Absolutely the Best

Big Joe Williams was an eccentric, compelling guitarist who, like Charley Patton and others who came before him, understood that the acoustic guitar had tremendous percussion capabilities. With his patented homemade nine-string guitar, an old Sovereign held together with duct tape, he stomped his way through a kind of African/Delta blues like a driving one-man band. While this collection may not be his "absolute best," it is certainly characteristic and includes two versions of his signature song "Baby Please Don't Go." When he wasn't belting things out, Williams could be a careful and delicate guitar player, as shown here on "Razor Sharp Blues."