Take 5 With Charlie Patton

Charlie Patton was one of the greatest of the early Mississippi down home blues artists to record in the 1920s. The best of his recordings for the Paramount label are among the greatest of all Delta Blues Recordings. Starting this short playlist is "Down the Dirt Road Blues." One hers his percussive, driving guitar and his rough, horse vocals.

One of his most remarkable performances is "A Spoonful Blues" some may be familiar with renditions by Mississippi John Hurt or Charlie Jordan, but what makes Patton's recording is that with his guitar and use of a spoken voice, he uses four voices in this performance.

Then there is his song relating to the floods that hit Mississippi with all the emotion he conveys in his vocal. This is the first part of the two-part 78.

Next up is "Mississippi Boweavil Blues" dealing with the insect that wreaked havoc on southern Cotton crops.

Finally we close this short list with "Pony Blues," which was one of his most popular numbers. This is tyaken from an original 78, not a CD reissue of the 78.