Big Bill Broonzy - The Essential Blue Archive, Vol. 1: the Pre War Years & Vol. 2: the Post War Years

 

Big Bill Broonzy was a legendary American blues musician who left an indelible mark on upon the blues.  With his unique guitar playing style, powerful vocals, and dynamic stage presence, Bill became one of the most influential figures in the development of blues music.  Born in Mississippi in 1893, he navigated the ups and downs of a career that spanned several decades and witnessed the evolution of the blues from its rural roots to mainstream popularity.


In 1985, Big Bill Broonzy was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his significant contributions to the field of music.

CD1 - 'The Essential Blue Archive, Vol. 1: the Pre War Years'

This is by no means the complete pre-war work of the great bluesman, but offers a fine overview with 20 cuts covering the period before World War II,  and offers a chance to see just how important and influential Broonzy really was. With "I Can't Be Satisfied" and "Saturday Night Rub" he was a seminal figure, but one whose range ran to more popular material, too, like "I Feel So Good." You might think Charley Patton and Robert Johnson were the heart of the blues, but based on the evidence here, Big Bill Broonzy can stake a very good claim.

CD2 - The Essential Blue Archive, Vol. 2: the Post War Years'

These 20 cuts from the 1940s and '50s offer a strong overview of the man who worked longer in blues than most of his contemporaries. He never lost his quality, even well into his career; just listen to "Five Feet Seven" and you'll understand how good he remained.  Bill's blues foreshadowed the advent of rock "Just Rocking" and a couple of other pieces make it apparent that Bill was one of the fathers of the then new genre.  Although he's thought of as a guitarist and singer, other instruments did appear on Big Bill's recordings, especially these later ones, such as "Where the Blues Began," which is piano-heavy, but works perfectly well. By this time, Bill was almost an elder statesman for the first generation of Delta blues players, and an international ambassador.  From this collection, it's easy to understand how central he was to the music.

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