When The Levee Breaks - Mississippi Blues: Rare Cuts 1926-41 [JSP] (4CD192kb)

Rare but fine Country Blues of the Highest Caliber.

JSP continues to challenge Yazoo and Document records with their re-releases (with very good mastering to boot) of country blues and this set is no exception. For 25 bucks you get some of the finest and rarest country blues put to shellac (this set was mastered from 80-year old 78's where in some cases, only 1 or 2 copies is known to exist).

Unfortunately, some of these artists recorded for Paramount records, a company notorious for manufacturing records that would self-destruct after 20 plays.

Don't be discouraged by the sound quality; in most cases on this set, it is exemplary considering that the bulk of this material was recorded before 1930. What we have here are some of the earliest examples of country blues (i.e. Freddie Spruell), pure and unaffected because it preceded the advent of radio airplay and music company marketing hyperbole.

Those who have not reveled in the fabulous bottleneck playing and tortured singing of Sam Butler (Bo Weevil Jackson) or King Solomon Hill (Joe Holmes) are missing the origins of much popular "roots" music and the regional musical styles that existed before the depression.
Similarly, listen to the late Robert Lockwood's earliest acoustic sides before he went on to embellish Sonny Boy Williamson's (Willie Rice Miller) and Little Walter's most famous Chess material, and Otis Spann's beautiful recordings for Candid records.
This set has too many superlatives to mention in an Amazon review, but it must be said that these recordings, although performed when the term "indigenous music" could be applied without exaggeration, were to become a major influence on so much of the popular music that followed it 10 and 20 years later.

As always, JSP has delivered a lot for a little. If you have any interest in pre-war country blues, it doesn't come any better than this. (Curtiss Clarke)