New West Records

This show is such a classic that it was recorded even before the signature Austin skyline was introduced as the Austin City Limits backdrop in 1981. Nobody quite knew what to call the music of Tony Joe White - blues, country, or "stompin' swamp music," which probably describes it best. Growing up in Goodwill, Louisiana probably had a lot to do with it. But it was the first time he heard a Lightnin' Hopkins song at sixteen that got him hooked and inspired the hard-biting lyrics and punchy rhythms that set him apart from the rest of the pack in popular music. Sure, he had a #1 hit with "Polk Salad Annie," and he's had over 150 of his songs covered by artists ranging from Elvis to Ray Charles, but nobody does Tony Joe better than Tony Joe himself. It's the honesty of his music and the way he plays it. Or as Tony Joe would say, "you can't listen to swamp music without moving!"