Blues Come to Texas

Melvin “Lil’ Son” Jackson performed as a country blues musician from 1948 until the mid-1950s, when he gave up his singing career after being injured in a car accident. In 1960, Arhoolie founder Chris Strachwitz found Jackson working as a mechanic in Dallas and cajoled Jackson into recording an album of his songs. This reissue contains most of the tracks from those sessions including “Red River Blues” and “Rock Me,” two variations on his 1950s hit “Rockin’ and Rollin’.” Although a talented guitarist, Jackson’s limited repertoire and reluctance to perform in public impeded any hopes of restarting his musical career.