I've never had the blues, says Brownie McGhee in an interview with famed oral historian, Studs Terkel, "the blues has always had me." the trio of legendary bluesmen played, talked, and traded stories with Terkel until the early hours of the morning in the studio of Chicago's WFMT radio station, creating a historic and memorable experience. Big Bill Broonzy had the idea of putting this session together in order "to reveal the uniqueness of each man's blues as a reflection of the uniqueness of each man's life," as noted in the extensive liner notes to what would be Broonzy's last recording for Folkways Records.