Downhome Blues 1959 contains 46 tracks, spread out over two CDs, tracing the rural blues guitarist Mississippi Fred McDowell’s earliest recordings. The sessions take place on the front porch of his Como, MS farm between September 21-25, 1959 and recorded by folk researcher Alan Lomax with assistance from Shirley Collins. On the first disc, McDowell is heard playing acoustic guitar and is occasionally joined by guitarist Miles Pratcher with Fannie Davis on kazoo and comb, with vocals by McDowell’s wife Annie Mae, James Shorty, Sidney Carter, and Rose Hemphill. The second disc includes one McDowell track, “Shake ‘Em on Down,” with the remaining cuts spotlight other Lomax recordings from the same time by bluesmen Forrest City Joe, Boy Blue, Willie Jones and the fife and drum duo of Ed Young and G.D. Young. Although this material has been reissued over the years, JSP not only does an admirable job remastering the tracks but providing recording dates, personnel, and a bit of history that is easily accessible in individual jewel cases as opposed to a bulky booklet. As far as budget blues sets are concerned, this is one of the best.
