From the opening notes of "Santy Anno," it"s easy to hear how Odetta"s singing inspired Bob Dylan to trade in his electric guitar for an acoustic and start playing folk music. Her deep, rich voice, captured here in its prime, has the power and expression of Ma Rainey or (dare we say it?) Bessie Smith. This CD reissue of Sings Ballads and Blues, Odetta"s debut, makes her earliest recording available for a whole new generation. Odetta"s expressive range was impressive even at the time of this recording, made when she was 25. She could be slow and sad ("If I Had a Ribbon Bow," "Buked and Scorned") or uptempo and dramatic ("Santy Anno," "Been in the Pen"). "God"s Gonna Cut You Down" is especially indicative of her dynamic control, as she goes from just above a whisper to an almost-shout with ease. Though Odetta is primarily thought of as a folk singer, there"s no question that she was influenced by early women blues singers as well as acoustic blues players such as Leadbelly. And her influence, both in folk and blues, is considerable. As a most obvious example, one can hear echoes of her "Easy Rider" in the version later recorded by Janis Joplin. --Genevieve Williams