Masters of the Country Blues - Rev. Gary Davis and Sonny Terry
Taken from kinescopes of performances filmed by the Seattle Folk  Society, these two black-and-white performances offer unique looks at two blues legends: blind older musicians who spent their lives keeping a musical tradition alive. A stern-looking the Reverend Gary Davis has a finger-picking style that is both spare and stunningly intricate as he plays instrumentals ("Slow Drag," "Candy Man"), spirituals ("I Heard the Angels Singing"), and down and dirty blues songs ("She Wouldn't Say Quit," "Where'd You Get Your Liquor"). Sonny Terry, who spent years partnered with guitarist Brownie McGhee, offers a master class in blues harmonica, accompanying himself on both traditional tunes ("Easy Rider") and originals (the ironically titled "I Got My Eyes on You"). Terry tears it up, alternating wonderfully bent notes with whoops and hollers on "Hootin' the Blues." Though short (an hour), it's an impressive document of a dying musical style.--Marshall Fine