Leadbelly – Important Recordings 1934-1949

“Important Recordings” is a bit of an understatement, to say the least.

But anyhow, as long as we’re on the subject of how much I love JSP remasters, let’s have some Leadbelly then.

This is an impressive overview of the man’s music—it starts in the Louisiana State Penitentiary, and ends with a live track recorded in Texas just 6 months before he passed on.

In between, you’ve got a massive crop of Library of Congress recordings, joint performances with everyone from Sonny Terry to Willie “The Lion” Smith, and everything from gospel to blues to folk, and all points in between.

There never was a Leadbelly before Leadbelly, and there never will be again.