How could you not like Brownie. So original, so genuine. That is America by god.

Blues skills are off the scale, love it. What a guy. Classic

Whoever filmed these series of video in that time, got one thing absolutely on point: THEY FILMED THE MUSICIANS CORRECT HAND TO SHOW HOW THEY PLAYED SO NEXT GENERATIONS CAN LEARN FROM THESE VIDEOS. Whoever the camera guy was: THANK YOU! I TOAST YOU WITH WHISKEY!

The fretboard is scalloped first four frets so much playing. Great effortless playing and singing. It is like breathing his music.

Now that is a cameraman! Must have been a guitar player!

Old school og styles blues smooth real.

Sonny and Brownie were my favorite blues influence. As a young highschool student I fell in love with the blues. Over time I amassed an extensive collection of blues of all manner and like. But someone decided that they needed that more than I did. I still to this day have not been able to replace some of those albums. Could have wrote a song about that. But it would have been to painful. Long live the blues.

He was a beautiful spirit and God bless him

A hard, hard day at work in the heat, a cool shower, some food and then... A large cool Whiskey and soda and a listen to this guy play his blues. Fantastic stuff - thanks so much for sharing. Cheers!

I had the pleasure of recording Brownie's final record accompanied by The Elmer Lee Thomas Blues Revue that was finally released on Demon Records just before he passed. He was gentleman of the first degree and a great performer right up to the end. I know there's some footage somewhere that was produced by Leslie Ann Knight for a documentary that never came to be. Too bad.

I have been a huge Brownie McGhee (and Sonny Terry) Fan since I first heard him back around 1973. Just pouring emotion out with Beautiful Playing and Singing. I listen to him often and am filled with sadness and joy every time. He is a Treasure.

Such a nice man! Well spoken and talented.

Better than any guitar lesson!

I love the blues it's been years and love it

The best! Him & Sonny Terry are great.

Brownie McGhee is my idol. Between him, Sonny Terry, Lightnin' Hopkins, Mance Lipscomb, and Howlin' Wolf, they are amongst my absolute favorites. They don't make men like Brownie anymore. He was truly a legend of the Blues for all times. I wish I could only play a fraction of as good as him.

The older I get the more I appreciate how excellent and straightforward his play is. I agree with the comment below that it's great when artists are filmed so you can watch what they are doing to learn from. I first discovered him, not with Sonny Terry, but from the great song he did in the movie Angel Heart in a band with that great harp player who's name I forget, something blue I think.....

Last saw Brownie at an anti-war rally in Vancouver, BC, 1969. Met Sonny and Brownie in dressing room of Second Fret, Philadlephia, 1962. Very friendly, helpful, funny, kind and sharing man.

I saw Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee play live in a park for free, I think it was about 1980. If I remember correctly they had Taj Mahal and Elizabeth Cotten on the same stage that particular night. It was a wonderful show. Man, those were the days!

That is truly the most impressive road worn fretboard I have ever seen.

What a kind, sweet soul radiated through his smile. Im so glad that these videos have been posted so we can witness this strength in a time where he was most likely underated. I love the bluesy style. He was rockn b4 rockn rocked!

Man his fingers just dance up and down those frets.. So good!

Such a warm smile

Wow... love it... Thanks

I never heard of this guy before and I just stumbled on him here via YT while I was looking for some Lightin' Hopkins videos. Well, I thought Lightin' was a tight bluesman but this guy is awesome!

Watching Brownie play the guitar, all I can say is " O Play that thang ".

I heard that Brownie was a very nice man from some people I met who had played music with him. How I would give literally anything to have met him. He is one of my Blues heroes. Brownie said he wanted to be like his dad, well, I want to be like Brownie musically in so many ways.

Brownie 's got that smooth swing , to me is so expressive and unbeatable . I'm glad i can see and listen to this . A BIG THANK YOU !

Met Brownie MANY times. Got to know him a little. I would visit him at concert venues....hang in the dressing room. To this day one of my most prized possessions is the photo with me and Brownie....I miss the man....a very nice man.

Brownie was smooth! He is one of my favorite guitar players! Notice how relaxed he is!

Check out the wear on that freeboard. Brownie was the real deal Bluesman.😎🎸 🥃😎👌

I heard, saw and met Sony and Browny when they played a concert in Sydney Town Hall, in Sydney Australia. incredible sound. I remember hanging out after the show and enjoyed the impromptu jam with some other musos. Respect fine sirs.

What a great soulful player / singer - how on earth could anybody dis like this?

