Rory Block & Stefan Grossman - Country Blues Guitar: Rare Archival Recording 1963-1971 (1977/2009)

In this 71 minute CD, rare recordings of a young Rory Block and Stefan Grossman are featured. As well, the original landmark 1964 Elektra release of their How To Play Blues Guitar (plus out-takes) is presented. This is an enhanced CD and features a PDF file of tab/music for all the tunes from How To Play Blues Guitar. After these tracks were recorded Rory went on to record solo albums and be the Winner of five WC Handy Blues Music Awards. Stefan went on to record solo albums as well as the highly acclaimed duet albums with John Renbourn. He has also authored countless guitar books on the Country Blues.

This single-disc, 31-cut collection features early recordings by Rory Block and Stefan Grossman who, in 1963, were already pretty much blues guitar masters and interpreted the country blues and many of its prewar styles with acumen. Some of it is a bit staid in retrospect, but then these were young people playing very serious music. It was so serious, in fact, that they even got Son House to sing on a couple of cuts.