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, Estes is like no other player of his day, and this set makes a nice introduction to his delightful little corner of the world.
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