Stefan Grossman was just a teenager when he began studying blues, ragtime, and gospel guitar with Rev. Gary Davis, the legendary blind preacher, in the early 1960s. Fortunately for posterity, Grossman often brought along his portable reel-to-reel recorder when visiting Davis in the Bronx, New York. The result is this well-recorded three-CD collection of 49 songs and sermons, most unreleased until now. The songs range from Davis standards like “Candy Man” to rarities like “You Cry Because I’m Leaving,” a plaintive 12-string guitar blues. On the first two discs, recorded at Davis’s home, the sessions are intimate and Davis is relaxed and informal. Singing “Hesitation Blues,” one of his most famous songs, he adds a few verses unsuitable for polite company. Grossman can be heard on many tracks playfully begging Davis to show him licks or remember old lyrics. The third disc is perhaps the biggest revelation of all, capturing Davis in his storefront Bronx church, sermonizing and singing gospel songs—a spirited preacher in the throes of religious devotion. These recordings serve as a reminder that although Davis is revered for his instrumental prowess, he considered himself first and foremost a man doing God’s work, both in church and on the stage. (Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop)