Editorial Review

These three CDs document some of the greatest moments ofculture shock in American music. Most of the bluesmen who first came toNewport had never played before audiences so attentive, large, orwhite. And those listening had never experienced anything like Skip James'sblood-chilling whine, Reverend GaryDavis's furious testifying, or Mississippi John Hurt's twirling melodies. Most of the audience, in fact, assumedthe bluesmen were dead. As a cinematic sweep of just what made those countercultural gatherings so exciting and diverse, this set is anunqualified success (though the rather arbitrary and ahistoricalsequencing by blues subgenre is as puzzling as the omission of specificperformance dates). While many tracks have long been available on othercompilations, the unreleased cuts, 11 in all, are revelations,especially Muddy Waters andOtis Spannstrutting through "Flood" and John Lee Hookersinking into the scary groove of "Let's Make It." Read more

Features

• Box set
• Live

Reviews (5)

GREAT
Just got the CD....a great live recording of some of the foundations of blues...if you want to start collecting the blues, this is a great place to start.A great collection of performers recorded in a live situation.Son House, one of the originators of the delta blues is well represented.This album is grouped into three CDs' that are well stocked with some of the best there is !!!Get this CD....

A treasure trove
It's almost hard to believe that this CD exists. So many excellent performances by legendary bluesmen like Son House, John Lee Hooker, Skip James, Muddy Waters and a whole host of others, all recorded live at the legendary Newport Folk Festival. And the sound is amazing, crisp and clear.
A Stunning Collection Of Live Performances
If there is a better collection of live blues than this Newport 3 CD set, I haven't heard it. This stunning CD covers 10 years Newport performances during the height of the folk blues revival in the early 60's. Many of the artists were rediscovered by blues enthusiasts like John Fahey, Al "Blind Owl" Wilson and Sam Charters by canvassing remote areas of the south and locating the M.I.A.s of the 1920-30s "race" records. Some of these performers were presumed to be dead, and Newport was their first time in front of an audience in decades. There is not a single throw-away among 16 performers and the 51 (count 'em!)cuts here.Read more

Subjects:  1. Acoustic Blues    2. Blues    3. Blues Collections    4. Blues Music    5. Blues Revival    6. Country Blues    7. Pop   

Reviews (3)

Early Blues Roots
As well as being the dominant singer-songwriter in popular culture of the twentieth century, Bob Dylan was also a student of the indigenous music of that century - country, country blues, folk ballads, traditional songs, Americana generally. Many of these styles were reflected in Love And Theft, his synthesis of American music history, but he also regularly performed and recorded the originals as well, notably on his first few albums, and later, during his writer's block, on Good As I've Been To You and World Gone Wrong.
Eh...
I'm taking one star off, because the concept is lame - using Dylan's name as bait for a collection of old blues music.But the CD itself is a good listen.

Music That Inspired Dylan
Here they are, voices from the past.These are the songs and artists who inspired Dylan.Many of the songs, or pieces of them, are found in Dylans' early albums and the two early 90's albums, "Good As I've Been To You" and " World Gone Wrong."The collection of 20 songs runs the full range of human emotions; love found and lost, hearts broken, desperate plea for another chance at love, jealousy and rage; all the elements that make the blues what they are, raw emotion put to the tune of a guitar.These recordings are very old.On some you can hear the distinctive hiss and crackle of vinyl. There are 14 musicians on this CD.I especially enjoyed hearing Blind Willie McTell and Leadbelly. This is the music that touched Dylan.He, in turn, touched the rest of us.This is a great collection for both Dylan and blues enthusiasts. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acoustic Blues    2. Blues    3. Blues Collections    4. Blues Music    5. Country Blues    6. Field Recordings    7. Pop    8. Prewar Blues    9. Prewar Country Blues    10. Prewar Gospel Blues   

Editorial Review

Coming from the people who brought you the excellent Read more

Reviews (8)

