Koerner, Ray and Glover-Blues, Rags and Hollers (EAC FLAC)

Who would have thought that three young white boys from the North Country could sing and play Delta blues and not sound like either a feeble imitation or a parody? This album is a masterful achievement for guys who were so young when it was first recorded, and didn't have the benefit of any first-hand contact with bluesmen as they grew up. After all, Tony Joe White and Mose Allison, two premier white guys who "sing black", for example, were born and raised in the same milieu where the blues originated.

I don't agree with a previous reviewer who alluded to "earnest white guys trying very, very hard to sound black." Dave Ray managed to bury his Minnesota accent completely, and he didn't make it sound like a struggle. Koerner's singing doesn't come across quite as "black" - more like, say, Jerry Reed singing "When You're Hot, You're Hot". But then I don't think he tried to duplicate either the black blues singers' style, or Ray's, to the nth degree. And I loved his lyrics and ebullient delivery on "Good Time Charlie." Glover's harmonica is a key element, also.

What great young talents they were. What a superb album. The blues are not my favorite genre, but once in a while I'll definitely get into "Blues, Rags and Hollers."

Amazing how authentic they sound for when this was recorded. Right from the first song, you’d be hard-pressed to tell you weren’t listening to the real thing. Awesome!