Rappahannock Blues

by SMITHSONIAN FOLKWAYS RECORDING

Overview

Raised in a large musical farm family in Rappahannock County Virginia John Jackson (1924-2002) was the most important black Appalachian musician to come to broad public attention during the mid-1960s. Having learned guitar and his wide-ranging stock of songs as a youth from family and 78-rpm recordings he enthralled major audiences during more than three decades with his vintage style and repertoire. Culled from hundreds of live concert recordings in the Smithsonian Folkways archives the twenty tracks of Rappahannock Blues highlight John Jackson the way he most wanted to be remembered—as a bluesman. 20 tracks 57 minutes 32-page booklet with extensive notes.

This recording is the fifth in the Smithsonian Folkways African American Legacy Series co-presented with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Editorial Reviews

Appalachian guitarist, banjo player, and singer John Jackson, who died in 2002, was a bona fide American treasure whose recorded work and live performances were amazingly consistent and refreshingly real and unadorned. He was a fine guitarist in several styles -- he could fingerpick in the Piedmont style, then pick up a slide and go Delta -- and his claw-hammer banjo style bubbled with joy, while his singing was strong, warm, and always appropriate to whatever song he was doing. This set is drawn from live performances Jackson did between the mid-'70s and the late '90s, and it focuses on the blues end of his repertoire with solid and refreshing versions of blues pieces like "Rocks and Gravel" and "Frankie and Johnny," as well as a gorgeous slide guitar take on the traditional "John Henry." He also tackles a rag with "John Jackson's Breakdown," and pulls out the banjo for the string band reel "Cindy," making this a fine introduction to a remarkably gifted folk musician. ~ Steve Leggett

Product Details

UPC:	0093074018125
Manufacturer:	Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Publication date:	06/15/2010