Big Bill Broonzy - An Introduction To

 

As one can garner from the title, this is basically a collection of some of Broonzy's better known numbers and so there will be overlap with other albums of his, but it makes for a good, well, introduction.

Here we get his take on "Baby, Please Don't Go" and his finger-pickin' version is pretty different from most others and includes some melodic variations, his "Hey Hey" shows off his dexterity nicely, he gives a short introduction and kudos for Bessie Smith's "Backwater Blues", more fine guitar pickin' in "Mindin' My Own Business", his fingers go a'flyin' on "See See Rider", he sings a sorrowful blues in "All I Got Belongs To You", "Ridin' on Down" (aka "Mule Ridin' Blues") is a jokey, talking blues, which don't do much for me, but people must like 'em because a lot of musicians did 'em.

He sang spirituals, as well, such as "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen", "I Got Up One Mornin' Blues" is a slow, mournful number, "Treat Everybody Right" is a blues with a positive message, a full band (or at least piano'n'drums) joins him for the bouncey "It Feels So Good" ("I feel like ballin' the jack"), he talks race (a risky prospect at the time) in "Black, Brown and White", we get his classic "Key To The Highway" with some fine harmonica work added to his guitar'n'vocals, he gives his take on Leadbelly's "Midnight Special", "I Get The Blues When It Rains" is, ironically, an upbeat rag, and for the finale, he clears his throat a few times before doing a lovely take on "In the Evening When The Sun Goes Down", which was apparently a Leroy Carr original, although I know it from Lonnie Johnson's excellent version, and Broonzy holds his own on this one.

This is what it claims to be - a nice introduction to the man's talents'n'tunes. Good starting place if you don't have anything of his and even if you do, this may well have some numbers you don't have.