I'm not sure if there's anyone here as fanatical about the music of Huddie Ledbetter as yours truly, but even a casual folk fan should love this one. It's quite amazing on a number of levels. Appears to have been recorded from a house concert in Minneapolis in 1948, and unlike the Charters (Last Sessions) or Lomax (Library of Congress) Huddie seems infinitely more relaxed without the academic folklorists sitting in front of him pushing the buttons. (who wouldn't?)

He chats and discusses the songs at some length, and perhaps most surprising (considering his health had started failing) plays with great clarity, inventiveness, and speed.

Several times he changes some of his signature bass runs and it blows my mind that at this late stage of his life, he still keeps 'inventing' wonderful scales. He never seems to settle for the predictable.

I know that his contemporaries (Pete Seeger mostly) say he played ALL his bass runs with just a thumb (rather than alternating with the index finger), but it's hard to believe he could generate that kind of speed without help from another finger!

Oops I'm getting 'guitarnurd-like' here....well I SAID the album is great on many levels....... Thanks Peter T. for a WONDERFUL Christmas present!

"Leadbelly", Private Party. Document records. DOCD-5664.

You can check with Dick or Susan to see if Camsco has it.

Rick