Searching the Desert for the Blues

Blind Willie McTell possessed one of the most versatile techniques in pre-war blues, effortlessly switching between ragtime, slide, and standard picking. On his 1932 Victor recording of "Searching the Desert for the Blues," McTell utilized his booming twelve-string acoustic guitar to create a rich, cascading wall of sound. He sang a wandering narrative of a restless traveler looking for his woman, his high, exceptionally clear tenor voice floating effortlessly over his rapid-fire fingerpicking. The track highlights McTell's sophisticated, highly articulate style, which stood in stark contrast to the rougher, heavier shouts of the Mississippi Delta players of the same era.