Legends of Country Blues Guitar, Volume 2

A good quality recording (clear & good dynamics), and good listening music. Sent quickly and packed well. Real happy w/ vendor.

As many have noted already, this is good mostly for historicity. The footage isn't great audio quality and it's not super pleasant to just put on and watch, which is no one's fault. I meant, thank goodness we've got this, ya know? We could have nothing! So, 4 stars overall.

Part of this review has been used in a separate review of Volume One.I have spent some considerable effort in this space reviewing various trends in the blues tradition, including country blues. As is fairly well known country blues got its start down in the South during the early part of the 20th century (if not earlier) as a way for blacks (mainly, although here Sam Chatman is given some space I think to represent the mountain music contribution to this rural music) to cope with the dreaded, deadly work on the plantations (picking that hard to pick cotton). In this volume (and a first volume that has been reviewed separately) Stefan Grossman, the renowned guitar teacher and performer in his own right has taken old film clips and segments from early television and produced an hour of classic performances by the masters of country blues guitar picking and singing (Sorry, no women players presented in these productions, although there were a few. Women blues singers came into their own a little later with a vengeance, thankfully.).Country acoustic blues guitar playing was a central form of entertainment for those who lived in the country, desperately needed entertainment during and after work and for the most part had no access to electricity. Thus, this favored form of entertainment was provided in the backwoods "juke joints" where the whiskey, women and words came fast and furious after a hard work week. A small body of men, mainly in Mississippi, but also elsewhere in the South (notably Texas and North Carolina) fought to be "king of the blues". And the qualifications to win that title included being able to wield that old national steel guitar for all it was worth and sing something about two-timing women, the rascally boss or overseer or just plain not having any money to show for the week's work after those Saturday night bouts with the "devil".In this volume the "king of the hill" is one Bukka White. Son House the star of Volume One is relegated to second place here as Bukka just flat out plays that old guitar better, with more feeling and a better sense of showmanship in presenting the material. Aberdeen Women is an extremely good example of his mastery. I have mentioned in a previous review that Bukka White was not previously as familiar to me and those who I know who share my interest in the blues. That deserves immediate correction and Brother White will certainly be the subject of a later, separate entry in this space.Also included here is the previously mentioned Son House, again flailing away for all he is worth; The Reverend Gary Davis demonstrating his prowess as a guitarist on several clips: Huston Stackhouse with his playful voice inflections; Big Joe Williams being, well Big Joe with some guitar that I could not count the number of strings on(as usual); and, Leadbelly. Leadbelly, who may have been one of the most well-known black country blues performers of all time (certainly through his connection to the classic and oft-performed Goodnight, Irene), is rather flat here. Too bad. There are better clips of his performances elsewhere.

It's wonderful to see the old greats in action. This video has no voice-overs, just the players themselves. You get to see Mance Lipscomb, Mississippi John Hurt, The Reverend Gary Davis, Big Bill Broonzy, Son House, Henry Townsend, Brownie McGhee & Josh White. I gave it to my husband as a Valentine's gift--he said it was the best present he's ever received.

fab