Richmond Blues

by Cephas & Wiggins

Overview

Guitarist and singer John Cephas and harmonica player (and songwriter) Phil Wiggins have been playing together as an acoustic duo since they met in 1976, releasing their first recording in 1981, and throughout that long association they have been faithful to the Virginia Piedmont blues tradition, a tradition that owes more to the local Appalachian foothills than it does to the Mississippi Delta. A gentle mesh of ragtime, gospel, and string band reels, with traces of pop, country, and R&B as well, the Piedmont version of the blues is as easy to recognize as it is hard to accurately define. It is, in a nutshell, the folk music of Appalachian blacks from two generations ago, and this duo's mission has been to preserve and represent it. Richmond Blues is fairly typical of how Cephas & Wiggins have done that since they joined forces, and it is an easy flowing listen, steady as an Appalachian breeze, with no jarring moments. Among the high points are a gently pulsing take on the folk nugget "John Henry," a moving version of "Careless Love" (the perfect example of how a non-blues ballad with blues themes ends up being a blues song when all is sung and done), a solid "Going to the River" (originally recorded by Fats Domino in 1952), and Wiggins' own composition, "Dog Days of August." There's nothing new or revelatory about anything here. It's just Cephas & Wiggins doing what they've always done, sticking to their roots, and that's a good thing, and undeniably affirming and pleasant. ~ Steve Leggett

Product Details

Release Date:	07/29/2008
Label:	Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
UPC:	0093074017920
Rank:	69562

Tracks

1. Richmond Blues
2. Going to the River
3. Keep Your Hands Off My Baby
4. Black Rat Swing
5. Mamie
6. Crow Jane
7. Dog Days of August
8. John Henry
9. Pigmeat Crave
10. Prison Bound Blues
11. Key to the Highway
12. Going Down the Road Feeling Bad
13. Careless Love
14. Great Change
15. Reno Factor
16. Step It Up and Go

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Cephas & Wiggins   Primary Artist
John Cephas   Guitar (Acoustic)
Phil Wiggins   Harmonica

Technical Credits

Fulton Allen   Composer
D.A. Sonneborn   Executive Producer
John Cephas   Arranger
Jeff Place   Archivist
Phil Wiggins   Arranger,Composer
John Smith   Marketing
Toby Dodds   Management
Mary Monseur   Production Coordination
Norman van der Sluys   Audio Supervisor
Eileen Dorfman   Production Assistant
Amy Schriefer   Program Assistant
Barry Lee Pearson   Producer,Annotation,Liner Notes,Photo Courtesy,Audio Production
Sonya Cohen Cramer   Design,Layout Design
Mark Gustafson   Marketing
Stephanie Smith   Archivist
Carl Martin   Arranger
Fats Domino   Composer
Charles Segar   Composer
Pete Reiniger   Mixing,Mastering
William Lee Conley Broonzy   Composer
Ronnie Simpkins   Audio Supervisor
Dave Bartholomew   Composer
Big Bill Broonzy   Composer
Carla Borden   Editorial Assistant
Bill McElroy   Engineer,Audio Engineer