Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Street singer Blind Joe Taggart was a powerful guitar evangelist and there are some tremendous performances here. "Waded In The Water Trying To Get Home" featured a second guitar from Josh White (then only 14 and who was to grow up to become one of the giants of folk blues), "He Done What The World Couldn't Do" is an emotionally charged version of a song usually known as "Lord, He Sure is Good To Me" and "In That Pearly White City Above" offers some novel guitar work from Taggart. As well as these and other gospel tracks dubbed from hugely rare Paramount 78s there are also three secular recordings made by Six Cylinder Smith, who is believed to be Taggart. And if that wasn't enough, this album also features four recordings made by Blind Gussie Nesbitt (1930-1935). Nesbitt's "Motherless Children" has the singer approximating the wonderful false bass vocalising of Blind Willie Johnson. Finally, there are five recordings by Rev Edward W Clayborn whose rich voice and tasty bottleneck guitar should have gained more than the obscurity history rewarded him.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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