Mississippi Fred McDowell: Delta Blues Legend
Sep 20
2011
Mississippi Fred McDowell and his wife Anna Mae
Ok, ok, this isn’t about paddling, it isn’t about Rawmbas, and it has nothing to do with dragon boat politics.
It’s about the Delta Blues. More to the point, it’s about Mississippi Fred McDowell, my all time favourite bottleneck slide guitar master.
Although I’ve been a Blues junkie all my life, I hadn’t run across McDowell until I discovered one of his LPs on sale in a record shop in Port Alberni, back in 1982.
The album was “I don’t play no rock and roll,” and the song, “Baby Please Don’t Go.”
The first track mesmerized me as McDowell related the story of how his uncle had given him a beef rib bone to use as a slide…as he winds the monologue down, he segues into a gripping version of “Baby please don’t go” that left me wanting more… a LOT more.
That was nearly twenty years ago… and I own just about every album Fred and his wife recorded, and I still can’t get enough.
I created a small web page about Fred and his music, and included some great YouTube clips…if you’re into slide guitar, and haven’t yet heard the master, click here and treat yourself.
Let me know what you think.
More Great Blues Lenses:
Hound Dog Taylor
Muddy Waters
Howlin’ Wolf
Buddy Guy
John Lee Hooker
BB King
Elmore James
Big Mama Thornton
Koko Taylor
Bo Diddley
Willie Dixon
Big Walter Horton
Little Walter
Tags: amazing grace, bb king, big mama thornton, big walter horton, blues guitar, blues music, bo diddley, buddy guy, fred mc dowell, highway 61, hound dog taylor, howlin wolf, koko taylor, little walter, mississipi fred mcdowell, mississippi fred, mississippi fred mcdowell, muddy waters, the blues, the delta blues, willie dixon