Name: Mississippi Hill Country Blues
Brand: VINYL
SKU: 106262748
Availability: OutOfStock

Performer Notes

Personnel: R.L. Burnside (vocals, guitar); Red Ramsey (harmonica).
Recorded between 1967 & 1982. Originally released on Swingmaster (2201). Includes liner notes by Kent Laundre & Leo Bruin.
There isn't a blues artist alive today that can harness mercurial gutbucket chaos like R.L. Burnside. His take on the droning, circular guitar riffs indigenous to the blues of the north Mississippi hill country, coupled with his electric band's skull-crushing power, is enough to send listeners into hypnotic convulsions of rapture. However, MISSISSIPPI HILL COUNTRY BLUES, culled from sessions in the late 1960s and early 1980s, features Burnside solo on acoustic guitar. The results, stark and clear in the absence of his customary distortion and sonic upheaval, are spectacular.
Though the performances here are as intense as his electric sets, this album's spare aesthetic makes it possible to concentrate closely on Burnside's intricate guitar technique, which sets repeating motifs and rhythms against each other to create a seemingly ragged yet tightly controlled propulsive energy. The 19-song track list includes several Burnside favorites, including "Poor Black Mattie," and a fierce slide treatment of "Shake 'Em on Down." The lesser-known "Skinny Woman" and "Jumper on the Line" are no less compelling. Superior production, highlighting Burnside's playing and his no-nonsense, freely phrased singing, makes MISSISSIPPI HILL COUNTRY BLUES a must for fans, and an excellent introduction for the uninitiated.

Professional Reviews

CMJ (8/01, p.77) - "...Blues chestnuts, raw and unsalted."

JazzTimes (9/01, p.89) - "...Features Burnside singing in that riveting, blues-drenched style accompanying himself on acoustic guitar..."

Living Blues (9-10/01, p.83) - "...Hard to beat..."