The Complete 1931 Session

by Skip James

The Complete 1931 Session cover art

Rescuing some of the rarest, most highly sought-after 78 rpm records ever pressed by Paramount, this compilation preserves Skip James's haunting, idiosyncratic initial recordings. The material is defined by the highly specialized 'Bentonia school' of blues, characterized by complex, minor-key open guitar tunings and an unsettlingly high, falsetto vocal delivery. Despite being a commercial failure during the Great Depression, these profoundly melancholic tracks became legendary pillars of the 1960s acoustic blues revival.

Genres

  • Delta Blues
  • Bentonia School

Tracklist

  1. Devil Got My Woman
  2. If You Haven't Any Hay Get On Down The Road
  3. Hard Luck Child
  4. Drunken Spree
  5. Little Cow And Calf Is Gonna Die Blues
  6. Be Ready When He Comes
  7. How Long "Buck"
  8. I'm So Glad
  9. Cherry Ball Blues
  10. Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues
  11. 22-20 Blues
  12. 4 O'Clock Blues
  13. Jesus Is A MIghty Good Leader
  14. Yola My Blues Away
  15. What Am I To Do Blues
  16. Special Rider Blues
  17. Illinois Blues
  18. Cypress Grove Blues