Interesting compilation of the works of early blues singers
This is a compilation of quite a few contemporaries of the early blues great, Charlie Patton. Artists included: Son House, Tommy Johnson, Willie Brown, Kid Bailey, Bertha Lee, Ishmon Bracey, Louise Johnson, and Bukka White. Interesting is the inclusion of two early female blues singers. Some of these cuts are pretty raw, not making it easy to make out the words in some songs.

Tommy Johnson is represented by different songs. In "Big Fat Momma Blues," he demonstrates simple acoustic guitar playing and simple vocal work. This and "Maggie Campbell Blues" are a good representation of his work.

Bukka White is one of the early great blues singers. In "I Am in the Heavenly Way," he sings a religious song, with a female (unclear who it is). The back and forth between them is a nice touch and adds considerably to the song. This is a lively piece; White's voice is quite expressive.

Willie Brown has multiple cuts on this CD. His "Future Blues" displays a raw voice and driving acoustic guitar work. The liner notes speak to his "brooding, agitated sense." That seems quite accurate to me. He has an expressive, lively voice, with a nice "blues growl."

Then there is the legendary Son House. Several of his recordings are on this CD. He shows nice guitar work and an expressive voice across songs such as "Walking Blues."

Bertha Lee, a "friend" of Charlie Patton, is represented by a couple songs. In "Yellow Bee," her singing is quite good. Patton plays guitar and provides some interactive vocalization with Lee.

Louise Johnson, in "On the Wall," plays a lively piano and sings in an animated fashion. This is an engaging piece.

The main contribution of this CD is providing a sense of the range of early blues singers. The quality of the recordings varies greatly. But hearing some of these blues songs is a real payoff.

The true roots of the blues
In the late 80`s early 90`s,I began collecting early blues discs.It seemed to me that Yazoo seemed to have the most varied collections so I started there.Charley Patton`s King of the Delta Blues was a very shocking and yet positive discovery for me,then I found this one.Imagine my suprise when I picked this baby up.I was floored....it`s a who`s who of the first wave of counry blues artists that were recorded in the late 20`s and early 30`s - Tommy Johnson,Son House,Willie Brown,Bukka White,Kid Bailey.....just incredible.
My tastes run to all sorts of music but this is what I trully love to listen to,anytime.The true gems are the Son House sides - powerful and frightning with a vocal that I really don`t think have been matched since.An excellent introduction to the blues,the songs exist in those old records and given the technology of cd`s they take some getting used to but the music eventually shines though.Overall,a great disc....friends indeed.

showcase of the blues' greatest strength
Any fan of the blues will appreciate the enormous influence Charley Patton had over the blues players of the delta, and this appreciation can only be increased by the songs presented here.
We see here the greatest strength of the blues-the tendancy to individualism, the taking of another's tune and molding it to one's own style until it became one's own. This Album showcases that beautifully as it includes many varied and superb treatments of classic Patton tunes such as pony blues or maggie. Of particular interest are the Kid Bailey cuts, a mysterious figure who according to the liner notes was identified by Son house as Willie Brown with Patton accompanying. They are my personal favorites, but overall a very good album. A must for anyone interested in the development of the blues, or who just wants something to howl along with.

One of the best blues CD's I've ever owned! Essential!
This is a wonderful blues CD. One of the best I've ever purchashed. It includes great performances by legendary blues figures such as Tommie Johnson, Willie Brown, Ishmon Bracey, Son House, Kid Bailey, Bukka White and others. This is the true Mississippi Delta Blues from the late 20's and 30's. The guitar work is mesmorizing and is a blueprint for rock and roll. There are 5 Tommie Johnson cuts, recorded for Victor, that are superb. He was as good as Robert Johnson, in my opinion. Yazoo captures these classic recordings with all that old Mississippi dirt with some scratchiness, yet the sound is vibrant and alive. Willie Brown's "Future Blues" and Tommie Johnson's "Canned Heat Blues" are worth the price of admission alone. Essential!

Furious Bottleneck Growl
The Yazoo label does it again!

This CD is essential for rare inclusion of all six demonic Son House performances originally cut on acetate in 1930. It was these recordings that inspired Alan Lomax to look up House in the early 40's for the Library of Congress Archives.

It is worth mentioning that do to Paramount's inferior treatment of the source material, there is considerable auxilliary noise on those six sides. But Son's guitar and voice still threaten to impale you like a hot skewer.

Son House would have been a preacher, but for the fact that he shot a man dead and was banished from Clarksdale for the rest of his life.

This was the belle epoque of Delta Blues, a time when the legendary rivalry between House and Charlie Patton was at a peak, and when another legend, Robert Johnson, would pick up a couple licks from Son House himself. The way of life that existed in the Delta back then is gone forever, and for all of that progress and new found civility, we shall never be fortunate enough to hear anything like this ever again.

For anyone hoping to hear a mellow country rover picking away on his front porch, Son House will send you to intensive care. This is truly "where the soul of man never dies."