Back To The Crossroads : The Roots of Robert Johnson

This collection assembles the range of sources that Robert Johnson heard and learned from including songs from his mentor Son House and from other Delta performers and from sources that show aspects of the musical world in which he lived.

His tastes ranged far and wide and he had a gift for absorbing sounds of all kinds, including from tin pan alley to hillbilly songs. He was a brilliant creative musician who managed a stunningly effective fusion of his Delta roots and the smoother approach of the then prominent contemporary blues artists. As with any genius in any field he was able to produce great work only because he was standing on the shoulders of previous great artists. This collection provides an introduction to a number of them and gives a sense of how Johnson adapted and combined their styles. It presents music that can still excite and inspire us today just as it did to Robert Johnson back in the first golden age of the blues.

Tracks:

Police Station Blues (1932) - Peetie Wheatstraw 

Old Original Kokomo Blues (1934)- Kokomo Arnold 

Cruel Hearted Woman (1934)- Bumble Bee Slim 

Roll and Tumble Blues (1929)-Hambone Willie Newbern 

Life Saver Blues (1927)- Lonnie Johnson 

Sitting on Top of the World (1930)- Mississippi Sheiks

Hittin' the Bottle Stomp (1936)- Mississippi Jook Band 

Devil Got My Woman (1931)- Skip James 

My Black Mama, pt. 1 (1930)- Son House 

Georgia Bound (1929)- Blind Blake 

When the Sun Goes Down (1935)- Leroy Carr 

Sissy Man Blues (1935)- Kokomo Arnold 

Your Enemy Cannot Harm You (1926)- Rev E. W. Clayborn 

Lead Pencil Blues (1935)- Johnny Temple