The Young Big Bill Broonzy, 1928-1935

Broonzy, Big Bill

album cover

The Best of Early Broonzy

During the 1940s, Big Bill Broonzy was one of the kingmakers of Chicago blues—he recommended that several labels record a young unknown named Muddy Waters, and was revered as a wise elder by the city's guitarists, mainly for his steady-rolling ragtime guitar rhythm and the nimble "flatpicking" technique also used by Charley Patton and Blind Lemon Jefferson.

Before that, though, Broonzy (1898–1958) recorded some hugely entertaining early sides—rollicking pieces that combine the urgency of rural blues from the Mississippi Delta region (he was born in Scott, Mississippi) with a smooth, winkingly urbane singing style that was rare in country blues.

This collection spotlights some of Broonzy's best early work, including the piano-guitar duet "Good Liquor Gonna Carry Me Down" and a lusty vocal on "I Can't Be Satisfied" that became a touchstone for subsequent generations. (Waters's version of the song, his first big hit, hews close to this one.)

Beyond their appeal as straight-up entertainment, several tracks are of historical interest: They're collaborations between Broonzy and the pianist "Georgia Tom," aka Thomas Dorsey, who went on to become a major force in gospel music as the author of countless hymns.

Dorsey is anything but pious here, as he dispenses tavern-tested pianoisms and contributes to the bawdy banter between Broonzy and singer Jane Lucas. These energetic performances present Broonzy as one of the first blues artists to amalgamate elements of different styles into a seamless and highly personal sound. Even at this early stage, his approach to the blues was seriously contagious: Dorsey, for one, never sounded happier than he does on these sides.

Genre: Blues
Released: 1992, Yazoo
Key Tracks: "Good Liquor Gonna Carry Me Down," "Hokum Stomp."
Catalog Choice: Big Bill Broonzy Sings Folk Songs
Next Stop: Muddy Waters: Sings Big Bill Broonzy
After That: Lonnie Johnson: Blues and Ballads
Book Pages: 117–118