I sure found the right You Tube channel tonight, FolkSeattle rocks it! Finally a cameraman who can video artists so you can see the action going on at the fretboard. It is worth the wait to get to hear and see the last lead he plays. His fretboard is full of finger "potholes" from all the excessive mileage, makes Willie's guitar seem pretty pristine.

I also have much respect for how he spoke so proper, and I adore his voice n pik'n! A real man's voice, yet w gentle notes in it... and like I said b4, his smile and kind soul coming through on his face. Bet this was a wonderful person.

He’s jsut so smooth!! Damn good guitarist

God broke the mould after he made Brownie, a definite, one off, character, I wish that I'd met him somewhere along the way, what fantastic stories he would have had to tell!

Hell yeah brother

Great footage and sound of one of the all time great bluesmen

I saw brownie and sonny in Liverpool about 1960.they were touring with the Chris barber jazz band.

Absolute Legend

woo, this it! great voice, great touch!! I love it!!!

I love that light and easy touch.

Man,these cats were incredible!! Could watch for hours!!

The 'Bob Ross' of the Blues

On the one hand, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee had a 35-year long musical partnership that redefined folk music and introduced Piedmont blues music to audiences from 1938 to the late 1970s. On the other hand, both Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee did not depend on each other for motivation and inspiration or for money and fame. For their adult lives, Brownie resided in Oakland CA, while Sonny lived in New York NY. Not only did the duo refuse to speak to each other at all off-stage, they also refused to travel together - even making sure they took separate airplanes. The actual basis of the quarrel between Sonny and Brownie is unknown, but it was most likely caused by - and sustained by - the differences in their temperaments. Sonny was a country boy, whose father was a farmer and who seemed happiest with his vocal whoops and hollers. Brownie was a city smoothie, who was more comfortable with the urban street and arts life. At the end, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee would still be billed together to the ticket-buying audience. But Sonny would play harmonica with another guitarist, and then Brownie would take the stage for a solo set. Their final joint appearance was in the 1979 Steve Martin comedy film, “The Jerk.” Years after no longer appearing together, they each died: Sonny in March 1986 and Brownie in February 1996.

You must be a lucky man. This is so f..n good. This is the blues I wanna play but ain't able to play . But I will , I sure will, I never heard of Brownie MchGee until now (that is UTube of course). Thanks a lot for letting me now.

The best thing I have seen on KZfaq.

really soul but soulful way of playing!

A master at work

Look at the worn frets , washboard! Always great to listen to.

Thanks 🙏🏼 for sharing,

This is the best video on KZfaq!

such a beautiful vibes

Love the blues

There's a tendency for modern players to overthink and overcomplicate, this is brilliantly simple

it just looks so effortless

There's a documentary somewhere that shows Sonny and Brownie the narrator says that the guy playing guitar is Big Bill Broonzy but I busted it wide open because it's clearly Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry way back when they started in the 30s Brownies kindness shows through in his smile even in that old black and white documentary

wonderfull videos!!! thanks alot, folkseattle.

omg this is gold

Amazing!!!

Well used fretboard at 4:00.

What a great guitar picker ...

Just look at the divits in his feet board in his favored positions

love this guy

Anyone noticed that he had the same pickup in his guitar as lightnin Hopkins who also seemed to have been recorded by the same ones who recorded this and around the same time?

This is a great video. You can tell the camera operator was a guitar player.

このギター頭良いな。

Fantastic channel. Great work. Thank you /Swedish musician.

God bless you

Nice performance, I'll look up sonny as well

I Subscribed

McGhee ♥️ 👍👍👍👍👍

2:45 is great

rip brownie

Just watched the movie "Leadbelly - 1976" on youtube these guy did the music for the sound track, it is amazing.

Me and Jimmy Reed R going down to see if Brownie's dog wants to go for a walk...Seeya!

Yup 😎

Belle image merci

Heard about him from an episode of matlock

Oh man yeah

he dug holes in the first three frets of that guitar now THAT is a lot of playing the man is SMOKIN

Its a Martin d 18 ?

is there a background guitar or just him?

Not as easy as it looks !

1:17 starts

crazy ;efet hamd

Is he pressing the A and D strings at the 2nd fret with one finger to chord the E as he alternately lifts on and off G string first fret?

Moving to Kansas city would be a big mistakes. Very boring place

did he say he "preserved his dog on the wall" What the fuck?

What kind of idiot (eleven of them) would downvote this? Nice that the camera work follows his left hand so much, although I'd like to see some right hand video as well.

Not the player .. Listen to the FUCKING guitar!

What dude is that, calls himself bejesu or some silly ass name, married Armenian sand foot woman? Have him watch this.