Release Date: Nov. 1992.
Recording Time: 36 minutes.
Series: Original Blues Classics
Recording Date: July 29, 1964 - September 26, 1964.
Release Info: Milestone 00025218054522, CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered.
Classic Delta Blues is a seminal 1964 studio album by Big Joe Williams, featuring his raw interpretations of blues standards by legends like Robert Johnson and Charley Patton. Originally released on Milestone Records in 1966, the album is unique because Williams performed on a standard six-string guitar rather than his signature homemade nine-string.
* * * * *
Classic Delta Blues by Big Joe Williams is a masterful collection of authentic Delta blues recordings. This remastered edition brings to life the raw energy and emotional depth of Williams' guitar and gravelly vocals. Featuring timeless tracks like "Rollin' and Tumblin'," "Hellhound on My Trail," and "Crossroads Blues," this album is a must-listen for blues enthusiasts seeking a genuine connection to the genre's roots.
Like Robert Johnson, his Mississippi Delta contemporary, singer-guitarist Joseph Lee Williams was a fierce, wonderfully idiosyncratic country blues stylist. The composer of countless tunes, including the now-standard "Baby, Please Don’t Go," Big Joe instead concentrated on personalized renditions of numbers associated with other Delta blues giants as Johnson, Charley Patton, and Skip James at this stunning 1964 session. What also makes it extraordinary is that he played a standard six-string guitar rather than the homemade nine-string model he favored during that period.
* * * * *
Classic Delta Blues collects 12 cuts Big Joe Williams cut in 1964. For these recordings, he played a standard six-string guitars instead of hauling out his custom nine-string and the effects are pleasant, but not revelatory. ~ Thom Owens
Credits: Engineer (Recorded Engineer) - Norman Dayron; Guitar (6-String), Vocals - Big Joe Williams; Producer - Pete Welding; Remastered By (Digital Remastering) - Phil De Lancie.
Tracklist:
- 01 ...... Rollin' And Tumblin' [2:36]
- 02 ...... Hellhound On My Trail [3:07]
- 03 ...... Bird's Nest Bound [3:02]
- 04 ...... Crossroads Blues [2:46]
- 05 ...... Special Rider [2:55]
- 06 ...... Pony Blues [3:13]
- 07 ...... Pea Vine Special [3:05]
- 08 ...... Walking Blues [2:54]
- 09 ...... Dirt Road Blues [2:41]
- 10 ...... Banty Rooster Blues [2:58]
- 11 ...... Terraplane Blues [3:05]
- 12 ...... Jinx Blues [2:50]
Recorded in Chicago; July 29 and September 26, 1964. Digital remastering, 1991.
Remastering: Enhances the clarity and depth of these classic Delta blues tracks.