When the Sun Goes Down

I've been listening to this series, which I recently 'acquired,' and will right now publicly declare this my favorite Blues compilation series ever. After listening to this series, you'll have a terrific grasp of the blues, and a good knowledge of several other forms which combined to become early "Rock 'n' Roll."

Four of the releases in this series highlight individual artists, Leadbelly, Sonny Boy Williamson, Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup and Blind Willie McTell. A working knowledge of each of these artists is essential to truly understanding the Blues as an art form, but they're generally overlooked and forgotten, or minimalised, in most Blues "History" compilations. Honestly, granting each artist their own disc in the series is one of the main factors in my naming this my favorite Blues compilation ever.

Another factor in my declaration is the wonderful, sweeping range of material that fills the other 7 discs in the series. Memphis jug band music mingles with south-side Chicago blues and Mississippi Delta country blues throughout the collection. Some of the segues can be jarring, but the juxtaposition of such interrelated but differing styles just shows what a wonderful artistic tapestry blues music can be.

In lieu of trying to further describe the contents of these discs, visit the set's homepage and check the samples, here. Or, visit Amazon and check samples, here.

I can only hope that those responsible for this series of discs is just getting started, and the 11 discs released thus far is just a teaser of what is to come.