Featuring prominent contributions from the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Sun Ra’s Solar Arkestra, Un “Sung Stories” is The Blasters’ leader’s Phil Alvin debut solo album from 1986.

This collection found Alvin exploring genres not too far from the base of The Blasters’ rockabilly. Here he performs pieces that are vintage and retro, but with a definitive sheen. Blues, jazz, country and pop songs, all written and made popular between 1925-1953.

Produced by Phil Alvin (guitar) and Pat Burnett, the 10-track 1986 solo album reissue Un “Sung Stories” (which came out this past November 3rd, 2024 via Liberation Hall) was recorded in Los Angeles, New Orleans and New York City and features two bands: Side One: Sun Ra & the Arkestra and Side Two: The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

1. Someone Stole Gabriel’s Horn
2. Next Week Sometime
3. The Ballad Of Smokey Joe a) Minnie The Moocher b) Kicking The Gong Around c) The Ghost Of Smokey Joe
4. Death In The Morning
5. The Old Man Of The Mountain
6. Daddy Rollin’ Stone
7. Titanic Blues
8. Brother Can You Spare A Dime?
9. Collins Cave (The Death Of Floyd Collins)
10. Gangster’s Blues

This interesting collaboration from The Blasters leader opens on the upbeat swinger Someone Stole Gabriel’s Horn and the glorious storytelling within Next Week Sometime and then brings us the rhythmical, low slung medley of The Ballad Of Smokey Joe (Minnie The Moocher, Kicking The Gong Around, and The Ghost Of Smokey Joe), and both the chug-along Death In The Morning and the playful The Old Man Of The Mountain.

Along next on this delightful-to-rediscover recording is the upright bass-fed, guitar-led Daddy Rollin’ Stone and the free-flowing Titanic Blues and they are in turn backed by the aching yearn found within Brother Can You Spare A Dime?, the collection rounding out on the Celtic-hued, fiddle-tastic Collins Cave (The Death Of Floyd Collins), closing on the guitar-picked delight Gangster’s Blues.

This release comes on the heels of Liberation Hall’s Mandatory: The Best of the Blasters, a definitive 20-song collection of the band’s hits and deep cuts. Liberation Hall plans further releases throughout 2024 in celebration of the Blasters’ 45th anniversary.