For Further Listening: More Great Music from Our Mississippi CD Artists
Here you can explore additional songs by—and purchase the wares of—the beloved artists on our Mississippi Music Issue CD.
1. Harold Dorman
"Mountain of Love" by Harold Dorman (1960)
Dorman's most commercially successful tune doesn't disappoint. You'd think this a different voice from the wild, almost cartoonish one in "Uncle Jonah's Place" (which appears on this year's OA CD), but they're one and the same. These two tracks, released a year apart, showcase Dorman's musical and emotional range.
(Origin: Drew, Miss., 1926)
2. Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
"Your Love (Means Everything to Me)" by Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band (1971)
Drummer James Gadson may shine as the vocalist on The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band single "What Can You Bring Me" (a magnificent tune that appears on this year's CD), but on "Your Love (Means Everything to Me)," the flip side, bandleader Charles Wright reminds listeners why he gets top billing. His voice strains with angst and desperate love to a beat that Oliver Wang describes in the issue as a "thick, sticky groove."
(Origin: Clarksdale, Miss., 1940)
3. Ernie Chaffin
Interview with Ernie Chaffin from the Sun Records Vault (Courtesy of Bear Family).
"When a woman hears a male singing, she becomes a magnetic opposite, the object. But sometimes, more rare, she becomes him. Ernie Chaffin brings you so close you're inside him looking out. It may be the Gulf of Mexico you see, placid but seething with a violent past, more like jelly than surf, quivering." —Carol Ann Fitzgerald, from OA #75
(Origin: Water Valley, Miss., 1928)
4. Bo Diddley
"Bo Diddley-Itis" by Bo Diddley (1972)
This Diddley tune was released long after his initial successes on a 1972 Chess release called Where It All Began. It's often mistaken for his 1957 song "Hey! Bo Diddley," probably for its similar call and response features. "Bo Diddley-Itis" is decidedly funkier, though, and has a far more modern production quality. Above is a live rendition of the song from Madison Square Garden, in which he demonstrates his fancy footwork and phenomenal guitar play.
(Origin: McComb, Miss., 1928)
5. Mattie Delaney
"Down the Big Road Blues" by Mattie Delaney (1930)
Here it is. The only other song ever recorded by the divine Mattie Delaney.
Read Jonathan Rabb's take on Ms. Delaney's minuscule oeuvre here.
(origin: Tchula, Miss., 1905)
6. Fern Kinney
"By the Time You Start Loving Me" by Fern Kinney (1982)
A doyenne of versatility, Ms. Kinney started her career (early!) with soul, made a foray into disco, and then went country. Her talent is resounding in each of the genres (a listen of the last is featured here).
Check out Fern Kinney's performance of "Groove Me," by Malaco labelmate King Floyd.
(Origin: Jackson, Miss., 1952)
7. Leon Bass
"Fools Like Me" by Leon Bass & The Rhythm Drifters (ca. 1958)
Imagine it's Friday night in small-town Mississippi in 1958. What are you going to do? How about tripping over to the Corinth theater for the weekly Dixieland Jamboree? If that were your choice, you'd hear something like Leon Bass & The Rhythm Drifters covering a Jerry Lee Lewis tune. Here's the band doing just that, from a 2005 CD entitled Wildcat Jamboree: Rockabilly Radio Broadcasts from the Dixieland Jamboree: Corinth, Mississippi 1958–1959.
(Origin: Corinth, Miss., 1937)
8. Joe Henderson
"The Searching is Over" by Joe Henderson (1962)
Joe Henderson almost sounds like a typical gospel/soul singer, until he does a slide-dip into that cavern-deep bass of his, a range that made him such a crucial part of gospel groups The Silver Quintet and, later, The Fairfield Four. He doesn't take the opportunity to show off once in the spotlight as a solo artist, though; this is a voice of humility and restraint. The breakdown and—yes!—hand claps remind us of Henderson's gospel roots, but the love he's searching for here is decidedly not spiritual. "I've tried everybody, from A till Z," he announces, reminding us that even men of God need a little terrestrial love beyond what the Alpha and Omega can provide.
9. Hayden Thompson
"Frankie & Johnny" by Hayden Thompson (1958)
With a cheerfully muted guitar and hiccupped "cha cha cha chas," Thompson of Northern Miss., recasts this murder ballad as fodder for bobby-soxers. Sell it, Hayden, sell it! (And he's still at it, you know. Check out Hayden's very, very recent release on Blue Light Records here!)
(Origin: Booneville, Miss., 1958)
10. The International Sweethearts of Rhythm
"Bussed to armories, nightclubs, theaters, and ballrooms, the girls fill the bandstand and churn out jazz standards dutifully. The quality of their play causes male musicians to raise eyebrows, newspapers to take note: They play as well as men. The International Sweethearts of Rhythm becomes the first all-female, racially integrated swing band, a bevy of lipsticked radicals ready to blow the world wide open." —Megan Mayhew Bergman, from OA #75
Read the full article and watch a video of The Sweethearts performing live here.
(Origin: Rankin, Miss.)
