AMG Review of These Blues Are Doggin' Me

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All Music Guide

ASV's Living Era series has always focused mainly upon jazz, pop, and country & western artists, and blues musicians are relatively scarce in this label's catalog. In 2006, ASV released These Blues Are Doggin' Me, a core sample of records made by Big Bill Broonzy during the years 1930-1951. Broonzy was an unusually prolific artist, and these 26 selections were cherrypicked from the approximately 340 sides he cut during this central segment of his career. The album is named after the subtitle of "Big Bill Blues" (originally recorded at the same session as "These Ants Keep Biting Me"), which is located exactly half way through the track list, laid out in near-chronological sequence. Most of the songs credit Broonzy as composer; exceptions are "Trouble in Mind" by Richard M. Jones, and "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town" by Casey Bill Weldon. Like most Broonzy collections that dip into his first two decades of recording activity, the ASV Living Era edition has him interacting with an impressive assortment of friends and collaborators, including Memphis Slim, Punch Miller, Buster Bennett, Jazz Gillum, and Washboard Sam. An excellent introductory overview and a special treat for those who already know and love this very special artist.