Great Bluesmen at Newport Folk (EAC FLAC)

"While the likes of Chess and Delmark were wellsprings of '60s electric blues, Vanguard carved out a concurrent niche as a harbor for aging country bluesmen. It was a natural match since the gentler likes of Sleepy John Estes and Mississippi John Hurt went over well with the label's core folk audience. The coalition extended to the Newport Folk Festival, which was much more receptive to acoustic blues than their amplified Chicago offspring. Great Bluesmen/Newport (originally a two-LP set) presents 21 tracks culled from late '50s and mid-'60s performances at the Newport Folk Festival. A consistently rewarding collection, Great Bluesmen nevertheless has its highlights, foremost being John Lee Hooker's brooding "Tupelo." But with Son House, Skip James, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and Lightnin' Hopkins in evidence, how can a folk-blues fan go wrong? --Steven Stolder"