Not Your Best Blues !
A lot of hay has been made of the fact that Led Zeppelin appropriated old blues songs and made them their own, often, without ever crediting the original source.Lawsuits were filed, eventually settled and a CD containing the original, unadulterated, tunes as recorded by the likes of Memphis Minnie, Robert Johnson and Sleepy John Estes was released under the title of "Early Blues Roots of Led Zeppelin".The songs on the "Roots" recording are not the actual Led Zeppelin tunes, but rather the closely related tunes that blues historians contend Led Zeppelin ripped off and claimed to have written.This disc goes the next step, taking the songs as recorded by Led Zeppelin and asking blues musician's to record them as if the songs were their own. The circle is now complete as they say. Rock'n Roll/Blues experience full of intensity!!!
We always enjoyed rock'n roll musicians reverencing the great blues Masters of the past!So,what a problem about blues musicians doing the same thing with the best rock'n roll "underground" band ever,Led Zeppelin??And what magical stupendous cd!!They've played with intense heart feelings!!! The interpretations of all of them,are trully lessons about how to play rock'n roll with bluesy style!All of the musicians are great!!! What we can say about all of the entire cd is FANTASTIC!! I really recommend an accurated attention to Otis Clay's version of" Since i've been loving you".Sincerely one of the most emotional interpretations of a music in the blues history,and specially great because what is being played is Zeppelin's music!!! To the rock'n roll fans,and bluesfans all,everywhere,A MUST!!!!!

The Roots of Zeppelin...
Everyone who is a fan of Led Zeppelin understands that being experimental was a standard for them.At the same time, it's no secret that Zeppelin left the ground by recreating old Blues standards, originally recorded by artists they considered The Masters.This album is symbolic of exactly where Led Zeppelin, and Rock and Roll in general, came from.If you're a Blues lover, you'll really enjoy the raw acoustic sound of Custard Pie, Bring It On Home (Part 1), and When The Levee Breaks (Part 1).Others will enjoy the "thicker" performances of those songs revisited.It's fun to listen to the whole album and understand why Zeppelin had such an affection for this soulful style of music.It's also understandable why Zep wasn't very well received when first bursting onto the scene.Their edgy interpretations of old blues tunes were often called "bastardized" by critics.Yet in spite of the initial negative reaction, the boys knew that what they had begun was magical...pressing on to show more of their talent anddiversity.Blues is the most heartfelt kind of music you'll ever hear.If you've never seen a live Blues performance, you should by all means do so.This was the heart and soul that helped make Led Zeppelin the legends they are. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Blues-Rock    4. Chicago Blues    5. Electric Blues    6. Electric Chicago Blues    7. Harmonica Blues    8. Modern Acoustic Blues    9. Modern Electric Blues    10. Pop    11. Soul    12. Soul-Blues   

Subjects:  1. 50's    2. 60's    3. Blues    4. Blues Collections    5. Blues Music    6. Blues Revival    7. Country Blues    8. Pop    9. R&B    10. Soul-Blues   

Reviews (1)

Album Worth Every Penny

Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Collections    3. Modern Electric Blues    4. Pop    5. V/A Compilations   

Reviews (2)

"A title for your review"
What?!
A must for any blues collection - or rock 'n roll roots
History of Texas Blues from the beginning. Everyone from Blind Lemon Jefferson to SRV and the Fab T'birds! Love that Lucy Mae Blues and Why Don't You Eat Where You Slept Last Night! Here's some authentic deep real blues. You won't regret buying this one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20's    2. 30's    3. 40's    4. 50's    5. 60's    6. 70's    7. Acoustic Texas Blues    8. Blues    9. Blues Music    10. Blues Traditional Collections    11. Blues-Rock    12. Country Blues    13. Electric Harmonica Blues    14. Electric Texas Blues    15. Juke Joint Blues    16. Jump Blues    17. Modern Electric Texas Blues    18. Piano Blues    19. Pop    20. Prewar Gospel Blues   

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Collections    3. Blues Music    4. Jump Blues    5. Modern Electric Blues    6. Pop    7. R&B    8. Rock & Roll    9. Swing    10. Urban Blues    11. V/a Compilations   

