Blind Dog Radio

>> EVERY SATURDAY AT 9.00 PM (CT)

Country Blues Troubadours 1938-1948 by Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee

Label: JSP Records.
Release Date: February 17, 2004.
Recording Time: 349 minutes.
Recording Date: 1938 - 1948.
Release Info: JSP7721, 5 x CD, Compilation.

Country Blues Troubadours 1938-1948 is a significant 5-CD box set from JSP Records featuring early recordings of American blues legends Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, showcasing their evolving partnership and solo work from the late 30s to late 40s, a period when they defined Piedmont blues, performed with Blind Boy Fuller, and became NYC folk scene staples, capturing their iconic harmonica and guitar styles.

* * * * *
Country Blues Troubadours contains 125 tracks, spread out over five CD's, tracing blind harpist Sonny Terry and guitarist Brownie McGhee's earliest recordings between 1938 and 1948. JSP not only does an admirable job remastering the tracks, but providing recording dates, personnel, and a bit of history that is easily accessible in individual jewel cases, as opposed to a bulky booklet. Recorded in New York and Chicago, the Piedmont duo encounter, both separately and collectively, blues, jazz, and R&B veterans including Washboard Slim, Baby Dodds, Curley Russell, Hal "Cornbread" Singer, Gene Ramey, Big Chief Ellis, Blind Boy Fuller, Stick McGhee, and Champion Jack Dupree. The discs are divided into five themes: "Getting started and getting around," "Blind Boy Fuller and what followed," "Library of Congress and living with Leadbelly," "New York residents and established artists," and "Mainly Brownie and an interlude with Champion Jack." As far as budget-blues box sets are concerned, this is one of the best. ~ Al Campbell

