CD Description
Though you'll most often find Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter's records filed under "blues" in record stores, this 26-track compilation makes it abundantly clear that there's so muchmore to the man's music. Part of a multi-volume series thatcollects nearly all of Leadbelly's recordings in chronological order, this CD features songs from the midpoint of his career. The tracks range from spirited versions of folk songsfor children like "Skip to My Lou", to cowboy ballads like "Out on the Western Plains" (here paired with the wonderfully titled "Cow Cow Yicky Yicky Yea"), to gospel cuts like "WeShall Walk Through the Valley". There's certainly blues here--the definitive version of the scarifying "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" is a highlight--but Leadbelly's genius washis ability to synthesize disparate musical styles into something uniquely his own. The sound is excellent and the package includes full liner notes.