11. Howlin' Wolf
"This bluesman stood 6'3", and his voice, swollen with passion and power, was a unique instrument shaped and fueled by insinuation. He was close to the classic blues, still located on the cusp of the field holler and jug band, almost one step away from the sorrow songs. In 1951, Sam Phillips signed him with the Memphis Recording Service, and the same year his first recording sessions were cut for RPM Records and Chess Records." —Yusef Komunyakaa, from OA #75
Click here to watch the Wolf get down on Shindig! (as praised in Peter Guralnick's article).
(Origin: White Station, Miss., 1910)
12. Dusty Brooks
"Whoa Mule" by Dusty Brooks & His Four Tones (1951)
Sorry, folks, but we just have to have another helping of Dusty Brooks! Watch Dusty Brooks save the day—cowboy-style!—in The Bronze Buckaroo.
(Origin: Jackson, Miss.)
13. Ruby Andrews
"You Made A Believer (Out of Me)" by Ruby Andrews (1969)
Let that opening bass line become the beat of your heart. If you need a dance-party starter, switch on this Ruby and see who can help themselves. The marching-band melodies are so bright and funky and Ruby's shouts are so true and gospelfied, the crowd will surely be moved by some spirit, be it love or something higher.
(Origin: Hollandale, Miss., 1947)
14. The Hilltops
"Mary Jane" by The Hilltops (1991)
"Their music was and is an influence of sounds. Imagine what would happen if The Sex Pistols and Robert Johnson crossed DNA, were raised in a shanty shack upon the back roads of Mississippi and honed their skills in an old barn or a juke joint managed by Junior Kimbrough. The Hilltops combined old-time country blues, folky-singer/songwriter lyrics and a garagesque style of punk to the mix. The sound was labeled alt-country but the band, though short lived, would later contribute to a renaissance of Americana music in Oxford, Mississippi." —Frank Bill
Read the full article here.
(Origin: Oxford, Miss.)
Smirnoff's Note: The story of The Hilltops is also the story of two distinctive songwriters: John Stirratt and Cary Hudson. The article in the mag and The Hilltops song on the CD (track #14, "Sidewalk") represent the Stirratt side. The song streaming here, and Frank Bill's online article, represent the Hudson side. Stirratt's music lives in a world of dreamy, urban pop; Hudson gives you a roguish mix of blues, hard country, and Southern rock, which is a fair enough way (I guess) to describe Hudson's more well known band (Blue Mountain; by the way, for those of you old enough to remember, Blue Mountain was featured on our first CD). Anyway, if my memory ain't totally corrupt, this infectious tune was our late poetry editor Jimmy Pitts's favorite Hilltops song.
15. Carter Brothers & Son
"Give Me A Chaw Tobacco" by Carter Brothers & Son (1928)
Here's another tune from the hills by the all-in-the-family string band: The tempo is again frenetic, like the Carter Brothers & Son track on our CD, and the lyrics are still total nonsense. Most of the words are muddled, likely the result of a mouth full of chaw tobacco, but among the more distinguishable lines: "I had a little dog, his name was Rover/When he died, he died all over." Perfect for a night of dizzy barn dancing.
(Origin: Aberdeen, Miss.)
16. Syl Johnson
"Is It Because I'm Black?" by Syl Johnson (1969)
"A toe-curling, funk-laden guitar riff that is more of an epiphany than a sound primes the listener's ear for a voice that recalls Al Green (they were once labelmates), but is actually far, far more tormented and troubled than that. It's that voice, full of lacerating pain that reverberates through one's ancestral core. Like the best kind of blues, this is existentialism on wax." —Thomas Chatterton Williams, from OA #75
(Origin: Holly Springs, Miss., 1936)
17. Guitar Slim
"The Things I Used to Do" by Guitar Slim
Guitar Slim's 1954 single was one of the most successful songs of his career, spending a total of twenty-one weeks on the charts (including six weeks at No. 1) and selling over a million copies. It's also notable for featuring Ray Charles on the piano and for having a profound impression on guitarist Buddy Guy. As revealed in David Ritz's piece on Slim, Guy first heard the song when he was just eighteen years old. "After John Lee Hooker's 'Boogie Chillen'," he said, "'The Things That I Used to Do' became the biggest record of my life. I say that because I played the thing night and day for many years. Hell, I'm still playing it. Loved that song like I loved my mama. Within months of the song's release, wasn't a guitarist in the South that couldn't play it."
(Origin: Greenwood, Miss., 1926)
18. Jimmy Donley
"Arleeta" by Jimmy Donley (1959)
What is the secret behind the panty-dropping charm of Jimmy Donley? (Donley was married five times in his brief thirty-three years; he and Arleeta were merely engaged.) How did he attract woman after woman? Weren't there damaging rumors about him on the Gulf Coast? Plus, he was so short! But then you hear "Arleeta," and the appeal makes sense: You don't say no to a guy who writes you the greatest love song of all time—and then sings it like he truly means it. Jimmy D. may not feel the same way tomorrow, in fact, he most certainly won't—but tonight, Arleeta, it's got to be you.
