In Atlanta of the ‘20s and ‘30s, bustling thoroughfares like Ponce de Leon Avenue and Decatur Street were home to countless small, often African-American–owned clubs and restaurants that catered to a nearly all-black clientele. Of the blues performers who made a name for themselves performing in venues like the Pig N’ Whistle and the Blue Lantern, few were more distinctive than Blind Willie McTell. On his Stella 12-string, McTell played nimble ragtime patterns that were appreciably more sophisticated than anything else being played in the region. Furthermore, he was a gifted songwriter and storyteller, and the sides he cut for labels like Victor, Vocalion, Columbia, and Okeh are among the very finest country blues ever recorded. Songs like “Statesboro Blues” and “Travelin’ Blues” boast complex extended narratives rife with humor and closely observed details, not to mention a truly impressive arsenal of guitar techniques. This album is the first in a multi-volume set collecting McTell’s complete recorded works in chronological order. It was remastered and re-released by Jack White’s Third Man imprint in 2013.