Customer Reviews

Texas Songster

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This is THE DEFINITIVE acoustic Texas blues album. It was recorded in 1960 by Arhoolie Records founder Chris Strachwitz in the Navasota, Texas home of Mance Lipscomb. The raw, clear production on this album perfectly captures the emotive and rhythmic qualities of the Songster's "Texas dead-thumb" style and laid-back, yet powerful vocals. It is evident that Strachwitz was able to put Lipscomb at ease during the sessions, resulting in a natural, flowing quality that contrasts well with the heavy downbeat rhythm of the guitar. He effortlessly transitions through various blues, rags, and ballads. Lipscomb was a fairly prolific writer in terms of blues musicians. You will notice his original couplets spread throughout the album, including within the traditional songs. This album is an absolute MUST HAVE for every acoustic blues fan.

If you like Mississippi John Hurt and Reverend Gary Davis, do NOT pass this one by. Lipscomb is a great singer and fingerpicker in the "songster" tradition. He is bluesier than Hurt (his straight blues have a heavy dose of Lightnin' Hopkins in them) but every bit as warm and tuneful. I bought this three months ago and it's still in heavy rotation.

If you're searching for blues as a collector, don't miss this. Mance and his music is a national treasure. Listen to this and then listen to some of today's "blues" masters like Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, etc. and then you'll know where they got their mojo from.

I have written on the subject of Texas country blues guitarist extraordinaire Mance Lipscomb in connection with a series of DVDs that the well-known guitarist and performer Stefan Grossman put out a number of years ago, "Masters Of The Country Blues", that featured the greats of acoustic country blues like Son House, Bukka White, Reverend Gary Davis and, well Mance Lipscomb. Most of the others came out of the Mississippi Delta tradition which is a shade bit different from the Texas tradition of the likes of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lead Belly and, well, Mance Lipscomb. Lipscomb is probably a more versatile guitarist than the others, if for no other reason than he has a greater range of keys that he can play in and a somewhat unique picking style (at least it looks and sounds that way to me). Moreover, his vocals are a little smoother than the rough-edged sound of the old Mississippi plantation cotton fields. A perfect example of the difference is his `soft' version of the classic "Corrina, Corrina. My favorite Lipscomb song though is "Ella Speed". Needless to say it is about how she did her man wrong (although in the mix of these things it could just as easily be the other way around depending on who is singing).

I love some Texas Blues and Mance Lipscomb is one of the best. Full of soul and a guitar picker extraordinaire.