Vanguard Records has been well known as one of the premier folk labels since the 1950s, but its history is also steeped in the blues. From its recordings at the famous Newport Folk Festivals of the 1960s to the label's own signing of some of the top blues artists of the 1960s and '70s comes this 3-CD set entitled Roots of Blues. Each disc contains 15 songs performed by some of the top artists from each period in the development of this vital American art form. Disc one captures the merging of the folk tradition onto the blues and features Odetta, Dave Van Ronk, John Hammond and many other great folk and blues acoustic artists. The second disc is devoted to delta and country blues and includes Mississippi John Hurt, Bukka White, Skip James, Muddy Waters and many other great country bluesmen. The last disc is devoted to urban blues with tracks from Junior Wells, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy and a who's who of electric blues greats. This is a blues package that is perfect for older fans or those just learning about this incredible genre of music.

Disc One - Folk Blues:

1. You're Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond (Odetta)
   
2. San Francisco Bay Blues (Jesse Fuller)
   
3. See See Rider (Chambers Brothers)
   
4. Statesborough Blues (John Hammond)
   
5. Freight Train (Elizabeth Cotten)
   
6. Cocaine (Dave Van Ronk)
   
7. Traveling Blues (Spider John Koerner)
   
8. Blue Yodel #4 (Bill Monroe)
   
9. Richland Woman (Jim Kweskin Jug Band with Maria Muldaur)
   
10. Chevrolet (Jim Kweskin Jug Band with Geoff Muldaur)
    
11. Milk Cow Blues (Sam and Kirk McGee)
    
12. I Don't Need No Whiskey (Tony Glover)
    
13. What You Gonna Do When Your Meat Gives Out (Josh White)
    
14. Grizzly Bear (Eric Von Schmidt)
    
15. Keep On Truckin' Mama (Mance Lipscomb)
    

Disc Two - Delta & Country Blues:

1. Candy Man (Mississippi John Hurt)
   
2. You Got To Move (Rev. Gary Davis)
   
3. I'm So Glad (Skip James)
   
4. Empire State Express (Son House)
   
5. Aberdeen Mississippi Blues (Bukka White)
   
6. If The River Was Whiskey (Mississippi Fred McDowell)
   
7. I Can't Be Satisfied (Muddy Waters)
   
8. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out (Odetta)
   
9. Key To The Highway (Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee)
   
10. Clean Up At Home (Sleepy John Estes)
    
11. Freddie (Mance Lipscomb)
    
12. How Long (Memphis Slim)
    
13. Midnight Boogie (Robert Pete Williams)
    
14. Five Long Years (Eddie Boyd and Willie Dixon)
    
15. Devil Got My Woman (Skip James)
    

Disc Three - Urban Blues:

1. Messin' With The Kid (Junior Wells)
   
2. I Can't Quit You Baby (Otis Rush)
   
3. Going Ahead (J.B. Hutto and the Hawks)
   
4. Marie (Otis Spann)
   
5. Rocket 88 (James Cotton)
   
6. Dust My Broom (Homesick James and His Dusters)
   
7. One More Time (Johnny Young's South Side Blues Band)
   
8. One Room Country Shack (Buddy Guy)
   
9. Blow Wind Blow (Muddy Waters w/Otis Spann)
   
10. Baby Please Don't Go (Lightnin' Hopkins)
    
11. Blues With A Feeling (Paul Butterfield Blues Band)
    
12. Juke (Charlie Musselwhite)
    
13. Ball and Chain (Big Mama Thornton)
    
14. Boom Boom (John Lee Hooker)