(Origin: Gulfport, Miss., 1929)
19. The Golden Nugget
"In the fall of 1973, Malaco moved into gospel by signing a group named The Golden Nugget, which had been singing in and around Jackson since the mid-'50s, originally as The Jackson Hummingbirds. The Hummingbirds had survived in much the same way as Malaco, with a mix of luck and ingenuity: When a local grocery store offered to sponsor the group's radio show if they would change their name to help advertise a stamp giveaway, The Hummingbirds became The Golden Nugget." —Ben Greenman, from OA #75
20. Travis Wammack
"I'm Leaving Today" by Travis Wammack (1957)
"They called him Little Travis. And oh was he little. Poor too. But with a guitar in his hand this Little Travis-birth-certificate name: Travis Wammack-stood ten feet tall, a badass music maker. All of eleven years old, with a voice that could stop traffic, Little Travis would lug his guitar to the beer joints in a little suburb of Memphis and stand next to the jukebox, back when beer joints were beer joints and jukeboxes were jukeboxes." —Michael Rosenwald, from OA #75
(Origin: Walnut, Miss., 1944)
21. Henry Green
"Strange Things" by Henry Green (1951)
Not to be confused with the Randy Newman song of the same title, this is the B-side to guitar evangelist Henry Green's "Storm Thru Mississippi" (featured on this year's OA CD). Green again offers a religious tune that's dark, eerie, and electrified, with potent guitar play that serves as a backing vocal chorus.
(Origin: Unknown)
22. Wadada Leo Smith & Ed Blackwell
"Uprising" [Full Version] by Wadada Leo Smith & Ed Blackwell (1986)
"Smith raises his head and twists slowly on his heels, facing each musician in turn. Contact with his bandmates reestablished, he jumps to his feet, finally bringing the trumpet to his lips. His back hunched, his head bowed, and his instrument aimed at the floor, he releases a single, deafening blast. The shrill assault of his horn still ringing through the hall, Smith raises a clenched fist above his head and then drops his arm to his side." —David Shirley, from OA #75
Read Michael Capser's review of a recent performance of Smith's Ten Freedom Summers here.
(Origin: Leland, Miss., 1941)
23. Jim Jackson
"Bye, Bye, Policeman" by Jim Jackson (1928)
One of the most versatile performers of his time, Jackson's vast repertoire included pre-War blues, vaudeville, pop, and topical standards. It's said that H.C. Speir, a talent scout for Paramount, sold Jackson's contract to Vocalion because it was believed that the performer was too fond of cocaine. Perhaps this would be hard to believe after listening to "Old Dog Blue" (the Jackson song on this year's OA CD), but maybe not after hearing this wild tale of craps games gone awry.
We also just have to share a beguiling cover of "Bye, Bye, Policeman" by Dom Flemons of Durham, N.C.'s Carolina Chocolate Drops, find it here.
(Origin: Hernando, Miss., ca. 1884)
24. The Riviaires
"Sticks" by The Riviaires (ca. 1965)
"Today, any kid with a computer can make a recording and instantly let the world hear it. The Riviaires are an artifact of a different age, a product of a different process. They are a pair of kids, self-released and self-distributed, youthful and unvarnished in their energy and enthusiasm—DIY by default." —Steve Klinge, from OA #75
(Origin: Oxford, Miss.)
To hear Wattsy Watts groovin' with his other band, The Missing Links, check out The OA's Online Mississippi CD #1.
25. The Germans
"We Got The..." by The Germans (1981)
"The Germans didn't sound like anyone else. They sounded new, beautifully brand-spanking new, a glittering jewel of cracked rock & roll tropes, a bright and tough combo, sonically slathered with jagged angles and cryptic melodies, hypnotically anchored by the presence of a guitar-wrangling girl from Meadville, Mississippi, named Sherry Cothren." —Pat Cochran, from OA #75
Read Tim Lee's take on The Germans and the Jackson scene here.
(Origin: Jackson, Miss.)
26. Milton Babbitt
"Partitions" by Milton Babbit (composed in 1957)
"Complicated though they were, Babbitt's pieces had an immediate appeal that didn't necessarily depend on your following structurally the entire process of the music; they were also witty, with 'tonal puns'—that is, unexpected bursts of traditional harmony, like the B-flat triad that enters the second of his Three Compositions for Piano—creeping in to break up the masses of dissonance." —Nikil Saval, from OA #75
(Origin: Jackson, Miss., 1916)
27. Ted Hawkins
"The music of Ted Hawkins says something like this: 'Though life will present you with sorrow, it will also present you with love, and in the trying times you can rely on God and the mysteries of His grace to bear up you.' But then there is his singing voice, which no matter how bright his strumming, how serene or exalting his lyrics, seems scraped, concussed, a wilderness voice, emerging almost helplessly from his body, in testimony to some commanding horror he saw glinting once, long ago, in the fullness of its color, and remembers now only grayly. I love that voice—I do—but it frightens me." —Kevin Brockmeier, from OA #75
Check out a live performance clip of "Baby" here.
(Origin: Biloxi, Miss., 1936)
