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Words can't express what Johnny Hammond's translation of these classic blues tunes does to me. His sound presence has accompanied me through my teen years, college, post college and now professional life years. I saw him in person recently in a small venue in Ct. I was blown away and then I was able to get an autograph and a handshake, went home and called my sister and told her all about it. Seeing him and hearing him in that small theater was so very special to me. I was awe-struck. He has devoted his entire life to researching old blues greats, made it his calling to preserve this art form by getting it right, replicating not only the sound but the heart that went into making these songs which have stood the test of time. He has kept the soul of the music intact by being able to not only recreate the sound but also the pain of living in a time marred by slavery and the despair and destruction of that experience. All of my Hammond records (yes, vinyl) are old and cumbersome, but I keep them for the cover photos and nostalgia. I am replacing them with cd's now (Amazon review)