Sleepy John Estes
wasn't the world's greatest guitar player, and his singing probably never won any awards, but he was unique among early
country blues
players because of his ability to fashion his own songs around the people and everyday events of his hometown of Brownsville, TN, a trait that makes his body of work feel a little bit like a
blues
version of Spoon River Anthology. This double-disc collection of
Estes
78s has most of the absolute essentials, including
"Floating Bridge,"
"Divin' Duck Blues,"
"Milk Cow Blues,"
and
"Brownsville Blues."
Subtle, wise, warm, and refreshingly unassuming,
is like no other player of his day, and this set makes a nice introduction to his delightful little corner of the world. ~ Steve Leggett