Reviewed by Tony Cummings

It was the reading of the wonderful book Getting The Blues: What Blues Music Teaches Us About Suffering & Salvation by Stephen J Nichols which inspired me to go shopping and invest in some Fred McDowell albums. When I first became interested in blues music in the early '60s Fred was considered one of THE blues men, an amazing exponent of searing, raw, gutsy, earthy music and a revelation to a whole generation of young, white Brits. Fred, though born in 1904 and spending a lifetime playing his bottleneck guitar in house parties, juke joints and (get this) church meetings, didn't begin recording until 1959 after he was discovered by the legendary Alan Lomax. The folk archivist wrote about Fred, "In him the great tradition of the blues runs pure and deep" which you can't argue with, though he could have added "gospel" to "blues". For Fred was a passionate Christian and always included gospel songs in his sets. In fact it's "When I Lay My Burden Down" and "Glory Hallelujah" here which are among the most powerful songs in the blistering performance recorded at a concert in London's Mayfair Hotel. As it turned out, that gig in 1969 was one of the last by an authentic practitioner of Delta blues and gospel. If you're interested in the roots of American music this album - at a bargain budget price - is an essential purchase.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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