Tracklist:
  • 1-01. Sonny Terry - Mountain Blues
  • 1-02. Sonny Terry - The New John Henry
  • 1-03. Sonny Terry - Fox Chase
  • 1-04. Sonny Terry - Lost John
  • 1-05. Sonny Terry - Train Whistle Blues
  • 1-06. Sonny Terry - New Love Blues
  • 1-07. Sonny Terry - Harmonica Blues
  • 1-08. Sonny Terry - Harmonica And Washboard Breakdown
  • 1-09. Sonny Terry - Harmonica Stomp
  • 1-10. Sonny Terry - Harmonica And Washboard Blues
  • 1-11. Sonny Terry - Forty-Four Whistle Blues
  • 1-12. Sonny Terry - Blowing The Blues
  • 1-13. Sonny Terry - Touch It Up And Go
  • 1-14. Brownie McGhee - Picking My Tomatoes
  • 1-15. Brownie McGhee - Me And My Dog Blues
  • 1-16. Brownie McGhee - Born For Bad Luck
  • 1-17. Brownie McGhee - I'm Callin' Daisy
  • 1-18. Brownie McGhee - Step It Up And Go
  • 1-19. Brownie McGhee - My Barkin' Bulldog Blues
  • 1-20. Brownie McGhee - Let Me Tell You 'Bout My Baby
  • 1-21. Brownie McGhee - Poison Woman Blues
  • 1-22. Brownie McGhee - Back Door Stranger
  • 1-23. Brownie McGhee - Be Good To Me
  • 1-24. Brownie McGhee - Not Guilty Blues
  • 1-25. Brownie McGhee - Coal Miner Blues
  • 2-01. Brownie McGhee - Step It Up And Go No. 2
  • 2-02. Brownie McGhee - Money Spending Woman
  • 2-03. Brownie McGhee - Death Of Blind Boy Fuller (Alternate Take)
  • 2-04. Brownie McGhee - Death Of Blind Boy Fuller
  • 2-05. Brownie McGhee - Got To Find My Little Woman
  • 2-06. Brownie McGhee - I'm A Black Woman's Man (Alternate Take)
  • 2-07. Brownie McGhee - I'm A Black Woman's Man
  • 2-08. Brownie McGhee - Dealing With The Devil
  • 2-09. Brownie McGhee - Double Trouble (Take 1)
  • 2-10. Brownie McGhee - Double Trouble (Take 2)
  • 2-11. Brownie McGhee - Woman I'm Done
  • 2-12. Brownie McGhee - Key To My Door
  • 2-13. Brownie McGhee - Million Lonesome Women
  • 2-14. Brownie McGhee - Ain't Mo Tellin'
  • 2-15. Brownie McGhee - Try Me One More Time
  • 2-16. Brother George And His Sanctified Singers - I Want To See Jesus
  • 2-17. Brother George And His Sanctified Singers - Done What My Lord Said
  • 2-18. Brother George And His Sanctified Singers - I Want King Jesus
  • 2-19. Brother George And His Sanctified Singers - What Will I Do (Without The Lord)
  • 2-20. Brownie McGhee - Key To The Highway 70 (Take 1)
  • 2-21. Brownie McGhee - Key To The Highway 70 (Take 2)
  • 2-22. Brownie McGhee - I Don't Believe In Love
  • 2-23. Brownie McGhee - So Much Trouble
  • 2-24. Brownie McGhee - Goodbye Now
  • 2-25. Brownie McGhee - Jealous Of My Woman
  • 3-01. Brownie McGhee - Unfair Blues
  • 3-02. Brownie McGhee - Barbecue Any Old Time
  • 3-03. Brownie McGhee - Workingman's Blues
  • 3-04. Brownie McGhee - Sinful Disposition Woman
  • 3-05. Brownie McGhee - Back Home Blues
  • 3-06. Brownie McGhee - Deep Sea Diver
  • 3-07. Brownie McGhee - It Must Be Love
  • 3-08. Brownie McGhee - Swing, Soldier, Swing (Take 1)
  • 3-09. Brownie McGhee - Swing, Soldier, Swing (Take 2)
  • 3-10. Sonny Terry - John Henry
  • 3-11. Sonny Terry - Fox Chase
  • 3-12. Sonny Terry - Fox Chase (2)
  • 3-13. Sonny Terry - The Red Cross Store
  • 3-14. Sonny Terry - Sweet Woman
  • 3-15. Sonny Terry - Fox Chase (3)
  • 3-16. Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee - That's The Stuff (Watch Out)
  • 3-17. Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee - Knockabout Blues (Carolina Blues)
  • 3-18. Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee - Easy Ridin' Buggy
  • 3-19. Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee - Women Lover Blues
  • 3-20. Sonny Terry - Run Away Woman
  • 3-21. Sonny Terry - Shake Down
  • 3-22. Brownie McGhee & Stick McGhee - Movin' To Kansas City
  • 3-23. Brownie McGhee & Stick McGhee - Railroad Bill
  • 3-24. Brownie McGhee & Stick McGhee - Rocks In My Bed
  • 3-25. Brownie McGhee & Stick McGhee - Tennessee Shuffle
  • 4-01. Brownie McGhee & Stick McGhee - Precious Lord Hold My Hand
  • 4-02. Brownie McGhee & Stick McGhee - If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again
  • 4-03. Brownie McGhee - Rum Cola Papa
  • 4-04. Brownie McGhee - Mean Old Frisco
  • 4-05. Brownie McGhee - Sportin' Life Blues
  • 4-06. Brownie McGhee - Worried Life Blues
  • 4-07. Brownie McGhee - Brownie's Guitar Boogie
  • 4-08. Brownie McGhee - Lovin' With A Feeling
  • 4-09. Brownie McGhee - Night Time Is The Right Time
  • 4-10. Brownie McGhee - Bad Blood
  • 4-11. Brownie McGhee - I Don't Care
  • 4-12. Brownie McGhee - Big Legged Woman
  • 4-13. Brownie McGhee - B. M. Blues
  • 4-14. Brownie McGhee - Evil But Kindhearted
  • 4-15. Brownie McGhee - Seaboard And Southern
  • 4-16. Brownie McGhee - Dissatisfied Woman
  • 4-17. Brownie McGhee - How Can I Love You
  • 4-18. Brownie McGhee - Hello Blues
  • 4-19. Sonny Terry - Whoopin' The Blues
  • 4-20. Sonny Terry - Leavin' Blues
  • 4-21. Sonny Terry - Riff And Harmonica Jump
  • 4-22. Sonny Terry - All Alone Blues
  • 4-23. Brownie McGhee - Me And My Dog
  • 4-24. Brownie McGhee - Pawnshop Blues
  • 4-25. Brownie McGhee - The Way I Feel
  • 5-01. Brownie McGhee - Go On Blues
  • 5-02. Brownie McGhee - Auto Mechanic Blues
  • 5-03. Brownie McGhee - I'm Talking About It
  • 5-04. Brownie McGhee - Dollar Bill
  • 5-05. Brownie McGhee - Country Boy Boogie
  • 5-06. Sonny Terry - Harmonica Rag
  • 5-07. Sonny Terry - Screamin' And Cryin' Blues
  • 5-08. Sonny Terry - Beer Garden Blues
  • 5-09. Sonny Terry - Worried Man Blues
  • 5-10. Brownie McGhee - Aunt Jane's Blues
  • 5-11. Brownie McGhee - Mabelle
  • 5-12. Brownie McGhee - So Long Baby
  • 5-13. Brownie McGhee - Poor Boy Blues
  • 5-14. Sonny Terry - Custard Pie Blues
  • 5-15. Sonny Terry - Early Morning Blues
  • 5-16. Sonny Terry - Crow Jane Blues
  • 5-17. Sonny Terry - Hot-Headed Woman
  • 5-18. Brownie McGhee - Wrong Man Blues
  • 5-19. Brownie McGhee - Married Woman Blues
  • 5-20. Brownie McGhee - Robbie-Doby Boogie
  • 5-21. Brownie McGhee - My Fault
  • 5-22. Brownie McGhee - Brown Mule Blues
  • 5-23. Brownie McGhee - Hard Bed Blues
  • 5-24. Brownie McGhee - Bulldog Blues
  • 5-25. Brownie McGhee - Gin Headed Woman
"Country Blues Troubadours 1938-1948" refers to a significant 5-CD box set compilation focusing on the formative years and partnership of legendary Piedmont blues artists Sonny Terry (harmonica, vocals) and Brownie McGhee (guitar, vocals), chronicling their individual careers and their legendary duo's rise from the late '30s (meeting Blind Boy Fuller) through their post-WWII fame in New York's folk scene, featuring classic tracks like "Unfair Blues" and "Railroad Bill". 

* * * * *
Although originally from North Carolina and Tennessee, respectively, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee came to prominence in New York City, where they teamed up in 1941, at first with their unique brand of country blues, which established them on the city's folk scene alongside the likes of Lead Belly, Josh White and Woody Guthrie, then as urban R&B recording artists. They then took the blues to Europe and beyond, where they were celebrated for their virtuosity, wit and professionalism for years into the 1970s. This 5CD 125-track collection traces the early solo careers of both musicians and their initial partnership, also including their controversial post World War II work, when they were briefly suspected of Communist sympathies. Also featured are other musical luminaries such as Blind Boy Fuller, Washboard Slim, Pops Foster, Champion Jack Dupree and Baby Dodds: Sonny & Brownie always kept good musical company. Brilliant remastering and Neil Slaven's expert sleeve notes help bring alive an important era with greater clarity than ever before, all at JSP's customary competitive price.