album, was released as a single around the same time. It became one of Reed's most successful and last songs on the Billboard Hot R&B charts.^[2] The album includes several other Reed songs that appeared on the charts between 1956 and 1961.^[2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings	^[3]

Writing for AllMusic, critic Richie Unterberger gave the album five out of five stars. He noted "In some ways, it almost does make for a greatest-hits compilation, as it contains most of Reed's most popular tunes".^[1]

Chart performance

The album debuted on the US Billboard Top LP's chart for monaural albums on October 22, 1961, peaking at number 46 during a thirty-one week stay on the chart.^[4]

Chart (1961)	Peak position
US Billboard Top LP's (Monaural)^[4]	46

Track listing

All songs by Jimmy Reed; except where noted.

Record 1, side 1:

"Bright Lights, Big City" – 2:50
"I'm Mr. Luck" – 3:34
"Baby What's Wrong" – 3:24
"Found Joy" – 3:41
"Kind of Lonesome" – 2:52

Record 1, side 2:

"Aw Shucks, Hush Your Mouth" – 2:33
"Tell Me You Love Me" (Jimmy Reed, Al Smith) – 2:54
"Blue Carnegie" – 2:53
"I'm a Love You" – 2:07
"Hold Me Close" – 2:38
"Blue Blue Water" – 2:45

Record 2, side 1:

"Baby What You Want Me to Do" – 2:31
"You Don't Have to Go" – 3:10
"Hush Hush" – 2:43
"Found Love" – 2:24
"Honest I Do" (Jimmy Reed, Ewart Abner) – 2:50
"You Got Me Dizzy" – 2:58

Record 2, side 2:

"Big Boss Man" (Luther Dixon, Al Smith) – 2:54
"Take Out Some Insurance" (Jesse Stone) – 2:31
"Boogie in the Dark" – 2:41
"Going to New York" – 2:26
"Ain't That Loving You Baby" – 2:25
"The Sun is Shining" (Jimmy Reed, Ewart Abner) – 2:57

Personnel

Jimmy Reed - guitar, vocals, harmonica
Eddie Taylor - guitar
Phil Upchurch - guitar
Lonnie Brooks - guitar
William "Lefty" Bates - second guitar
Willie Dixon - bass guitar
Earl Phillips - drums
Mary Lee Reed - backing vocals

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Unterberger, Richie. "Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall – Reviews". AllMusic. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
^ ^a ^b Whitburn, Joel (1988). "Jimmy Reed". Top R&B Singles 1942–1988. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. pp. 345–346. ISBN 0-89820-068-7.
^ Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. p. 542. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.
^ ^a ^b Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top LPs, 1955–1972. Record Research. p. 122. Retrieved July 10, 2025.

[Unterberger-1] Unterberger, Richie. "Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall – Reviews". AllMusic. Retrieved April 26, 2019.

[Whitburn-2] Whitburn, Joel (1988). "Jimmy Reed". Top R&B Singles 1942–1988. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. pp. 345–346. ISBN 0-89820-068-7.

[Penguin-3] Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. p. 542. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.

[Whitburn2-4] Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top LPs, 1955–1972. Record Research. p. 122. Retrieved July 10, 2025.

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v t e Jimmy Reed
Albums	I'm Jimmy Reed (1958) Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall (1961) Jimmy Reed Plays 12 String Guitar Blues (1963) The New Jimmy Reed Album (1967) Soulin' (1967) Big Boss Man (1968) Down in Virginia (1969) I Ain't from Chicago (1973)
Singles	"Ain't That Lovin' You, Baby" (1956) "Take Out Some Insurance" (1959) "Baby What You Want Me to Do" (1959) "Big Boss Man" (1961) "Bright Lights, Big City" (1961)
Related articles	"Goodbye Jimmy Reed"