Bluesville Records and Craft Recordings are making waves this fall with heavyweight vinyl reissues, led by Terry Callier’s iconic The New Folk Sound. Following our recent look at Pink Anderson’s Vol. 1: Carolina Blues Man, this edition is remastered from the 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.
Available in HD and standard digital formats, it joins other standout 2025 Craft and Bluesville releases from Scrapper Blackwell, Furry Lewis, and Lonnie Johnson—making this fall essential for collectors and fans of authentic blues and folk recordings.
Terry Callier – The New Folk Sound of Terry Callier
Way ahead of his time, Terry Callier (1945–2012) wasn’t the kind of singer-songwriter who played by the rules. Born on Chicago’s North Side and raised in Cabrini–Green, he soaked up doo-wop as a teen and ran with future legends like Curtis Mayfield, Major Lance, and Jerry Butler. At 17, he cut his first single at Chess Records, a minor footnote in a career that would eventually defy categorization. Callier blended folk, jazz, and soul into a sound that was as warm as it was idiosyncratic, earning him a devoted following before most people even knew who he was.
His debut LP, The New Folk Sound of Terry Callier, was recorded in 1964 after producer Samuel Charters brought him to Prestige Records. The album puts Callier front and center on eight traditional folk tunes such as “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 deliberate, understated delivery turns familiar songs into something entirely his own. But thanks to label delays—Charters apparently wandered off to the Mexican desert with the tapes—the record didn’t hit shelves until 1966, long after the folk craze had peaked. Initially overlooked, it’s now recognized as a standout in his catalog.
Callier kept busy in music until the early 1980s, then stepped back only to make a spectacular comeback in 1991 when a reissue of “I Don’t Want to See Myself (Without You)” unexpectedly blew up on the UK club scene. Suddenly, a new generation was paying attention.
Over the next two decades, he enjoyed a late-career renaissance with charting albums, tours across both sides of the Atlantic, and collaborations with Beth Orton, Massive Attack, and Paul Weller.
A brief aside for trivia hunters: Callier once performed in a duo with David Crosby in Chicago and New York, and a couple of his songs, “Spin, Spin, Spin” and “It’s About Time,” ended up on H. P. Lovecraft’s 1968 psychedelic rock album, H. P. Lovecraft II. Chicago’s folk scene was small, but Callier managed to leave a mark across folk, soul, jazz, and even psychedelia.
In short, The New Folk Sound isn’t just a debut album. It’s the blueprint for a career that refused to be boxed in. Craft and Bluesville’s new vinyl reissue finally gives it the treatment it deserves.
Sonically, the first thing that grabs you is Callier’s voice. He doesn’t quite have Sam Cooke’s polish, but he’s dangerously close—and there’s this unexpected flicker of Elvis and Orville Peck in his phrasing that stops you in your tracks. His guitar work hits with purpose, and the recording captures both his precision and his fire.
This was my first real dive into Callier, and I’ve had him on repeat in the car for a week straight via Qobuz. Do yourself a favor and make him a fixture on your playlist. The new vinyl reissue brings a touch more warmth than the digital stream, though it wisely keeps him from jumping out into your living room. “900 Miles” alone is worth the price of admission—it’s a runaway train that doesn’t stop for anyone.
Where to buy: $34.99 at Amazon | Craft Recordings
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
