The Back Porch Boys

The name Guitar Slim has been used several times in the world. The most famous Guitar Slim was ; others have included , , and (who is ' son). But the Guitar Slim who is heard on this CD is , a Virginia native who was born on March 16, 1901, and died in New York (his adopted home) on May 11, 1972. When formed a duo with the obscure (not to be confused with drummer ) in the late '40s and early '50s, they were billed as (or in some cases, ). and had a lot in common -- both were singers who played acoustic guitar, and both were natives of the South who had moved to the Big Apple. ' 1947 duets for are the main focus of this CD, and one can see why they called themselves -- their rugged, unapologetically raw recordings make one think of Southern bluesmen playing their acoustic guitars on the back porch. Not all of the songs on this collection are by ; drawing on the catalog, also provides enjoyable late-'40s or early-'50s material by singer/pianist (the CD's most urban performer), an obscure country bluesman named , and the well-known (who favors an interesting / blend instead of the secular lyrics he was best known for). This CD isn't recommended to those who have only a casual interest in , but serious collectors will find it to be enjoyable and generally rewarding. ~ Alex Henderson