Folk Blues Albums

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JOHN FAHEY- THE BEST OF JOHN FAHEY 1959-1977

John Fahey's own selection of his remastered early Tacoma recordings plus two extended guitar pieces on an 18 track compilation.

INSIDE DAVE VAN RONK

These 25 tracks show Dave Van Ronk in his prime. It's easy to see why his gruff voice and phenomenal fingerpicking style were so influential, and he shows his skills on autoharp and dulcimer too.

DRIFTIN' SLIM - WHO HOO-DOO'D THE HOO-DOO MAN?

Recorded at UCLA Centre for the Study of Folklore and Mythology, this explores the almost extinct species that is The One-Man-Blues-Band.

CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS - GENUINE NEGRO JIG

Although more than a decade old and based on a music tradition that dates back centuries, The Carolina Chocolate Drop’s first album somehow sounded — and sounds — as fresh as anything released that year, or for matter in 2021. This bluegrass/traditional country band has learned to sound authentically ‘vintage’ without sounding old. They evoke the past without forgetting the world they currently live in. The result of this approach is a must-have for anyone who enjoys music that features such instruments as ‘jugs,’ ‘washboards,’ ‘ukuleles’ and, of course, ‘Banjos.’

“Your Baby Ain’t Sweet like mine’ may be the warmest, gentlest song here, while the band’s clever (but still sincere) cover of Blu Cantrell’s ‘Hit ‘em Up Style’ provokes the biggest smile. Perhaps the most likely fan of Genuine Negro Jig is the music fan who doesn’t consider themselves a fan of traditional music. If any album is likely to convert them, it is this one.