Tommy Johnson – 1928-1929 Complete Recorded Works

Next to Sleepy John Estes, Tommy Johnson has what I consider to be the most eerily, heartbreakingly, mesmerizingly compelling voice in the country blues canon.

Imagine a hoarse ghost yodeling.

Was he a particularly adept guitarist? Definitely not.

Was he an original lyricist? Not by any stretch of the imagination.

Did he record a significant body of work? Nope. Something like 17 songs, over a two year period. That’s all.

Will his music haunt your dreams? Yes.