Mississippi Masters: Early American Blues Classics 1927-1935

by MISSISSIPPI MASTERS

Overview

This is a well-organized, smartly chosen 20-track compilation of some of the lesser-known early Mississippi blues artists. Garfield Akers is about the most famous, which tells you right there how obscure most of these names -- King Solomon Hill, Otto Virgial, Mattie Delaney, Joe Calicott, Blind Joe Reynolds, John D. Fox and others -- are to the general listening public. It's quality material, however, and not in a drastically different league than the most renowned classics by singers like Tommy Johnson and Son House. The guitar playing and singing are emotional and inventive throughout, but standouts include Mattie Delaney, Elvie Thomas and Geeshie Wiley, some of the relatively few guitar-playing Delta blueswomen who recorded; Wiley's minor-key, doomy "Last Kind Words" is particularly affecting. ~ Richie Unterberger

Product Details

Release Date:	10/19/1994
Label:	Yazoo
UPC:	0016351200723
Rank:	52607

Tracks

1. Dough Roller Blues  - Garfield Akers
2. Kansas City Blues  - William Harris
3. Little Girl in Rome  - Otto Virgial
4. Tallahatchie River Blues  - Mattie Delaney
5. Last Kind Words  - Geeshie Wiley
6. Fare Thee Well Blues  - Joe Calicott
7. Bullfrog Blues  - William Harris
8. The Moanin' Blues  - John D. Fox
9. Pick Poor Robin Clean  - Elvie Thomas  - Geeshie Wiley
10. Outside Woman Blues  - Arthur Reynolds  - Blind Willie Reynolds  - Joe Reynolds
11. Gond Dead Train  - King Solomon Hill
12. Cottonfield Blues, Pt. 1  - Garfield Akers
13. Cottonfield Blues, Pt. 2  - Garfield Akers
14. Hot Time Blues  - William Harris
15. Skinny Legs Blues  - Geeshie Wiley
16. Third Street Woman Blues  - Blind Willie Reynolds
17. Worried Man Blues  - John D. Fox
18. Down the Big Road Blues  - Mattie Delaney
19. Whoopee Blues  - King Solomon Hill
20. Motherless Child Blues  - Elvie Thomas

Album Credits

Performance Credits

King Solomon Hill   Primary Artist
John D. Fox   Primary Artist
Geeshie Wiley   Primary Artist
Elvie Thomas   Primary Artist
William Harris   Primary Artist
Otto Virgial   Primary Artist
Garfield Akers   Primary Artist
Mattie Delaney   Primary Artist
Joe Calicott   Primary Artist
Blind Joe Reynolds   Primary Artist
Blind Willie Reynolds   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Mattie Delaney   Composer,Performer
Blind Willie Reynolds   Performer
King Solomon Hill   Performer
Arthur Reynolds   Composer
Otto Virgial   Performer
Richard Nevins   Producer,Remastering
William Harris   Composer,Performer
Joan Pelosi   Art Direction
John D. Fox   Performer
Joe Reynolds   Composer
Robert Vosgien   Remixing
Joe Tarantino   Audio Restoration
Garfield Akers   Performer,Composer
Geeshie Wiley   Performer
Don Kent   Liner Notes,Producer
Elvie Thomas   Performer,Composer
Joe Calicott   Performer,Composer
Scott Levitin   Audio Restoration