Southbound Train

Before Muddy Waters arrived, Big Bill Broonzy was the leading figure in Chicago blues. He bridged the gap between the rural country blues of his youth and the slicker, more urbane ensemble sound required for city clubs. His guitar playing was clean and propulsive. This track utilizes the train motif (a familiar country blues trope) but Broonzy packages it with a swinging, rhythmic sophistication tailored for urban jukeboxes. It's the sound of the Great Migration happening in real time on a 78 RPM record.