Godfather Of Chicago Blues

Big Bill Broonzy was viewed as a beloved country blues player when he died in 1958, a master of raw and authentic-sounding folk-blues. But this public image, although Broonzy worked hard to maintain it in his later years, does him a bit of a disservice. He was much more than a rustic relic, however well he played the part. Broonzy was an excellent and even sophisticated guitarist, starting out in the '30s as a rag and hokum player, but he was versatile enough to work with jazz and R&B combos, too, and his guitar approach was instrumental in the early formation of the Chicago blues sound. He was also a crafty songwriter who managed to write blues pieces that bridged the line between traditional blues themes and modern structure. This 22-track collection combines two earlier collections, Bronzeville Poet and Blues News, into a single well-paced and fluid sequence. Not everything essential is here, but key tracks like "I Can't Be Satisfied" and "Mississippi River Blues" are included, although his signature "Key to the Highway" is strangely absent. It's still a nice set. ~ Steve Leggett|