East Coast Piedmont Style

AMG Review of East Coast Piedmont Style

Scott Yanow
All Music Guide

Blind Boy Fuller, who died in 1940 when he was only 33, recorded extensively during 1935-1940. His guitar playing was in the tradition of the agtime-influenced Blind Blake and Blind Willie McTell while his singing was simple and direct. The music on this CD reissue becomes a bit repetitive after awhile for Fuller generally lacked variety but, taken in small doses (as if one were listening to the original 78s and treasuring individual songs), Blind Boy Fuller's performances were often memorable. The reissue is a cross-section of his work with the emphasis on his earliest recordings. Guitarist Blind Gary Davis, Bull City Red on washboard and harmonica wiz Sonny Terry help out on a few numbers; five of the 20 selections were previously unreleased.