Midnight Special [Rounder]

Performer: Leadbelly
Engineer: Alan Lomax
Producer: Kip Lornell (Compilation)
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Library of Congress recordings from the early 1930's, some recorded in Angola Penitentiary. Includes liner notes by Kip Lornell. This is a set of some of the earliest recordings that Leadbelly (Huddie Ledbetter) made for the Library of Congress. The set is made up of blues selections and ballads, and opens with one of his most famous songs, "Irene" (also known as "Goodnight Irene"). The title song has also become a standard, and there are numerous other well-known numbers included, such as "Take a Whiff on Me" and "Careless Love." This music was documented by the father and son folklorist team of John and Alan Lomax. 12-string guitar and Leadbelly's enormous voice are the only instruments on the dramatic and romantic MIDNIGHT SPECIAL. With this collection, it is easy to see why Leadbelly's music became the template that many subsequent blues and folk singers followed.

The embodiment of the link between folk and blues, Lousiana-born Leadbelly (Huddie Ledbetter) possessed a powerful voice and the creative fervor to fashion his observations and heartfelt passions into riveting songs. An itinerant singer/guitarist, he performed in between working odd jobs and spending time in prison for his violent outbursts. Twice he gained pardon from long prison sentences with his songs. After Leadbelly's second pardon, in 1934, the recordings folklorist Alan Lomax made of him brought the singer national success. Whether conscious of his influence or not, nearly all folk and blues singers can trace their musical lineage back to him. He's responsible for many songs that have become part of America's cultural heritage.

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