The American Epic Best Of Series

"You haven’t really heard these tracks at all. Not like this. The 'reverse engineering' transfers by Nicholas Bergh and subsequent restorations are so startlingly better, practically everything you will ever have experienced from this era can be discounted. The clarity will have you on the edge of your seat. Suddenly, legendary artists are in the room with you."

- Ian Anderson, fRoots -

All tracks available for the first time in unprecedented sound quality, thanks to the Emmy-nominated American Epic documentary series team.

A collection of the greatest recordings by the founding geniuses of Delta Blues: Charley Patton, Son House, Tommy Johnson, Skip James Robert Johnson, Geeshie Wiley, Mississippi John Hurt, and the Mississippi Sheiks, rounded out with tracks by the Atlanta twelve-string master Blind Willie McTell and a masterpiece of slide guitar by the Texan Blind Willie Johnson. From jazz to rock to rap, later artists have built their greatest work on these foundations, but nothing surpasses the deep soul and brilliant virtuosity of the originals. The only problem with this music has been the poor quality of the original recordings, many of which survive only on one or two scratched and worn discs—and this reissue presents them with a clarity and presence that restores their original life and vibrancy as never before.

All tracks also available on American Epic: The Collection

Country music, folk music, bluegrass, or Americana – all come out of these early rural recordings by a quirky, varied, and instrumentally virtuosic range of musicians. Though they’ve been widely imitated, few later performers have captured the freshness and grit of the original rural stylists, who formed their music in an era before radio or recording homogenized their unique sounds into recognizable genres. This overview includes the rowdy string bands of Charlie Poole and Uncle Dave Macon, the ringing banjo and lonesome vocals of Dock Boggs and Clarence Ashley, the bluesy yodel of Jimmie Rodgers, and the sweet harmonies of the Carter Family, as well as favorite tracks from a half-dozen of their equally talented contemporaries.

All tracks also available on American Epic: The Collection

One of the most beloved and imitated artists in American music, Mississippi John Hurt was born on the edge of the Mississippi Delta in the 1890s. A gently soulful singer and deceptively intricate guitarist, he spent most of his life working as a sharecropper, playing for friends and family around the tiny hamlet of Avalon. Fortunately, in 1928 he made these recordings and in 1952 two were included on Harry Smith’s groundbreaking Anthology of American Folk Music, leading to his rediscovery and appearance at the Newport Folk Festival. As a result, his songs and guitar style were picked up by a new generation of folk and blues musicians, from John Fahey to Peter, Paul, and Mary, and millions of listeners discovered the infectious swing of his playing and the wry humor of his unique repertoire, much of it predating the earliest blues.

The Carter Family were defining stars of early country music, establishing a sound and repertoire that has been the bedrock of the genre ever since. A family trio from the mountains of Virginia, they featured the gorgeous lead vocals and autoharp of Sara Carter, an astonishing repertoire of songs collected and composed by her husband A.P. Carter, and the instrumental skills of Maybelle Carter, one of the most influential guitarists in American music. These recordings were imitated, covered, and formed the basic repertoire for generations of legendary performers, including Woody Guthrie, Bill Monroe, Joan Baez, and Johnny Cash, who married Maybelle’s daughter June. This album includes their most influential and famous songs, a matchless trove of classic Americana.

Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter is remembered alongside Woody Guthrie as a founding figure in American folk music. A powerful singer and master of the twelve- string guitar, he was also a brilliant songwriter with an immense and varied repertoire. Famous for singing his way out of prison – he wrote a song for the governor, and was rewarded with early release – he was recognized as a unique artist by the pioneering folklorists John and Alan Lomax, who brought him to New York. Over the next few years he made hundreds of recordings, singing everything from deep blues to cowboy ballads and children’s songs, introducing the world to classics like his own “Goodnight Irene” and “Rock Island Line.” These are his first commercial recordings from 1935, establishing him as one of the great early blues artists.

The Texas slide guitarist and gospel singer Blind Willie Johnson spent his short life as an itinerant preacher and street corner performer, but he revolutionized his instrument and remains a touchstone for the greatest players today. It is hard to think of a slide guitarist, from Robert Johnson to Ry Cooder, who was not deeply influenced by him, and his gritty gospel shout was a source for blues singers from Charley Patton to Howlin’ Wolf, and on to Wilson Pickett and beyond. His guitar masterpiece, “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground,” was selected as an outstanding example of human art, included on the spacecraft Voyager’s Golden Record.

The Memphis Jug Band was one of the most exciting and innovative groups of the 1920s. Formed and led by guitarist, harmonica player and singer Will Shade, it featured a mix of store-bought and homemade instruments including harmonica, kazoo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, piano, washboard and, of course, jug. The most famous pre-war jug band, its blend of expert musicianship, wild enthusiasm, and tough soul spawned a host of imitators and its enduring influence is echoed in modern styles from country to hip-hop.