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California Blues

by Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee

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The vocal and acoustic interplay of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee is one of the most instantly recognizable sounds in the blues canon. Brownie's intricate fingerpicking and Sonny's colorful harp playing were forged from years of playing with pioneers like Blind Boy Fuller and Leadbelly. But while they recorded excellent material earlier in their careers, it wasn't until these recordings in 1957 that they were swept up by the folk movement and into the national spotlight. California Blues contains their first two albums for the Fantasy label, and folk-blues dominate the proceedings. Personalized versions of traditionals like "John Henry" and "Motherless Child" are affecting, but the true highlights are the playful tunes like "I Got Fooled" and "I Done Done," which showcase the duo's harmonizing. Repeated listenings reveal a lulling sameness to many of these tracks, but the playing is up to their usual high standards and Sonny's trademark whoops and hollers always entertain. --Ken Hohman