Various Artists - 50 Years Of Como MS Blues (2019)

Austrian import

According to my parents and confirmed by my birth certificate, I was brought into this world in Batesville, Mississippi, 14 miles south of Como and spent the first five months of my life (June - October, 1966) in Sardis, about 5 miles from Como. This is all in Panola County, which is located just east of the Delta in an area commonly known as the North Mississippi Hill Country.

So for me, this CD of blues music from Como is more of an educational tool than anything. I'm trying to learn more about that area, its history, and its musical legacy. To that end, we're treated to 19 mostly acoustic tracks from 6 blues artists associated with Como. Three of the six have Mississippi Blues Trail markers in Panola County: Jessie Mae Hemphill, Fred McDowell, and Othar Turner

Until recently, I was unfamiliar with the difference between Hill Country Blues and Delta Blues. If you're in the same boat, here's a rudimentary breakdown of the two main differences:

1. Hill Country Blues emphasizes hypnotic grooves, repetition, and rhythm; Delta Blues emphasizes chord changes, song structure, and storytelling.
2. HCB often stays on one chord or riff for long stretches, while DB usually follows recognizable 12-bar or related blues progressions.

More on this particular compilation can be found online at: Blues Blast Magazine and Wolf Records International.

Recommended for the back porch on a hot summer day with some mosquito repellent, a 3 speed oscillating fan, and a tall cold beverage of your choice.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks, with my favorites marked with an asterisk:

1. Jessie Mae Hemphill - Go Back To Your Used To Be*
2. Jessie Mae Hemphill - Shame On You (Take 2)
3. Fred McDowell - Frisco Line
4. Fred McDowell - You Gotta Move*
5. Ranie Burnette - I Wonder Why
6. Ranie Burnette - I Call My Baby*
7. R.L. Boyce - Gonna Boogie/Poor Black Mattie
8. Jessie Mae Hemphill - Train, Train*
9. Jessie Mae Hemphill - Eagle Bird
10. Jessie Mae Hemphill - Shake It, Shake It
11. Eli Green with Fred McDowell - Brooks Run Into The Ocean*
12. Eli Green with Fred McDowell - Bull Dog Blues*
13. Ranie Burnette - I'm Goin Away
14. Ranie Burnette - Moonshine Blues
15. Ranie Burnette - Come On Baby
16. Othar Turner - Rooster Blues
17. R.L. Boyce - Child of God/One Of These Days
18. R.L. Boyce - Baby Please Don't Go/Lonesome Road*
19. Jessie Mae Hemphill - Shame On You (Take 1)

Many of these tracks sound like they were recorded on somebody's front porch and it's so doggone authentic you can't help but be captivated by the hypnotic repetition mentioned above.

Jessie Mae Hemphill (1923-2006) tracks recorded September 1991 near Como. Note: I was previously introduced to Jessie Mae Hemphill via the Deep Blues movie/soundtrack.
Fred McDowell (1904-1972) tracks recorded July 1965 in Berkeley, California
Ranie Burnette (1913-2000) tracks recorded September 1991 near Como.
Eli Green (190?-1966) tracks recorded March 1965 near Holly Springs, Mississippi.
Othar Turner (1907-2003) track recorded July 1975 near Senatobia, Mississippi.
R.L. Boyce (1955-2023) tracks recorded January 2017 in Como.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Of course I don't remember anything about being an infant, but my wife and I did pass through Como in October 2025 as part of our trip down parts of the Mississippi Blues Trail. Continuing my research on the area, I've tried to read Politics of Southern Equality: Law and Social Change in a Mississippi County (1970) by Frederick M. Wirt, Ph.D., a mixed methods study of how federal civil rights laws reshaped race relations in Panola County during the 1960s. Unfortunately the book was too academic and dry for my tastes plus it didn't delve into the rich musical culture of the county at all. It's an eye-opening piece of political research, but I simply couldn't finish it. Is there a CliffsNotes available?

Your humble blogger, a true Texassippian,
on the Mississippi Blues Trail, 2025.

For another (more interesting) story about my family's history during the civil rights era in the Mississippi of the 1960s, check out this previous blog post.