06/02/2024
Big Bill Broonzy - Blues Singer
-2 x 180g 12’’ LPs / 45-RPM
-Limited edition of 450 copies per album, manually screen-printed, hand-numbered
-Available exclusively on www.samrecords.fr
A key figure of the pre-war Chicago blues scene, Big Bill Broonzy was working as a janitor at the Iowa State University when he received the invitation to perform a series of concerts in France during the Summer of 1951. Presented to audiences as “The last living bluesman,” Big Bill Broonzy was actually one of the first blues musicians to visit Europe—after Lead Belly (1949) and Josh White (1950)—and he took this opportunity to reinvent himself as a “folk blues” artist, interpreting a perfect blend of old Southern themes, urban strains and spiritual songs.
In September, at the end of his Summer tour, Big Bill, accompanied by only his guitar, entered the studio in Paris to record Blues Singer Vol. 1 for Disques Vogue. These recordings stand out as it was the first time a new blues recording session appeared in LP form. Even more important was the music presented on this LP as it familiarized audiences with what has since been labeled “folk blues”. Broonzy’s singing, the sophistication of his elaborate picking technique, the poetic force of his lyrics all contributed to the propagation of blues music to a brand new audience.
Big Bill would return to the studios in 1952 during his second stay in Europe to record Blues Singer Vol. 2. For Broonzy, these two albums marked the beginning of a highly prolific period. As he continued touring Europe, he expanded his discography with numerous LPs recorded in Paris, but also in Antwerp, London, Brussels, Copenhagen, and Milan. His new career as a “country” troubadour had a rippling effect in the States where he was considered one of the leading figures of the folk music revival by the mid 1950s. As such, he influenced a whole generation of younger creators, including Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan.
