Before the rise of Muddy Waters in the 1940s, no artist was more important to the Chicago blues than Big Bill Broonzy. His roots were the country blues of the Mississippi Delta, but when he moved to the Windy City, the singer/guitarist developed a tougher, more muscular, and robust approach that had a major impact on Waters and many other Chicago residents. Spanning 1935-1941, Chicago Calling boasts 25 of the classic sides Broonzy recorded in Chicago during the Depression and World War II. If you want to hear where a lot of Waters' inspiration came from, take a close listen to Broonzy's spirited performances on such acoustic gems as "Night Time Is the Right Time," "Detroit Special," "Trucking Little Woman," and "Just a Dream (On My Mind)." Overall, the sound quality is good for 78-era recordings -- some of the material is a bit scratchy, but nonetheless, digital remastering works wonders on these sides and filters out a lot of noise, pops, tics, etc. Released in France on Culture Press' Blue Boar label, this collection made it to North American stores as an import. ~ Alex Henderson