The Complete Brownie McGhee

The title is a misnomer, but the album does include all of the Piedmont bluesman's recordings for Okeh/Columbia in 1940 and 1941. A finer collection of pre-World War II country blues is not likely to be found anywhere; McGhee was a master at his craft, and the songs here are expressive, masterfully performed, and rhythmically upbeat in the best Piedmont tradition. It's mostly McGhee solo, as these tracks were recorded just before he began his famous longtime partnership with harmonica player Sonny Terry. The influence of Blind Boy Fuller is evident (McGhee once recorded as Blind Boy Fuller No. 2), but McGhee had by this time firmly established his own style. This is an exceptional collection overall and an excellent place to start delving into the Piedmont blues. --Genevieve Williams