Tommy Mcclennan - Cross Cut Saw Blues, Vol. 2 1940-1942 [CD]

The diminutive Tommy McClennan delivered 40-some tracks to Bluebird Records between 1939 and 1942 before vanishing into the haze of blues history. Although small in stature, McClennan had a strong, raspy voice that brought a lively exuberance to his often generic lyrics and his habit of tossing in spoken give his songs the feel of intimate dialogues. This collection is the second, and final, installment of McClennan's Bluebird sessions and his entire recorded output, released by Document Records. There are some highlights here, including two versions of Hacksaw Harney's "Cross Cut Saw Blues," an interesting take on the "Catfish Blues" theme called "Deep Blue Sea Blues," and the final two tracks, two versions of "Bluebird Blues." McClenan and his music was a direct link between the country blues of Mississippi and the "down-home blues of Chicago.