by Richie Unterberger
Blackwell, it's not always remembered, was rediscovered in the late 1950s, though he didn't have much chance to make a new career out of the blues revival before his death a few years later. He performs well, but not wonderfully, on this July 1961 session in Indianapolis, accompanied only by his guitar (although he uses piano on one song, &Little Girl Blues&). His guitar playing is in better shape than his vocals, and, in fact, his instrumental work is sparkling on tunes like &Blues Before Sunrise,& where the pacing and alternation of chords and single-note runs is immaculate. The instrumental &'A' Blues& is also a standout in its tradeoffs between high and low notes. It's mostly blues of a slow and deliberate, if varied, pace, though &Little Boy Blues& picks up the mood into a charging, swinging rhythm.