In the 1960s when the
folk revival
began to recognize
country blues
as an important art form,
Arhoolie
was there to capture it all on tape. It perhaps seems odd in retrospect that a number of scholars and collectors feared that the older forms of the
blues
had vanished from the landscape during the 1950s.
's recordings of
Fred McDowell
,
Lightnin' Hopkins
, and other players gave ample evidence that
prewar blues
were alive and doing quite well, thank you.
Texas Country Blues
collects a number of tracks recorded by
Mance Lipscomb
in the late '60s and early '70s.
Lipscomb
may be first and foremost a
player, but unlike
Hopkins
or
McDowell
, he broadened his repertoire to include
ragtime
and
folk
.
"Rag in F"
is a fun little ditty that brings to mind the bouncy piano work of
Scott Joplin
, while
"Corrine, Corrina"
"Wonder Where My Easy Rider Gone"
conjure up the ghost of
Leadbelly
. Whatever style he's working in, however,
delivers each song with focus and feeling. There's the delightful
"Mama, Let Me Lay It on You,"
and there are sharp, electric versions of
"Blues in the Bottle"
"Angel Child."
With it's generous running time and fine selections,
will serve as a superior introduction to an eclectic
artist. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.