Customer Reviews

George Mitchell Collection

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Seven discs. Each approximately 60 min. Sound is good. People of a certain age will understand the next question. In days gone by,did you ever go into your favorite record store,wander into the blues section,and come upon an album released on a low-no budget label,buy it,and come away mesmerized? That's the feeling you get from this wonderful collection put out by Fat Possum Records. This is like striking it rich or finding the holy grail. A look at the song titles and artists will give you some idea of the treasures found inside.

For the most part,the recordings were done in the late 60's. There are exceptions,but that's irrelevant,because this music flows seamlessly from one artist to the next. Recorded on a reel to reel recorder and one microphone,this is magic. Magic because Mitchell had the time and inclination to search out these people,get to know them and then record their music. Sometimes you get the feeling these forgotten men and women are singing to show just what they are capable of. Other times its to tell a story from long ago. But this is honest music presented without frills,just what you would hope and expect. To single out anyone in this collection would be a disservice to the others. When you consider the price,this is an even better deal.

The accompanying booklet is very informative. There is a section devoted to Mitchell and how he came to record these treasures. However,the real treasures are the short biographies and Mitchell's recollections about these men and women. Be aware that disc seven,a bonus disc,has no notes in the booklet. The only thing that would have been a bit better is the box itself could have been a bit more substantial-a minor quibble. All the people here accompany themselves on guitar and sometimes other instruments,but the focus is squarely on the unpretentious vocals.

For anyone who enjoys country blues and thought those days are past-check this out-you won't be sorry. After hearing this package,and the individual albums by different people recorded by Mitchell,I would like to think,and hope,he would release anything else of this caliber he has hidden away. For this is music that's deserving of a wider audience-hopefully I have started that and you,too,will feel the same.

These are great field recordings of blues (some gospel) - mostly acoustic
and solo, some electric, some with percussion - primarily from the 1960s.
Some of these artists are known to blues fans, many are not - and many of the artists are not from Mississippi. George Mitchell is a blues lover from Atlanta who started his quest to hear the blues when he was still in high school and began recording people when he was a college student. If you've ever heard the Arhoolie blues stuff from the sixties, you'll have an idea of what some of this sounds like. I am so glad I bought this set of CDs.

Thank God for George Mitchell and Fat Possum Records and the people who made this music.

I can't write much more than the other reviewers already have but can only echo their comments. This is great music spread over 7 CD's and is truly a bargain for the amount of music you get. I've never heard of most of these artists and you probably haven't either but this is a fantastic collection of primarily country blues featuring guitar and harmonica made by people who played this stuff on their front porch or at a local BBQ because the music moved them. The sound quality is very good considering the nature of the recordings. Buy this if you appreciate country blues and you will not regret it. Very highly recommended.

The other reviewers here have already heaped tons of praise on this set so that leaves me with little else to say. I bought it of course, and I was not disappointed, to understate things.

While some guys in the 1960's were out there searching for and collecting country blues 78's from the 20's and 30's, George Mitchell (the researcher and compiler of this collection), was out there in the 1960's recording blues musicians who DID record (or could have recorded) those 78's in the 20's and 30's. Want to know what Charlie Patton or Tommy Johnson might have sounded like in 1929 if you were at a fish fry or in a juke? This set answers that one in a heartbeat, and with no surface noise from poorly handled 78's.

The survivors ... Buddy Moss, Joe Callicott, Will Shade, Big Joe Williams, Dewey Corley, John Estes, Furry Lewis! I likely missed a few. What? You heard some idiot say these artists were past their prime when Mitchell made these recordings? Obviously the critic didn't listen to them before sounding off.

Here is the under-recorded Robert Nighthawk banging the living hell out of his cheap electric. Chess and United were fortunate to get a few sides down in the early 50's but I guess the guy didn't hang around Chicago long enough to become better known to the record buying public. Here is Buddy Moss, one of Blind Boy Fuller's mentors, in his living room, more than 25 years after he vanished (or was institutionalized). Jessie Mae Hemphill never got wider recognition until the 70's but boy here she is. Anybody wonder where John Lee Hooker's musical roots lie? Well Jessie Mae from the hill country is gonna tell you.

Here's Houston Stackhouse (not enough recordings anywhere by this artist to satisfy this writer), direct descendant of Tommy Johnson's so-called "Jackson style" (or perhaps tutor to T.J.) and the same guy who may have shown Mr. Nighthawk a few licks in the early days when Nighthawk was Robert Lee McCoy. More Fred McDowell and Johnny Woods. How can anyone get too much of these 2 artists.

Quantity? I mean how much music is here? After a month's listening you'll know. There are at least 3 dozen musicians on this set, with multiple sides by each of them. Too bad Tower Records closed all their stores. They would have stocked it. You ain't gonna find this one at Wally World.

Thanks George Mitchell for giving us such a great slice of early blues, perfectly preserved, with decent sound quality. I hope this collection gets reviewed by Time-Life (if it hasn't already), or at least gets onto one of those afternoon NPR shows. Fine stuff indeed - a true American Treasure. And what a bargain for such pure music. A night at a jook drinking bootleg beer would have cost you more.