Leadbelly – Guitar – His Voice – His Piano

Label: Capitol Records T1821
Release Year: 1944 (original recordings), reissued posthumously
Format: Mono LP
Condition: VG/EX

This collection is one of the most comprehensive and personal anthologies of Huddie “Leadbelly” Ledbetter, the towering figure of American folk and blues music. Recorded in Hollywood in 1944, this LP was released posthumously and showcases Leadbelly’s 12-string guitar, unmistakable voice, and even two rare ragtime-influenced piano recordings.

With songs drawn from a life of hardship, incarceration, wandering, and raw artistic expression, this album offers both musical brilliance and cultural history.

Tracklist:

Side One:

• Goodnight, Irene
• Grasshoppers in My Pillow
• The Eagle Rocks
• Rock Island Line
• Ella Speed
• Backwater Blues

Side Two:

• Take This Hammer
• Tell Me, Baby
• Eagle Rock Rag
• Western Plain
• Sweet Mary Blues
• On a Christmas Day

Historical and Cultural Notes:

• Leadbelly's life story reads like a blues epic—murder charges, prison pardons (including one where he famously sang a petition to the governor), and field recordings with folklorist John Lomax.

• He was among the first African-American artists to gain prominence in white academic circles (including Harvard), blending work songs, spirituals, folk, and blues into a singular style.

• This LP includes his best-known songs (Goodnight, Irene, Take This Hammer, Rock Island Line) and rare piano performances, making it especially collectible.

Collector's Notes:

• Issued on Capitol Records with mono mastering; meant to be playable on both mono and stereo systems

• Highly desirable for collectors of early blues, Library of Congress recordings, and African-American folk heritage

• The liner notes (included on the back) contain a detailed biography, enhancing historical and emotional depth for collectors