Three decades ago Bruce Iglauer founded Alligator Records, selling his hero Hound Dog Taylor's records out of his car boot. Since then, Alligator has become America's best-known and most prolific blues label, and many of the reasons for its success appear on this budget-priced two-disc 30th anniversary collection.

Much of the material, including Marcia Ball's "Louella" and Shemekia Copeland's "Turn the Heat Up", comes from relatively recent recordings, since the label also released anthologies honouring its 20th and 25th anniversaries. Those two are unreservedly recommended, with the 20th providing the best historical overview of the label's evolution. But the 30th holds its own, presenting guitar greats like Lonnie Mack ("Stop"), Johnny Winter ("My Time After Awhile") and Lonnie Brooks ("Two Headed Man"), as well as harmonica heroes James Cotton ("When It Rains It Pours"), Junior Wells ("Keep Your Hands Out of My Pockets") and William Clarke ("Broke and Hungry"). Several outstanding duets, including a fine and funky tune by Henry Butler and Corey Harris and a classic from a Robert Cray and Albert Collins collaboration, provide variety.

The second disc contains 13 live cuts, featuring some of the most exciting live blues acts ever, including Albert Collins backed by the Icebreakers, Luther Allison, who rips through his signature "Soul Fixin' Man", and Son Seals, who gets help from Elvin Bishop. Dynastic zydeco great C.J. Chenier serves up "Jambalaya" and Delbert McClinton dishes out blue-eyed soul with "Maybe Someday Baby" to further flavour the live action. And there's a bonus video track featuring Hound Dog Taylor to make the celebration complete. --Michael Point