Search - Alan Lomax :: Deep River of Song: Mississippi - Blues Lineage

Deep country blues

Jerome Clark | Canby, Minnesota | 01/14/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the real stuff, and yet more reason to thank whatever higher powers there be that John and Alan Lomax were out there with their bulky recording machines documenting the rich strains of Southern folk music while it could still be found. Here it's the Mississippi blues in its purest form. Not the least of the wonders here is Alan Lomax's discovery of giants McKinley Morganfield (aka Muddy Waters) and Son House, who both turn in stunning performances. There's also David "Honeyboy" Edwards, who has outlived them all, with an eerie and powerful "Wind Howlin' Blues." Lomax also found William Brown and recorded him twice before Brown vanished into obscurity. His "Ragged and Dirty" (covered by Dylan on his World Gone Wrong) makes you grateful that it got preserved but sad that we know so little about Brown's other songs and performances, destined to be lost forever. Every cut is a miracle of cultural preservation but, just as important and maybe more so, of magnificent, enduring American music."

Historical blues moments.The beginning!!!!

Ricardo Neves Gonzalez | Petrópolis-R.J. Brazil-bluesfan@ig.com.br | 05/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you don't know the signification of the word "roots"in the music,specially the blues music,this is exactly what it means.And to understand what "roots"means,you must hear this fantastic work of that genius,the Lomax brothers,John and Alan. This is a part a small part,of the history of blues music and the rooted recordings of some men that participated and contributed like no others to promotes and turns the blues musics in a great sucessfull all over the world,until our days!!! The discovery and participation of Mc Kinley Morganfield(Muddy Waters) Son House and others,many of them unrecognized bluesmen,but nonetheless important,is really a historical moment to the blues music.This is not only an American heritage alone.This is a heritage to the mankind.HISTORICAL!!!!!!"