Over the next several weeks, I’m going to pull together a list of my 100 favorite postwar rural and down-home blues records. I’ll give a little overview of each.
Many of these will be records I’ve already hyped here on the BBF . . . and in some instances, I’ll just cut and paste from my previous comments.
Please bear in mind, that since it’s MY list, I get to use my own definitions. All of the records will be recorded after World War II . . . that’s the one absolute. But you may question whether an individual album or artist qualifies as either “rural” or “down-home.” For instance, Rev. Gary Davis may not fit your definition of a blues artist (particularly his work during the postwar era) but it’s close enough for me, so he’ll certainly make the list. Roosevelt “Booba” Barnes didn't play in a particularly rural style, but his Heartbroken Man album clearly screams “down-home” to these ears. But, of course, your mileage may vary . . .
The records will be presented in no particular order . . .
1. VARIOUS ARTISTS - LIVING COUNTRY BLUES (3CDs) (Evidence Records)
If you are a fan of rural blues, you ABSOLUTELY MUST get your hands on Living Country Blues, a three disc anthology available from Evidence Records. This thing is so great that it virtually defies description. It's actually the distillation of a 14 LP series on the German L+R label. Until that series is reissued in its entirety, we have this wonderful 60-song highlight reel.
Recorded in 1980 across the American South by two German blues lovers (Axel Kustner and Siegfried Christmann), this set features three discs divided by region: Disc 1 is Mississippi; Disc 2 is the East Coast; Disc 3 is billed as "Tennessee, Arkansas & More.”
It includes the first recordings by Lonnie Pitchford, Cephas & Wiggins and many others. It also features veterans like Sam Chatmon, Hammie Nixon, Son Thomas, Eddie Cusic and Othar Turner. Some of the BEST stuff on here, however, is by little-known artists like Boyd Rivers and Clora Fluker.
Other artists on this nearly 4-hour set are Cedell Davis, Napoleon Strickland, Archie Edwards, Arzo Youngblood, Boogie Bill Webb, Flora Molton, Guitar Frank, Memphis Piano Red, Lottie Morrell, Joe Savage, Walter Brown, James "Guitar Slim" Stephens, Charlie Sangster, Sam Shields and Stonewall Mays.
If you like country blues, you really owe it to yourself to pick up this amazing collection . . . it includes everything from hard delta blues to lilting Piedmont picking. Just beautiful!
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Click here to view the attachment
Many of these will be records I’ve already hyped here on the BBF . . . and in some instances, I’ll just cut and paste from my previous comments.
Please bear in mind, that since it’s MY list, I get to use my own definitions. All of the records will be recorded after World War II . . . that’s the one absolute. But you may question whether an individual album or artist qualifies as either “rural” or “down-home.” For instance, Rev. Gary Davis may not fit your definition of a blues artist (particularly his work during the postwar era) but it’s close enough for me, so he’ll certainly make the list. Roosevelt “Booba” Barnes didn't play in a particularly rural style, but his Heartbroken Man album clearly screams “down-home” to these ears. But, of course, your mileage may vary . . .
The records will be presented in no particular order . . .
1. VARIOUS ARTISTS - LIVING COUNTRY BLUES (3CDs) (Evidence Records)
If you are a fan of rural blues, you ABSOLUTELY MUST get your hands on Living Country Blues, a three disc anthology available from Evidence Records. This thing is so great that it virtually defies description. It's actually the distillation of a 14 LP series on the German L+R label. Until that series is reissued in its entirety, we have this wonderful 60-song highlight reel.
Recorded in 1980 across the American South by two German blues lovers (Axel Kustner and Siegfried Christmann), this set features three discs divided by region: Disc 1 is Mississippi; Disc 2 is the East Coast; Disc 3 is billed as "Tennessee, Arkansas & More.”
It includes the first recordings by Lonnie Pitchford, Cephas & Wiggins and many others. It also features veterans like Sam Chatmon, Hammie Nixon, Son Thomas, Eddie Cusic and Othar Turner. Some of the BEST stuff on here, however, is by little-known artists like Boyd Rivers and Clora Fluker.
Other artists on this nearly 4-hour set are Cedell Davis, Napoleon Strickland, Archie Edwards, Arzo Youngblood, Boogie Bill Webb, Flora Molton, Guitar Frank, Memphis Piano Red, Lottie Morrell, Joe Savage, Walter Brown, James "Guitar Slim" Stephens, Charlie Sangster, Sam Shields and Stonewall Mays.
If you like country blues, you really owe it to yourself to pick up this amazing collection . . . it includes everything from hard delta blues to lilting Piedmont picking. Just beautiful!
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Click here to view the attachment
