The
National Downhome Blues Festival
was a one- time event held in 1984 in Atlanta, GA. Stretching over five days, the festival featured traditional
blues
artists in a small venue setting, and the shows were recorded, eventually released on four LPs in 1984.
Southland
has combined the first two of those LPs on a single disc (the second two have also been made into a single disc), and the result is an impressive primer on modern vernacular
. The opening act, Mississippi's
Lonnie Pitchford
, steals the show right out of the gate with a wonderful set of six songs, four of which feature
Pitchford
on a one-string electric guitar (essentially a diddley bow). Blessed with a plaintive, convincing voice,
gives a glimpse of what traditional
sounds like stripped of commercial aspirations.
Precious Bryant
, who follows
, sounds almost tame by comparison, but she delivers a crowd-pleasing set highlighted by her version of
"Black Rat Swing."
Jessie Mae Hemphill
's rendition of
"Train, Train"
is another obvious highlight, as is
Junior Kimbrough
's signature
"All Night Long"
and
Frank Edwards
' surreal
"Chicken Raid."
This is
that is still in service of its local communities, and the offhand, loose charm of these artists sets them aside from the bluster that usually passes for
contemporary blues
these days. ~ Steve Leggett