Blind Blake – Ragtime Guitar’s Foremost Fingerpicker – Yazoo 1068 

The 23 cuts on this Blind Blake collection represents the seven-year crowning period of the blues master’s output, all of which illuminate upon the splendor of his blues interpretations.  Blake appointed an intricate, high-level guitar picking design, one that permitted him to not depend upon static accompaniments.  Instead, his methodology was one built upon cadence, melody, and overall congruous structure; every song facet complemented the other.  In Blake’s blues, hints of jazz, and even ragtime, infiltrate his musical constructs.  This is obvious and readily proven via his phrasing substance.

Simply, Blake was one of the greatest and most innovative blues guitarists of all-time.  And the classic blues he recorded for the Paramount Records label supremely stand the test of time as witness to his genius.  In his 38 years of life, Blake left a catalog of jazz- and ragtime-inspired blues whose brilliance any serious blues fan should study and have in their personal blues collection.

Highly-essential work, indeed!

Below are the running sone titles on this breathtaking CD. 

Song Titles

• Diddie Wa Diddie
• Come On Boys Let’s Do That Messin’ Around
• Southern Flag
• Police Dog Blues
• C. Pill Blues
• Hard Pushing Papa
• Rope Stretching Blues
• Skeedle Loo Doo Blues
• Chump Man Blues
• Hastings Street
• Georgia Bound
• Righteous Blues
• Too Tight Blues #2
• Blind Arthur’s Breakdown
• One Time Blues
• Playing Policy Blues
• You Gonna Quit Me Blues
• Bad Feeling Blues
• Hey Gonne Daddy Blues
• Black Dog Blues
• Seaboard Stomp
• Sweet Papa Low Down
• Sweet Jivin’ Mama