Charley Patton - Complete Recordings 1929-1934 (5 CD, 2002/FLAC]

 Charley Patton lived only into his 40s, but he left a large body of recorded work, which reveals a broad repertoire, much self-written. He came to his first recording session - in June 1929, for Paramount - with an established reputation. It was said his voice could be heard 500 yards away. The songs he recorded that day include some he had been honing for 20 years around the Delta. Pony Blues is usually cited as a masterpiece. He cut two versions. Both are good, the first is finer: he growls the lyrics, his guitar lopes and bucks. Patton's rhythms are one of his trademarks - complex, intricate, powerful, his fingering always precise. Listen to his playing on Down The Dirt Road Blues - he puts brilliant guitar phrases at the end of each stanza. Songs like Banty Rooster, with its beautiful slide work, and the idiosyncratic Spoonful represent the essence of Mississippi blues and are typical of Patton fast-and-loose approach to blues structures (there's not a standard 12-bar in Patton's recorded output) and rhythmic conventions. Even those who have studied Patton's lyrics find areas to dispute. The voice is gruff, the phrasing eccentric and his Mississippi accent can be impenetrable. But it's worth paying attention - Patton's songs evoke a world that has vanished. We hear of characters like Sheriff Tom Rushen, a lawman whom Patton knew well, for the wrong reasons. He did exist, although his name was actually Rushing. Other songs evoke things like the whistle of the Pea Vine train, or the boll weavil, which threatened the cotton crop - as Patton sings: ... (it) sucks all the blossom and leaves your hedges square. In each case, Patton's playing is crafted to the song. Throughout his career, Patton recorded religious material. Prayer Of Death, from the first session (sacred tunes, and a sermon whose words are as obscure as his song lyrics), is a powerful example. Patton died in 1934, still in demand. His reputation has burgeoned since.

Charley Patton - Complete Recorded Works Vol 1-3 (3 CD, 1990/FLAC)

 Charley Patton (April 1891 (probable) – April 28, 1934), also known as Charlie Patton, was an American Delta blues musician. Considered by many to be the "Father of the Delta Blues", he created an enduring body of American music and inspired most Delta blues musicians. The musicologist Robert Palmer considered him one of the most important American musicians of the twentieth century.

Patton (who was well educated by the standards of his time) spelled his name Charlie, but many sources, including record labels and his gravestone, use the spelling Charley.

 

 

VA - Screamin' And Hollerin' The Blues : The Worlds of Charley Patton [7 CD, 2001/FLAC]

 

Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton is the musical equivalent of a limited-edition, fine-press book, and it's easily one of the most beautiful collections of recorded music ever assembled. Exquisitely designed, this 78-album-inspired, seven-CD package contains a wealth of information and music, featuring not only the Delta blues pioneer's complete recorded works, but the music of peripheral players (including Son House, Howlin' Wolf, and Henry "Son" Sims), a disc of fascinating audio interviews with Patton associates, and hours of reading material on the enigmatic songster.


At the 45th Grammy Awards the set won three awards for Best Historical Album, Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package, and Best Album Notes.