Album Details

44 Tracks of Seminal Recordings from the Jazz Great. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A nice tribute, but...
Obviously, when you die you have to stop making records (unless you'reJimi Hendrix, but that's another story). And the only way to keep yoursongs alive is to make sure that your pals keep singing them. This concert,recorded around 1977, brings together some of Leadbelly's friends andacquaintances, who then pay tribute to the man by basically phoning intheir performances.

We get decent, but not stellar performances fromSonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, who by this time were pretty much sick ofeach other and on the verge of breaking up. Sonny introduces "PoorHoward" by telling a story that even Leadbelly once said was wrong;Pete Seeger, an old friend, appears to be embellishing the stories hetells, too. His performances of "In the Pines" and"Bourgeois Blues" are pretty good, though.

The only reallygreat performances here belong to Arlo Guthrie. Always a showman, andclearly standing in for his late father (since he's way too young to haveany kind of recollection of Leadbelly himself), he works the audience with"The Grey Goose" and keeps things bouncing along with "On aMonday." He then stays at the piano for the obligatory group finalewith all the performers present.

If you collect any of these artists,then by all means buy this. But otherwise, get a real Leadbelly album. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

This set is the "Real Set"!
I purchased this set last week and went crazy over how great it is. It really took me back to all the time I spent down on the Gulf between Corpus and Mobile when I was in the Merchant Marines. Boy can these selections take you back,it reminds me of my early days when a real treat cooked by a Sea Cook was nothing more then stewed okra and tomatoes. A lot of young kids won't have a clue about this music ,but if you can really dig the likes of the real pros like Robert Johnson and Bessie Smith you will have a ball with this priceless set as these songe are the real orginals not remakes by some new Motown group. I am even playing this stuff for my Grandchildren and they are enjoying it as much as I did when I first heard a lot of it over 40+ years ago ! If you ever lived with the Blues and loves listening to people who made it real then this set will mean as much to you as it does to me. "Enjoy"

If you love & appreciate the Blues, you will LOVE this set!
I have been a blues fan for many years and have attended many blues festivals, including the BEST BLUES FESTIVAL in the United States - the Chicago Blues Festival. This CD box set more than surpasses its expectations of what Blues is meant to represent. A 5 STAR set! The music of today pales in comparison to this truly lost art. If you love Robert Johnson, you will absolutely love this box set. I recommend without hesitation. Do yourself a favor and enjoy life - order this box set!

Chestnut Stew!
It's hard to imagine a better introduction to pre-war American blues than this. It combines the well-known (e.g. Robert Johnson) with the obscure (e.g. Sippie Wallace) in such perfect proportion that anyone with any interest in blues will love it. The accompanying book makes for great history, great storytelling, and drawing the unifying threads. I love the piano-based tunes like Peetie Wheatstraw's "Peetie Wheatstraw Stomp" - don't let anyone fool you into thinking pre-wars is all National Steel Guitar! This and Rhino's Blues Masters series show the astonishing breadth and depth of the blues. A must! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

everything you want in music.
This is the most incredible mind blowing Music I have. It is the jewel of my collection. The one CD that I would never lend out. This is not just a King Curtis CD it is a Wynton Kelly and Nat Adderly CD also. It will Change Your idea of what music is all about. Everyone I have turned this music on to always asks "Who is this!?" Where can I pick it up? Just listen. ... Read more