Features

• Import

Subjects:  1. 60's    2. Blues Collections    3. Deep Soul    4. Instrumental Rock    5. Memphis Soul    6. Pop    7. R&B    8. R&B/Soul    9. Soul    10. Southern Soul    11. V/a Compilations   

Features

• Box set
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (5)

I don't own this
But I wish I had known about it before I bought the many CDs I now own that contain these songs!I've bought many JSP collections of other artists and been very pleased with them.On this set, I just see a great collection for anyone just getting into the really old delta blues, without buying at least six different high priced CDs by these artists separately.If you're wanting to get into the delta blues and wondering where to start....JUMP ON THIS!! .....Then buy the complete works of Robert Johnson.

Great Music, Bad Remastering
There's no denying that the music on these discs is fabulous (although Ishman Bracey is hardly of the same caliber as Skip James or Son House).No, the problem with these discs (and JSP discs generally) is that the sound quality is terrible.Obviously any CDs made from old 78s are going to have loud hiss and pops.That's to be expected.What's terrible here is that JSP's solution has, from the sound of it, been to lop off the higher end of the sound, with the result that everything sounds muffled and distant.It's as though they'd put a heavy blanket over your speakers.I prefer Yazoo's method, which has more hiss and other noise, but infinitely more clarity and presence.The difference between JSP's version of Booker T. ("Bukka") White and Yazoo's is like night and day: you'd never know what a subtle vocalist and guitarist he actually was if all you heard were the versions on these discs.It's even worse with the great Skip James, since in his case the originals are in really bad shape: if you're not careful (and JSP is not), you end up with mud instead of genius.In short, the remastering has real consequences for what you can hear of the music.All the nuance is absent on these discs.Get the Yazoo or the Biograph or the Roots-n-Blues ones instead: you'll have more background noise, but you'll also know why people rave over these musicians in the first place.

For the true blues lover
For me I first began to be interested in blues after listening to Led Zeppelin and wondering what artists inspired them. However concerning this album, I have a warning you better like the blues or else this will not be your cup of tea. First, you need to understand the sound does not suck, it actually sounds great! Keep in mind. just like it states on the box these are PRE-WAR RECORDINGS, which means there won't be that noise-free perfectly crystal clear audio that so many people (especially young people like myself) are use to. So, if you can get past the sub-par audio quality (by modern day standards), you will treasure this collection of some of the best musicians that have ever graced the earth. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acoustic Blues    2. Blues    3. Blues Collections    4. Blues Music    5. Blues Revival    6. Country Blues    7. Delta Blues    8. Field Recordings    9. Pop    10. Prewar Blues    11. Prewar Country Blues    12. Prewar Gospel Blues    13. Slide Guitar Blues    14. V/A Compilations    15. Work Songs   

Reviews (3)

"The original and best"
Most of the numerous entries in Rhino's "Blues Masters" series are very good, and this one is no exception.
Nice Variety Blues Beats, Some Familiar Songs
(How they sounded in the original)

Hear the Classics!
Hear the songs before they were covered by the stadium rockers.LedZeppelin covered "Bring it on home", "You Need Love"and " I Can't Quit You Baby"Countless bands have done of acover of Elmore James' "Madison Blues."And of course, theRolling Stones did a cover of "Love in Vain"So, if you wanthear what influenced famous rock rollers, this is the album for you. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 40's    2. 50's    3. Blues    4. Blues Music    5. Blues Traditional Collections    6. Blues-Rock    7. Boogie-Woogie    8. Chicago Blues    9. Delta Blues    10. Electric Blues    11. Electric Chicago Blues    12. Electric Delta Blues    13. Electric Harmonica Blues    14. Electric Memphis Blues    15. Electric Texas Blues    16. Harmonica Blues    17. Juke Joint Blues    18. Modern Electric Blues    19. Piano Blues    20. Pop   

Reviews (2)

