Blind Lemon Jefferson – King Of The Country Blues – Yazoo 1069 

Every single time that I pick this compilation out of my collection for a listen, I am amazed.  With each successive listen, I find new blues shades in Jefferson’s vocals and awe-inspiring guitar proficiencies.  First released in 1984, this Yazoo label set brings forth 23 tracks from the highly-itinerant pre-war acoustic bluesman.  Many felt Jefferson as “The Father Of Texas Blues”, and surely, he was one of the most popular of the 1920s blues artists.   

This first in-depth documentary of Jefferson and his music, again, is comprised of 23 cuts, profiling his propulsive force in blues music lore.  Emotive singing and symmetrical guitar phrasing abound.  Sonically, Jefferson was no on-trick pony; he employed various tunings within his blues compositions, including the keys (and shades within) of C, E, G, A, and open A.  Jefferson is widely considered the first commercially successful recording artist, due mainly to his vast wanderings and subsequent performances.  His ability to record and travel freely opened the door to recording contracts for a great many other country blues artists.  His repertoire included straight blues, spirituals, labor songs, and folk tunes.  Below is a list of the Jefferson blues titles on this matchless collection:

Song Titles

• That Crawlin’ Baby Blues
• Bad Luck Blues
• Matchbox Blues
• Hot Dogs
• One Dime Blues
• Shuckin’ Sugar
• Rabbit Foot Blues
• Corrina Blues
• See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
• Easy Rider Blues
• Broke And Hungry
• Black Horse Blues
• Lonesome House Blues
• Oil Well Blues
• He Arose From The Dead
• Beggin’ Back
• Prison Cell Blues
• Rambler Blues
• Gone Dead On You Blues
• Wartime Blues
• Booger Rooger Blues
• Right Of Way Blues
• Big Night Blues

As seen, recordings done for both the Paramount and Okeh labels are included on this broad collection, including such signature blues as “Matchbox Blues” and “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean”, along with the spiritual “He Arose From The Dead.  The two songs not appearing here that are considered Jefferson staples are “Black Snake Moan” and “Mosquito Blues’, but that is not worth nitpicking about.  This is indispensable work from a pre-war blues leviathan that very well represents the varied commentaries of this fleet-fingered blues guitar genius.

Without question, essential!