AMG Review of Bourgeois Blues: Lead Belly Legacy, Vol. 2

Jeff Burger
All Music Guide

Vol. 2 in a three-volume series of the recordings Leadbelly made for Folkways founder Moses Asch is as indispensable as the first. The 28 songs have been beautifully remastered, and the liner notes -- including a 1946 tribute by Woody Guthrie -- are extensive and revealing. This second CD focuses mostly on best-available versions of songs that first appeared on Folkways' Leadbelly's Legacy, Vol. 4: Easy Rider and Midnight Special. Among the standout tracks are Leadbelly's own "Bourgeois Blues" and such folk standards as "Careless Love," "John Henry," and "Midnight Special."