Historical blues moments.The beginning!!!!
If you don't know the signification of the word "roots"in the music,specially the blues music,this is exactly what it means.And to understand what "roots"means,you must hear this fantastic work of that genius,the Lomax brothers,John and Alan. This is a part a small part,of the history of blues music and the rooted recordings of some men that participated and contributed like no others to promotes and turns the blues musics in a great sucessfull all over the world,until our days!!! The discovery and participation of Mc Kinley Morganfield(Muddy Waters) Son House and others,many of them unrecognized bluesmen,but nonetheless important,is really a historical moment to the blues music.This is not only an American heritage alone.This is a heritage to the mankind.HISTORICAL!!!!!!

deep country blues
This is the real stuff, and yet more reason to thank whatever higher powers there be that John and Alan Lomax were out there with their bulky recording machines documenting the rich strains of Southern folk musicwhile it could still be found. Here it's the Mississippi blues in itspurest form. Not the least of the wonders here is Alan Lomax's discovery ofgiants McKinley Morganfield (aka Muddy Waters) and Son House, who both turnin stunning performances. There's also David "Honeyboy" Edwards,who has outlived them all, with an eerie and powerful "Wind Howlin'Blues." Lomax also found William Brown and recorded him twice beforeBrown vanished into obscurity. His "Ragged and Dirty" (covered byDylan on his World Gone Wrong) makes you grateful that it got preserved butsad that we know so little about Brown's other songs and performances,destined to be lost forever.Every cut is a miracle of culturalpreservation but, just as important and maybe more so, of magnificent,enduring American music. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Blues Traditional Collections    4. Field Recordings    5. Pop    6. Traditional Folk    7. Work Songs   

Subjects:  1. Blues Collections    2. Jazz    3. Jazz Music    4. Jump Blues    5. Piano Blues    6. Pop    7. R&B    8. Soul    9. Urban Blues    10. West Coast Blues   

Editorial Review

The idea that recordings exist of bluesy, intense gospel fueled by and starring the electric steel guitar might strike one as strange. But that very thing has transpired for decades in the Jewel and Keith Dominions of the Church of the Living God, and, as this mid-'90s recording demonstrates, the results are brilliant. Sonny Treadway displays the agile virtuosity of Chet Atkins on "At the Cross" and Glenn Lee's mournful, nimble, dulcet licks on "Call Him by His Name" recall B.B. King at his fiercest. However, such facile comparisons really do a disservice to this vital sound; none of this music really resembles anything else. Particular highlights of this satisfying set's 20 tracks are the 3 sublime contributions by Willie Eason. The elderly Eason may not display the liquid bravado of others here, but his songs possess unbounded soul. His original composition "Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Poor Man's Friend" is a wonderful example of both topical material and eulogy in gospel music. His songs are sung in a baritone, preach-singing style and the playing juxtaposes strummed chords with eerie, long, looping notes that seem to hang in the air forever. The section of live religious services by Treadway, Henry Nelson, and Aubrey Ghent are stomping fun at its most sanctified. Treadway's "This Is a Holy Church" even approaches the unbridled Holy Ghost stomp of street musician Rev. Louis Overstreet. Read more

Reviews (4)

The Truth Shall Set You Free!
Mention the steel guitar and most likely you will get images of the Hapa Haole music of Hawaii in the 30s, or the twangy sounds of hard country. But there's another side of the steel guitar, one that is not as well known, but is perhaps one of the most amazing roots traditions still alive in this country, the black Pentecostal tradition of the pedal and laptopsteel guitar. Fascinating, unique music
A thoroughly captivating collection of one of the most obscure offshoots of the blues/gospel music axis, this disc collects 20 tracks of African-American gospel music as performed on electric steel guitars.The liner notes trace the style back to the 1930s, when steel guitars came into vogue; the performances are by a handful of contemporary performers who come from a Pentecostal church in Florida, where the tradition is still very much alive.Blues, R&B and gospel have always had an interesting Saturday night/Sunday morning interrelationship, and these recordings inject a distinctive "white" country flavor into that mix.This is one of Arhoolie's biggest-selling and best receivedreleases in recent years and when you check it out,you'll understand why.Cool stuff.(There have also been several follow-ups and solo albums featuring the same artists on here, but this is the disc that, to me, seems most magical.)

