Search - John Cephas, Phil Wiggins :: Goin Down the Road Feelin Bad

Excellent Piedmont Blues

M. J. Smith | Seattle, WA USA | 08/22/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"According to the liner, John Cephas claims Rev. Gary Davis and Sister Rosetta Tharpe as major influences - you can scarcely make a claim better than that. Phil Wiggins learned with a street singer Flora Molton who is unknown to me. The result of the pairing of Cephas and Wiggins is a sound similar to Terry and McGhee - obviously in the instrumentation but also in the aesthetic sense of their blues.This CD sounds like early work by a great duo - early work in the sense that it is well executed with feeling but lacks the depth of the blues that is in their major influence. Yet the sound is so good that I have no doubt that later albums will grow in subtlety.It is difficult to choose a favorite track - The Richmond Blues which reminds me of Willie McTell is excellent, the harmonica in West Carey Street Blues is fine, Black Rat Swing is a catchy number. This is a duo with which anyone interested in traditional blues should be familiar."