Monday, February 10, 2025

The Sheiks Of Mississippi, aka The Mississippi Sheiks

 


Last month, I pulled out Dylan's "World Gone Wrong" for the first time in ages, and really enjoyed it.  That record and "Good As I Been To You," released in 1992 and 1993, were Dylan's first acoustic records since 1964's "Another Side Of," and both followed the disappointing "Under A Red Sky." I don't mind "Red Sky" so much now, and I think being 30 years older makes me appreciate the traditional folk and blues of the two acoustic albums more than I did when they were released. So much so, I was inspired to go to the source and start my Sunday morning with The Mississippi Sheiks.

The Sheiks were a guitar and fiddle group that consisted of three Chatmon Brothers, Sam, Bo and Lonnie, along with Walter Vinson. Vinson and Lonnie wrote "Sitting On Top Of The World," which has since been covered by just about every blues artist who has picked up a guitar. "Stop & Listen" is a terrific compilation that has all the right tracks, including these three tunes posted here, two of which were covered by Bob on "World Gone Wrong."

Dig it.

 

 

 

 






7 comments:

pmac said...

Our buddies in NO, The Tin Men, do a great version of Blood In My Eyes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv63ydvdmHI

eric said...

Nice for a Monday morning

steve simels said...

Coolsville. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Be careful, you could be starting down a rabbit hole. I speak from personal experience and a large collection of pre-war folk (folk encompassing everything basically rural, color be damned). There is so much spirit in this music and it's a wonderful time machine into a long lost past lived so much closer to the bone than nowadays. Dock Boggs, Mississippi John Hurt (1928 sessions), Blue Sky Boys, Jimmie Rodgers (a Dylan favorite), Carter Family (with Maybelle's unworldly guitar playing and tone), Clarence Ashley....not for everybody, but rewards those who connect.
C in California

Michael Giltz said...

Good stuff! Up next after (for some reason) Skip James.

kodak ghost said...

Excellent reminder to listen to more of this stuff. Used to be my 'go to' music' but i have drifted too far from the shore. Time to row back to land.

Jimbo said...

Rory Gallagher wrote a song about them called the Mississippi Sheiks on his Photo finish album