Mississippi Fred McDowell I Do Not Play No Rock 'N' Roll

When Mississippi Fred McDowell announced on one of his last albums, "I don't play rock'n'roll," it was less the boast of an aging musician swept away by the big beat than a simple statement of the facts. As a defining figure and symbol of the Deltablue, he was magnificent, Charley Patton and Son House followed in equal parts his model of the roughened vocals and cutting style of the Bottleneck guitar. McDowell knew very well that he was the original and while others watered down their style and tried to adapt to changing audiences and times, Mississippi Fred remained true to himself and did not change his style one iota. Although he despised electrified rock with a passion like only a few other country bluesers, he had no scruples about passing on his musical secrets to his young white, young followers - including the young Bonnie Raitt - and thus supporting them in developing their own slide guitar style. Although jumbled together with other blues 'rediscoveries' of the 60s, it is amazing that Mississippi Fred McDowell, this source of delta blues, was not recorded in the 20s or 30s until 1959, when it remained undiscovered and only became a professional musician in the mid-60s.

Features:

• 180g
• Audiophile Vinyl

Musicians:

• Fred McDowell (voc, g)
• Jerry Puckett (b)
• Darin Lancaster (dr)

Selections:

Side A
1. Baby Please Don't Go
2. Good Morning Little School Girl
3. Kokomo Me Baby
4. That's All Right Baby
5. Red Cross Store
Side B
1. Everybody's Down On Me
2. 61 Highway
3. Glory Hallelujah
4. Jesus is on the mainline