(July 2024) Episode 586 is BIG BILL BROONZY. He was among the early generation of recorded country blues guitarist/singers, and his interests and influence were as wide as they are under-acknowledged. His name pops up in many places, as a progenitor of the electric Chicago blues, in the folk revival, and the popularization of blues and folk in Europe, including crucially in the UK. He delved into ragtime, country, folk, jazz-inflected songs and spirituals. Not surprisingly, given my previous episodes, my favorites are the early acoustic guitar blues numbers.
Favorite album: Do That Guitar Rag
Favorite song: I Can’t Be Satisfied
Compared to expectations: ↑
Recommendation: There are a ton of collections and anthologies out there. For the early guitar work, I recommend Do That Guitar Rag or The Young Big Bill Broonzy
Opus Project 