Along with Robert Johnson, Son House, Charley Patton, and others, Blind Willie Johnson was one of the founding fathers of the blues. This 16-song collection features some of his best, most classic work, a distillation of the 30 songs he recorded (all of which are available on Complete Recordings of Blind Willie Johnson). Unlike his peers, however, Johnson"s focus was on spiritual music, which he performed in church and on street corners, his chilling, gravelly voice complemented by guitar work that is nothing short of exquisite. Many of the songs taken up and popularized by Johnson"s contemporaries and successors were written by him, and they"re all here: "John the Revelator," "Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed," "If I Had My Way I"d Tear the Building Down," "Lord I Just Can"t Keep from Crying," "It"s Nobody"s Fault but Mine," and of course "Dark Was the Night--Cold Was the Ground." Dark Was the Night is a worthy introduction to this seminal artist"s work. --Genevieve Williams