THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Harmonica player Sonny Terry and blues guitar picker Brownie McGhee are legendary figures in the realm of American blues music, renowned for their captivating performances and an occasionally rocky partnership that endured for 35 years. They formed their partnership in New York circa 1941, a particularly bountiful time for folk and blues artists in New York City. Their loose-knit folk-blues crowd at the time included Pete Seeger, Lead Belly, Josh White, Paul Robeson, Cisco Houston and Woody Guthrie, to name a few.
Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, the duo rose to prominence, earning widespread acclaim for their raw, authentic approach to blues music. They recorded numerous albums together, showcasing their exceptional talent and capturing the essence of the genre with songs like Key To The Highway, Walk On and Cornbread, Peas, and Black Molasses. Terry was part of the original cast of the 1947 Broadway musical Finian’s Rainbow, for which he wrote Hootin’ the Blues, a version of which is featured on this disc. On the movie screen, Terry and McGhee appeared together in the Steve Martin comedy The Jerk. Terry was also featured in Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple, while McGhee appeared in Alan Parker’s Angel Heart.
In 1973, by the time of this Live From The Ash Grove acoustic duo performance, Terry and McGhee were elder statesmen of Piedmont blues and a familiar fixture at the club, where they were among the first to appear when it opened in 1958. This 34-minute set has never been previously released commercially in any format. As a bonus, a pair of tracks (Baby, I Got My Mind Off You and C’mon If You’re Comin’) from a 1965 appearance at the club are also included. New liner notes are provided by Thane Tierney.”
