Search - Mississippi Fred Mcdowell :: Levee Camp Blues

Some of the best and most unique blues you will ever hear

Nobody important | 10/31/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fred McDowell was an eccentric among blues musicians. At the surface, his sound was similar to most of the Mississippi-based acoustic players, but his melodies and solos were far more elaborate than even Robert Johnson's. In some ways, then, his work is reminiscent of Lonnie Johnson, who was among the first blues guitarists to fit in equally well with jazz players. McDowell's work, though, had much less of the polished, urbanized sound. It was Mississippi, through and through. Slide-wiz Kelly Joe Phelps cites McDowell, along with Robert Pete Williams, as a primary influence, and on this album, you can see why. What makes this album particularly special, though, is that it is one of the cleanest recordings by McDowell. McDowell, like Robert Pete Williams, had a tendancy to sound sloppy every once in a while. It is a small price to pay for the unique beauty of his music, but on this album, it isn't an issue. Hardly a note is out of place here, and unlike several of McDowell's early recordings, there are no side-musicians playing combs or doing anything to distract from the man himself. If you want to hear one of the greatest visionaries of the Mississippi bluesmen playing the songs that inspired him, this is the place to turn.Further listening: If you like McDowell and are ready for an even grittier sound, check out Robert Pete Williams' "Free Again." Williams played even more intricate and unusual melodies than McDowell, and sounds like nobody else I have ever heard. Be warned, though, his sound was much more rough than McDowell's, and a bit of an acquired taste. I will assume that if you know about McDowell, you know about Skip James and Mississippi John Hurt, so I need not give recommendations about them. If you are looking for modern musicians influenced by McDowell, your first stop should be Kelly Joe Phelps' "Roll Away the Stone" or "Shine-Eyed Mister Zen." Not only is he a disgustingly good slide guitarist, he plays some of the most complex and soulful blues ever recorded. For an even more modern take, try the North Mississippi Allstars' "Shake Hands with Shorty." The songs on this album are covers of McDowell and RL Burnside songs, all done in a very creative, updated fashion, almost closer to a jam band than a blues band. Also, try the Tarbox Ramblers, who fuse Mississippi blues, hillbilly music and rock into an inspiring new style."