Byrnes’ is kindred spirit of the first generation of newly electrified bluesmen and women whose music was a mix of rural and urban elements impossible to separate, and for whom the thrill of the experience was brandnew. When Byrnes sings and plays his heart out on songs like “Me And Piney Brown,” he makes it feel like things are still that way.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s Feb. ’11 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.