With a guitar style so innovative that it has its own name (Travis picking), a comfortable, warm voice, and considerable skills as a songwriter, Merle Travis was a triple-threat performer, merging folk and country with jazz and swing textures, all rolled into a comfortable, down-home populist tone. This set has some of his most famous songs, including his two coal mining masterpieces, "Sixteen Tons" and "Dark as a Dungeon," as well as his fine versions of "I Am a Pilgrim" and the folk chestnut "John Henry," making this a decent introduction to a fine and often unsung performer.