Although
Huddie Ledbetter had recorded for the Library of Congress while still in jail in 1933,
King of the 12-String Guitar contains some of the music from his earliest commercial recording date, only five months after getting out of prison for the second (and final) time. The majority of the material (other than the first four numbers) consists of alternate takes and previously unissued performances, although some of the numbers were formerly out on LPs by Folkways or Biograph. The music (ranging from blues to folk music) is highly recommended both to veteran collectors (who otherwise probably do not have most of these cuts) and to those just discovering the legendary and unique musician. Forty-six at the time,
Leadbelly's powerful voice and his work on 12-string guitar are consistently memorable. ~ Scott Yanow