The title doesn't lie;
Sonny Terry and
Brownie McGhee may share equal billing on this reissue, but they do so separately, with separate bands from separate mid-'70s recording dates. Both of the sessions on
Going It Alone found the respective "loners" striving for more of an ensemble sound, with
Terry fronting an acoustic trio rounded out by guitarist Bob Malenky and pianist Michael Rura, and
McGhee opting for an electric combo that included guitarist
Louisiana Red and harp blower
Sugar Blue. The results are enjoyable but uneven, mainly due to the tentative chemistry between the frontmen and their individual sidemen.
McGhee's combo seems to gel better than
Terry's, which is no surprise considering
Terry's more irregular sense of timing; perhaps another factor was that most of the songs in
Terry's set were written by Malenky and producer
Kent Cooper, whereas
McGhee stuck to his own material. Despite the hit-or-miss quality of these informal sessions,
Terry and
McGhee still come off as masters of their craft. It might not be as strong as classic
Terry & McGhee material, but
Going It Alone gives a compelling glimpse of how two former partners had to cope without each other. ~ Ken Chang