Truckin' My Blues Away

For most listeners, Blind Boy Fuller's Truckin' My Blues Away (on Yazoo) may be a better bet than Columbia/Legacy's East Coast Piedmont Style, since it actually has a higher concentration of strong material, capturing the influential bluesman at his peak. All of the 14 tracks were recorded between 1935 and 1938, and there are a number of exceptional performances here, including "Homesick and Lonesome Blues," "Truckin' My Blues Away," "I Crave My Pig Meat," "Walking My Troubles Away" and "Sweet Honey Hole." It's a nice, concise introduction and, best of all, there's no duplication between this disc and East Coast Piedmont Style, making the two discs wonderful complementary collections that tell a comprehensive story when taken together. ~ Thom Owens