One of the fiercest of the Mississippi blues singers, Big Joe Williams recorded this emotionally charged album for Arhoolie records in 1960. Williams accompanies his vocal lines on a 9-string guitar, using it to add percussive elements and a slapping bass effect. Singing autobiographical, traditional, and improvised blues tunes, Williams gives a forceful delivery steeped in the sound of the hot, humid delta country and of his life’s hardships. Many of the songs are infused with the emotional stress of a recent arrest, which he describes in “Greystone Blues.” Liner notes give a bio of the artist and detail the recording session.

Track Listing