Search - Blind Blake :: The Master Of Ragtime Guitar : The Essential Recordings Of Blind Blake

A Decent Compilation

omeoji | Vancouver, BC Canada | 12/13/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This compilation of Blake tunes stands up pretty well against the other ones available. Since Yazoo has deleted _Ragtime Guitar's Foremost Fingerpicker_ and because its new _The Best of Blind Blake_ does not include "Police Dog Blues", "Sweet Jivin' Mama" or the original "Diddie Wa Diddie" (though it does have the sequel "Diddie Wa Diddie #2") this Indigo compilation looks even more attractive than it once did. This recording removes a little bit more high end than Yazoo typically removes, which puts the scratches a little more in the background, but they haven't overdone this and much of the presence of the 78's is thus maintained. I have fortunately just located a copy of the recently deleted _Ragtime Guitar's Foremost Fingerpicker_ (a gap in my collection) which is in my opinion the best compilation but if you can't find a copy of that disc, this one is a good bet. However, if you're a Blake maniac, you'll also need the four volume complete works from Document. I'm a maniac."