Son House And The Great Delta Blues Singers

1928 – 1930

Featuring the recordings of:

Son House, vocal, guitar. Son House, vocal, guitar Willie Brown, guitar. Willie Brown, vocal, guitar. Kid Bailey, vocal, guitar; unknown, guitar. Garfield Akers, vocal, guitar; Joe Calicott, guitar. Garfield Akers, vocal, guitar. Joe Calicott, vocal, guitar. Jim Thompkins, vocal, guitar. Blind Joe Reynolds, vocal, guitar. Blind Willie Reynolds (same as Blind Joe Reynolds), vocal, guitar. Rube Lacy (Reubin Lacy), vocal, guitar; Ralph Lembo, 2nd vocal

Genres: Blues, Bottleneck-Slide Guitar, Country Blues, Country Blues Guitar, Mississippi Blues Mississippi Delta Blues. Delta Blues, National Guitar

Abridged from this album’s original booklet notes by Bob Groom. Have you ever put an album into a player and been shocked as a surge of intensity, both beautiful and at the same time disturbing hits you like nothing before? You’re mesmerised, finding it hard to believe that this is a man, relying on little more than his relentless, pounding rhythmic guitar playing and his own dark, rich, voice. These are the first few seconds of Son House‘s My Black Mama Part 1 recorded for Paramount in 1930 and just a hint to what is to come. This album is not just an album of singers. It is a snapshot of some of the finest bluesmen to have recorded. This is the blues un-distilled; raw, hard hitting, being exorcised and torn like a demon from man’s tormented soul. This is undoubtedly the best collection of vintage Mississippi blues singers guitarist available. After being in the Document catalogue for over twenty-six years it is still one of our best sellers. Blues fans certainly know a classic when they see one. Son House was rediscovered and feted in the 1960s as the greatest surviving Delta Blues singer. The recordings that Son House made for Paramount label in 1930 are rightly considered classics of their kind. These are deep voiced, solo performances, with Son House brilliantly accompanying himself on guitar, using a slide to produce that special Mississippi Delta sound. The tracks that Son House recorded were My Black Mama (1 & 2), Preachin’ The Blues (1 & 2), Dry Spell Blues (1 & 2) and most remarkably featured here is a test pressing of Walking Blues discovered in an attic in 1985! This previously unissued recording by Son House also features a second guitarist, almost certainly Willie Brown, a musical associate of House and Charley Patton, who recorded at least four solo performances at the same session. The fiery delivery of Son House‘s blues with his razor sharp bottleneck guitar playing is contrasted by the more delicate playing of Willie Brown (Immortalised as “my friend Willie Brown” by the recording of Crossroads Blues by Robert Johnson). Friends of Charley Patton both House and Brown can be heard together on Walking Blues. Garfield Akers’ recordings for the Vocalion label are pure Mississippi blues with his guitar providing an insistent, pulsating rhythm, his vocals only being a step away from a field holler style. The more obscure names provide no less in the power of their performances including Blind Joe (Willie) Reynolds‘ Outside Women Blues which was later covered by the sixties super group Cream. This is solid country blues from beginning to end.

Bob Groom Copyright 1990 document Records.

DOCD-5002