Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee - Back To New Orleans (1988)

Back to New Orleans is a compilation of two sets of songs -- with the order slightly reshuffled -- cut ten months apart and originally released on two separate LPs, Down Home Blues (1961) and Blues in My Soul (1963), about 18 months apart. As with all of their work during this period, the duo is astonishingly consistent, with McGhee in superb voice throughout and Terry showing off his harmonica chops across the whole set. "Back to New Orleans" is, of course, their take on "Baby Please Don't Go" and is a killer showcase for Terry's singing and some beautiful and understated playing from McGhee. Terry & McGhee sound looser and more freewheeling on the second body of songs, cut in September of 1960, their work having the feel of a live performance informally recorded (which, of course, was not true). Drummer Roy Haynes also plays, in a wonderfully restrained and elegant manner, on some of this later material as well, most notably "Blue Feeling," "House Lady," and "I Know Better." As with most Fantasy/Prestige reissues of this period, the audio quality is excellent, with a rich sound to the all-acoustic performances and no obvious flaws. The sleeve may look stripped down, but the music is pure gold, not only for blues enthusiasts but for casual listeners, too, who may find their way into acoustic blues by way of the two sets here -- neophyte listeners just coming to any of this material in the 21st century may be delighted at how many places the repertoire and performances intersect with such more familiar artists as Elvis Presley, Van Morrison, and the Rolling Stones.

Tracklist:
1 01. Sonny Terry - Let Me Be Your Big Dog (Album Version) (03:14)
1 02. Sonny Terry - Pawn Shop (Album Version) (03:26)
1 03. Sonny Terry - You Don't Know (Album Version) (02:48)
1 04. Sonny Terry - Betty And Dupree's Blues (Album Version) (06:14)
1 05. Sonny Terry - Back To New Orleans (Album Version) (02:58)
1 06. Sonny Terry - Stranger Here (Album Version) (03:34)
1 07. Sonny Terry - Fox Hunt (Album Version) (02:27)
1 08. Sonny Terry - I'm Prison Bound (Album Version) (03:02)
1 09. Sonny Terry - Louise, Louise (Album Version) (03:57)
1 10. Sonny Terry - Baby, How Long (Album Version) (04:11)
1 11. Sonny Terry - Freight Train (Album Version) (02:42)
1 12. Sonny Terry - I Got A Woman (Album Version) (03:59)
1 13. Sonny Terry - Hold Me In Your Arms (Album Version) (03:29)
1 14. Sonny Terry - The C. C. And O. Blues (Album Version) (04:27)
1 15. Sonny Terry - The Devil's Gonna Get You (Album Version) (02:32)
1 16. Sonny Terry - Don't You Lie To Me (Album Version) (04:42)
1 17. Sonny Terry - That's Why I'm Walking (Album Version) (02:45)
1 18. Sonny Terry - Wrong Track (Album Version) (03:34)
1 19. Sonny Terry - Blue Feeling (Album Version) (04:04)
1 20. Sonny Terry - House Lady (Album Version) (04:19)
1 21. Sonny Terry - I Know Better (Album Version) (03:29)