This is the first volume of a series of tapes made in Britain between the late 1950s and mid-'60s, largely of visiting American blues performers, though Britain's
Chris Barber Band is also sometimes heard backing the musicians or playing on their own. As these performances were done at a time when British concerts by U.S. blues musicians were rare events, they have considerable historical importance, especially as they helped ignite an interest in the blues in the U.K. that was highly influential on the development of major blues-rock musicians such as
the Rolling Stones and
Eric Clapton. The first installment is about equally divided between sets by
Sister Rosetta Tharpe (in Manchester on December 9, 1957) and the great duo of
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee (in Manchester in April 1958). For all their value as historical documents, it has to be noted that these aren't the ideal representations of these major blues performers, as the sound is decent but not great. In addition,
Tharpe is backed on her set by
the Chris Barber Band, and while that group did a great deal to popularize jazz and blues in the U.K., they weren't her optimum support unit; sometimes it sounds like a blues-gospel singer backed by a Dixieland jazz outfit, a combination that doesn't ideally suit her style. Still,
Tharpe herself is in good voice and spirits on a set including standbys like "This Train," "Peace in the Valley," "Down by the Riverside," "Old Time Religion," "When the Saints Go Marching In," and "Midnight Special." A few of the tracks are oddities in that they're virtually a cappella, though you can hear some faint instrumentation in the background. Better is
Terry & McGhee's portion of the disc, during which they're for the most part singing and playing guitar and harmonica without additional accompaniment. There are better recordings of the duo, but it's good folk-blues, likewise relying on some familiar songs; in fact, they too do "Midnight Special" and "When the Saints Go Marching In," with
the Chris Barber Band eventually joining in for the final two numbers. ~ Richie Unterberger