Spiritual Sincerity
I grew up in North Florida and the sounds and faith behind the words of this beautiful album are a revelation and a confirmation both. NPR uses bits of it as bridge music on their "All Things Considered" and "Morning Edition." I think it is because of the essential purity and sweetness of the music. "Little Church on the Hill" is something celestial. It evokes heaven, a place that exists only in time, not on a map. I don't listen to this every day, it is too good for that. I just listen to it in moments, and those moments, like this collection, are too lovely to convey. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 30's    2. Blues Music    3. Blues Traditional Collections    4. Blues-Rock    5. Country Gospel    6. Gospel    7. Pop    8. Traditional Country    9. Traditional Gospel    10. V/a Compilations   

Reviews (3)

****1/2 - one of the best in the series
Not five straight stars, though...partly because the authentic Mississippi Delta stuff is interspersed with much more urban sounds from B.B. King and Albert King. And (very) electric Chicago-sides by Howlin' Wolf, Elmore James, and Robert Nighthawk do much to blur the distinctiveness of this package.
Good Compilation, Two by Tommy Johnson
Still one of the best intro CDs to the blues.I'm knocked out byTommy Johnson; he's the first two selections here. Charley Patton, but hey - what about that pivotal Willie Brown doing "Future Blues"? The liner notes are not circumspect in describing Louise Johnson's "performance" on "On the Wall". Another treat is two by Elmore James - 'specially "Something Inside Me" which floats along like Jimi Hendrix. Weird and Wonderful
Any Mississippi Delta Blues fan would have an awful time picking just 15 representative entries.This album does a great job, falling just short by including too much new material - by new, I mean after 1940.Still, you can't argue with Robert Johnson's "Crossroad Blues" or even Robert Nighthawk's superlative "Going Down to Eli's."This captures the individuality, roughness, and anti-spritiuality of Delta Blues really well and a couple of non-obvious inclusions like Robert Petway's Catfish Blues make it a good catch.Of the Blues Master Series, this is one of my favorites. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 30's    2. 40's    3. Acoustic Chicago Blues    4. Blues    5. Blues Music    6. Blues Traditional Collections    7. Chicago Blues    8. Country Blues    9. Delta Blues    10. Electric Chicago Blues    11. Electric Delta Blues    12. Pop    13. Prewar Blues    14. Prewar Country Blues    15. Slide Guitar Blues   

Reviews (6)

Not your father's blues
I bought this CD from Amazon because it was shockingly inexpensive and I wanted to pad out an order.I wasn't expecting great things; I hoped merely that I hadn't wasted the meager amount of money I'd spend.Boy, was I happy when I finally played this.This is great! Nicely off-mainline
I'm a fan of Mr. Burnside, so getting this was easy, and enjoying it easier even.This is not revolutionary music by any means, but it is refreshingly wild and iconoclastic.Get it, it is fun

Just plain crap
As a long time blues fan and blues musician I have heard lots of blues, but rarely have I heard a steaming pile of unlistenable rubbish like this collection.As if the back cover art of some old fool wearing a nazi hat, smoking a plastic cigar and wearing a dog collar wasn't warning enough- the front cover art of someone wearing a gas mask should have been. Perhaps he got a whiff of the contents of this cd. Even at [price] it is grossly over-priced. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 90's    2. Blues    3. Blues Collections    4. Blues Music    5. Electric Delta Blues    6. Modern Delta Blues    7. Modern Electric Blues    8. Pop   

Reviews (1)

