Odetta - The Tradition Masters (2CD)

While Odetta is usually lumped in with other revival artists, she actually began performing in the late '40s and had recorded her first album by 1956, a couple of years before the folk boom started.

Her stripped-down style and powerful vocals also differed markedly from many revival practitioners, reminding one more of Leadbelly than Joan Baez. This connection is strengthened by the inclusion of pieces like "Midnight Special" and "Take This Hammer" in her repertoire.

"The Tradition Masters" reissues "Sings Ballads and Blues" (1956) and "At the Gate of Horn" (1957) in a two-disc set, providing an excellent overview of Odetta's early work. Both sets are fairly straightforward, with her vocals supported by her persistent guitar strum on "Sings Ballads and Blues" and the addition of Bill Lee's bass on "At the Gate of Horn". The most important element, though, is always Odetta's resonant vocals. Whether singing blues, spirituals, or straight folk, she delivers the lyrics with religious fever, as though she inhabited the words. Her approach also invigorates familiar fare like "Greensleeves" and "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," reminding the listener how good these songs are. It's also illustrative to compare her deep-interpretive approach to a lullaby like "Pretty Horses" with later, "sweetened" versions of the song by groups like Peter, Paul & Mary. "The Tradition Masters" is a good place to immerse oneself in Odetta's authoritative versions of classic folk material.


Tracklist:

1-1 Santy Anno 1:54
1-2 If I Had A Ribbon Bow 2:40
1-3 Muleskinner Blues 2:49
1-4 Another Man Done Gone 2:10
1-5 Shame And Scandal 2:21
1-6 Jack O' Diamonds 3:13
1-7 'Buked And Scorned 2:38
1-8 Easy Rider 5:05
1-9 Joshua 1:52
1-10 Hound Dog 3:48
1-11 Glory Glory 2:10
1-12 Alabama Bound 1:40
1-13 Been In The Pen 2:30
1-14 Deep Blue Sea 3:00
1-15 God's Gonna Cut You Down 1:49
1-16 Spiritual Trilogy Medley: Oh Freedom/Come And Go With Me/I'm On My Way 6:04
2-1 Gallows Tree 2:51
2-2 Lowlands 2:35
2-3 The Fox 1:47
2-4 Maybe She Go 1:45
2-5 Midnight Special 2:34
2-6 Deep River 2:59
2-7 Chilly Winds 2:42
2-8 Greensleeves 2:48
2-9 Devilish Mary 1:51
2-10 Take This Hammer 3:26
2-11 He's Got The Whole World In His Hands 1:52
2-12 Sail Away Ladies 2:20
2-13 Lass Of The Low Country 4:32
2-14 Timber 3:09
2-15 Pretty Horses 3:00

Odetta - The Tradition Masters (2 CDs)
(256 kbps, cover art included)