Bluesville Records, Craft Recordings’ blues HQ, hits this fall with two heavyweight vinyl reissues: Pink Anderson’s 1961 Vol. 1: Carolina Blues Man and Terry Callier’s 1966 The New Folk Sound of Terry Callier. Remastered from original analog tapes by GRAMMY-nominated engineer Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab, pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, and packaged in tip-on jackets with new obi notes from GRAMMY-winner Scott Billington, these editions are also available in HD and standard digital formats.
They join previously reviewed Bluesville gems from Scrapper Blackwell, Furry Lewis, and Lonnie Johnson, making this fall a must for collectors and anyone serious about the roots of the blues.
Pink Anderson – Vol. 1: Carolina Blues Man
Pinkney “Pink” Anderson (1900–1974) wasn’t just another Piedmont blues guitarist—he was a one-man lesson in finger-picking finesse and sly, sometimes subversive storytelling. Born and raised in South Carolina, Anderson taught himself to play, cutting his teeth on the streets of Spartanburg and the traveling medicine-show circuit. In 1928, he laid down a handful of sides for Columbia with Blind Simmie Dooley, but it would take more than three decades before he got around to a full-length solo album.
By 1950, when folk and blues were bubbling up with a younger crowd, Anderson returned to the studio for a session with fellow South Carolinian Rev. Gary Davis—later released as part of a split LP in 1956. Eleven years on, with the blues revival in full swing, he cut Vol. 1: Carolina Blues Man for Prestige’s Bluesville label. Produced by Kenneth S. Goldstein, a folk revival kingpin, the 1961 record drops Anderson in a bare-bones setup: just him, his guitar, and the room to fill. And fill it he does—his finger-picking and strumming create a sound that feels far bigger than a solo act has any right to pull off.
He mines traditional material—“Meet Me in the Bottom,” “Baby, Please Don’t Go,” “Mama Where Did You Stay Last Night”—but every track bears his stamp, from pensive pauses to subtly melancholic phrasing. After this debut, Anderson stayed busy: two more Bluesville albums, a turn in Samuel Charters’ 1963 documentary The Blues, and national tours. His guitar work left fingerprints on future legends, including Johnny Cash, and, in a twist of rock’n’roll trivia, his nickname supposedly helped inspire the name Pink Floyd.
Terry Callier – The New Folk Sound of Terry Callier
Way ahead of the curve, Terry Callier (1945–2012) was the kind of singer-songwriter who refused to be boxed in. Chicago-born and steeped in doo-wop as a teen, he eventually found his voice in the folk scene, blending folk, jazz, and soul with a warmth and nuance that earned him a devoted following. At just 17, he cut his first single with blues royalty at Chess Records. A couple of years later, producer Samuel Charters brought him to Prestige Records and oversaw his debut LP, The New Folk Sound of Terry Callier.
Recorded in 1964, the album put Callier front and center on eight traditional folk tunes—“900 Miles,” “Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be,” and “Cotton Eyed Joe”—backed by nothing but his acoustic guitar and two acoustic bassists, Terbour Attenborough and John Tweedle. His slow, deliberate delivery turned familiar songs into something entirely his own. But thanks to label delays, the record didn’t hit shelves until 1966, after the folk craze had already peaked. Initially overlooked, it’s now regarded as a standout in his catalog.
Callier kept busy in music until stepping back in the early ’80s, only to return spectacularly in 1991 when a reissue of “I Don’t Want to See Myself (Without You)” blew up on the UK club scene. Suddenly, a new generation was paying attention. Over the next two decades, Callier enjoyed a late-career renaissance: multiple charting albums, tours across both sides of the Atlantic, and collaborations with Beth Orton, Massive Attack, and Paul Weller.
The Bottom Line
Remastered and ready to roll, Pink Anderson’s Vol. 1: Carolina Blues Man and Terry Callier’s The New Folk Sound of Terry Callier hit 180-gram vinyl on October 17th, pressed in partnership with audiophile powerhouse Acoustic Sounds. Digital fans don’t have to wait—HD and standard formats are live starting today. Pre-order the vinyl or stream/download the digital editions now and make sure your ears don’t miss out. Full reviews from me drop at the end of September—consider this your early warning that these aren’t your grandma’s folk or blues records.
Where to buy:
- Vol. 1: Carolina Blues Man: $32.99 at Amazon
- New Folk Sound of Terry Callier: $32.99 at Amazon
Related Reading:
- Review: Furry Lewis – Back On My Feet Again Gets 180g Reissue From Bluesville And Craft Recordings
- Review: Memphis Slim – At The Gate Of Horn 180G LP Reissue By Craft Recordings Revives Bluesville Classic
- Review: Lonnie Johnson’s Blues & Ballads Reissue From Bluesville & Craft — Classic Blues, Audiophile Vinyl, No Frills, All Soul
- Buddy Guy This Is Buddy Guy! & Scrapper Blackwell Mr. Scrapper’s Blues Vinyl Reviews: All-Analog Mastering, 180-Gram Pressings