W.C. Handy's music at it's finest!
This CD is an excellent and an authenic display of W.C. Handy's wonderful compositions. Many blues and jazz musicians have covered these wonderful tunes throughout the 20th and now 21st century but few have heard what these songs originally sounded like. By using the instrumention of the original W.C. Handy band and through clever arrangemnts by Carl Wolfe, this CD is a musical reenactment of how the W.C. Handy band sounded back in the 1910's and early 20's. Each song on this CD has been a musical gem since its publishing(these songs range from 1909 to 1932) but being able to hear them in their original form is a true treat. I feel that the music of W.C. Handy is entertaining, fun, and timeless. This CD can be enjoyed by anyone who likes music. Also, if you would like the sheet music to these great songs I recommend the book "Blues: An Anthology" by W.C. Handy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues Collections    2. Blues Music    3. Known as the "Father of the Blues," W. C. Handy was America's most successful African-American composer during the early twentieth century.His "Memphis Blues" and "St. Louis Blues" were among the most popular songs of the day.   

Features

• Import

Subjects:  1. 50's    2. 60's    3. Blues Collections    4. Country-Soul    5. Pop    6. R&B    7. R&B/Soul    8. Soul    9. Southern Soul    10. V/a Compilations   

Subjects:  1. 60's    2. Acoustic Blues    3. Blues    4. Blues Music    5. Blues Revival    6. Blues Traditional Collections    7. Chicago Blues    8. Country Blues    9. Delta Blues    10. Electric Blues    11. Electric Chicago Blues    12. Electric Harmonica Blues    13. Field Recordings    14. Modern Electric Blues    15. Pop    16. Prewar Country Blues    17. R&B   

Reviews (3)

Classic performances by the true masters of the genre
"A rare collection of performances by America's premier bluesmen at the peak of their artistry" proclaims the cover of this disc, and that's no idle boast. Culled from 33 tracks on the two simultaneously released and similarly titled DVDs, these 16 tunes were performed live in German TV studios between 1962 and 1966, and thought lost until recently discovered.
Lost Gold!
Some of the greatest and most influential music this country has ever created was the blues- but the artists were just not given the apreciation in this country they deserved. It took the interest in Blues music by young musicians in Europe- especially in Britain- from the Rolling Stones to Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix (who actually played with B. B. King at one point) to bring them back to America. Kids hearing this music then began to search out the originators of this music and finally these Blues pioneers started to gain recognition in their own country. This DVD (and the others in the series) captures where it all got started in Europe. "America's premiere Bluesmen at their peak"
Some of the most celebrated "Blues Singers" perform on this one-of-a-kind release "The American folk Blues Festival 1962-1966".With an all-star cast of Eddie Boyd, Willie Dixon, Lightnin' Hopkins, Lonnie Johnson, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Memphis Slim, Otis Rush, Victoria Spivey, T-Bone Walker, Sippie Wallace, Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Sonny Boy Williamson and Howlin Wolf clearly having a ball sharing their God-given talent.This is one of the top blues rivals to come along in many a moon.Read more

Subjects:  1. Acoustic Blues    2. Blues    3. Blues Collections    4. Blues Music    5. Blues Revival    6. Chicago Blues    7. Delta Blues    8. Electric Blues    9. Electric Chicago Blues    10. Electric Harmonica Blues    11. Electric Texas Blues    12. Harmonica Blues    13. Modern Electric Chicago Blues    14. Piano Blues    15. Pop    16. Prewar Country Blues    17. Slide Guitar Blues    18. Texas Blues    19. Urban Blues    20. V/A Compilations   

Reviews (1)

Negro Work Songs & Calls [Rounder]
This is possibly the worst transfer of data into digital format that I have ever heard.I have a 30 year old copy of this album on vinyl that I carefully recorded in MP3 format.The quality of this home recording maintains the fidelity of the original recording infinitely better than this CD.I bought the CD hoping for a better digital format, not worse.I am sending back this opened and played CD to Amazon.com today.Let's see how they respond to a return that is based soley on the fact that it is an incredibly inferior product.One final note.The music of the original recording will make any effort you take to find one of the older vinyls well worth your effort. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Blues Traditional Collections    4. Country Blues    5. Field Recordings    6. Old-Timey    7. Pop    8. Traditional Bluegrass    9. Work Songs