Buddy And The Juniors, a 1969 unplugged session by Chicago blues legends Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, and Junior Mance, is getting a deluxe reissue through Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series.
Due out on June 27th, the reissue uses remastered audio from analog tapes and 180-gram vinyl in gatefold packaging. It features the trio’s spontaneous renditions of both classics like Willie Dixon’s “Hoochie Coochie Man” and originals like “Buddy’s Blues.” The unexpected session at Blue Thumb Records between Guy (on guitar), Wells (on harmonica) and Mance (on piano) proved so generative, two of the album’s final tracks were improvised then and there: “Talkin’ ‘Bout Women Obviously” and “Riffin’.”
Buddy Guy released his most recent record, The Blues Don’t Lie, in 2022. But his music—and technical skill—has seen renewed interest this year after his appearance in Ryan Coogler’s 2025 hit film Sinners, which chronicles a harrowing opening night at turn-of-the-century juke joint in Alabama, operated by twins Smoke and Slim (both played by Michael B. Jordan). In the film, Guy portrays an adult version of a key character with a gift for rhythm and blues.
Although Wells died in 1998 and Mance in 2021, their bodies of work have also continued to endure. Wells’ 1965 record Hoodoo Man Blues (which features Guy on guitar) is considered one of the finest examples of the genre in the ‘60s—over the course of Wells’ career, he would also collaborate with the likes of Junior Parker, Sonny Boy Williamson, Derek Trucks and The Rolling Stones.
Mance also continued to make music, consistently releasing albums for three decades including 1995’s Blue Mance and 2015’s For My Fans…It’s All About You, which he released via Kickstarter. He and his wife founded the record label JunGlo together in 2007—he also taught at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music for 23 years, before retiring in 2011.
Buy Buddy and the Juniors on vinyl now.
