Country Blues

Country blues on vinyl: the blues of the countryside

In short: Country blues is the acoustic blues of the rural American South, recorded above all in the twenties and thirties: often a singer with guitar, banjo or harmonica, frequently solo or in small ensembles. Electric blues and a great deal of folk and rock later grew out of it. The Vinyl Room currently has 13 country blues records.

What is country blues?

One voice, one instrument, one story: Papa Charlie Jackson accompanied himself on banjo from 1924 – here with recordings from 1924 to 1929. Leadbelly is represented with “Leadbelly's Last Sessions Vol. 1”, recorded in 1948, harmonica player Sonny Terry with “Sonny's Story”.

Plus John Lee Hooker, Yank Rachell and singer Karen Dalton with “In My Own Time”. How alive these roots remain is shown by Bob Dylan’s “Rough And Rowdy Ways”.

What to look for

Many early recordings are decades older than the LP they appeared on; label, catalogue number and year of release help you tell which edition you have – it’s noted with each copy.

From our stock

First pressings

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FAQ

What is country blues? Acoustic blues from the rural American South, often a singer with guitar, banjo or harmonica, solo or in a small group.

What does “country” mean in country blues? The countryside as opposed to the city.

Who shaped country blues? Here, among others, Papa Charlie Jackson, Leadbelly and Sonny Terry.

Are these original recordings from the twenties? Partly – many recordings are older than the LP they appeared on here.