Collector's Edition [Remaster]

Performer: Leadbelly
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Leadbelly (vocals, acoustic guitar). Liner Note Author: Bill Dahl. This two-disc set gives a fully satisfying dose of the down-home folk-blues magic of the man they call Leadbelly. With only an acoustic guitar, an itinerant lifestyle, and a repertoire that included traditional ballads, political songs, kids' tunes, and blues, among myriad others, Leadbelly was the mythic archetype for the early American folksinger. Leadbelly's discography is so large and varied that boiling down his best performances to 15 tracks may seem a foolhardy enterprise, but disc one of BLUESMAN: COLLECTOR'S EDITION does just that to fine effect. Many of the singer's staples are here, including "Goodnight Irene," "John Hardy," and "Midnight Special." Disc two features a 1949 concert in which Leadbelly rolls through such favorites as "Rock Island Line" and "Skip to My Lou." There's something elementally American about the music of Leadbelly, and the BLUESMAN box captures that quality perfectly.

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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