Skip James - The Very Best Of Skip James (2012)

With an unmistakable falsetto delivery, Skip James created some of history's eeriest blues records. His Blues sounds dark and mysterious, using odd tunings, structures, and rhythms, and exploring gloomy lyrical themes. Unlike other bluesmen of the day, James's music was personal and bleak, played for his own emotional release and not for purposes of entertainment. Skip James was one of the finest - and most refined - masters of the Delta Blues tradition. The performances on this CD are nothing less a than triumph. 'Devil Got My Woman,' 'Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues,' 'Hard Luck Child,' and 'Special Rider Blues' convey sorrow and misery like few others can. Uptempo numbers such as the classic 'I'm So Glad' and 'Drunken Spree,' which resembles the hillbilly traditional 'Late Last Night7' showcase his forceful guitar picking while rags 'Cherry Ball Blues' and the jumpy 'Look Down The Road' feature his unique piano work. Compiled with the cooperation of the Skip James estate.