The Roots Of Robert Johnson: Back To The Crossroads

This collection assembles the range of sources that Robert Johnson heard and learned from including songs from his mentor Son House and from other Delta performers and from sources that show aspects of the musical world in which he lived. His tastes ranged far and wide and he had a gift for absorbing sounds of all kinds, including from tin pan alley to hillbilly songs. He was a brilliant creative musician who managed a stunningly effective fusion of his Delta roots and the smoother approach of the then prominent contemporary blues artists. As with any genius in any field he was able to produce great work only because he was standing on the shoulders of previous great artists. This collection provides an introduction to a number of them and gives a sense of how Johnson adapted and combined their styles. It presents music that can still excite and inspire us today just as it did to Robert Johnson back in the first golden age of the blues.

• 1 Side A: Peetie Wheatstraw Police Station Blues (1932)
• 2 Kokomo Arnold Old Original Kokomo Blues (1934)
• 3 Bumble Bee Slim Cruel Hearted Woman (1934)
• 4 Hambone Willie Newbern Roll and Tumble Blues (1929)
• 5 Lonnie Johnson Life Saver Blues (1927)
• 6 Mississippi Sheiks Sitting on Top of the World (1930)
• 7 Mississippi Jook Band Hittin' the Bottle Stomp (1936)
• 8 Side B: Skip James Devil Got My Woman (1931)
• 9 Son House My Black Mama, Pt. 1 (1930)
• 10 Blind Blake Georgia Bound (1929)
• 11 Leroy Carr When the Sun Goes Down (1935)
• 12 Kokomo Arnold Sissy Man Blues (1935)
• 13 Rev. E.W. Clayborn Your Enemy Cannot Harm You (1926)
• 14 Johnny Temple Lead Pencil Blues (1935