My momma told me . . .

October 3, 2007 6:44 PM

Picture if you will Mississippi, a state still sweltering from heat, and injustice. A place where juke joints in and around Clarksdale are still home to the blues. Junior Kimbrough redefined the blues here. He started playing at a young age, but he was 62 before he released his first album, just 5 years before he died of heart failure in Holly Springs. Sad Days, Lonely Nights [Youtube]

Bio

Previously

At King Buscuit Blues Fest. in 96. If you hurry you can still make it to this years festival in Helana Arkansa. warning embedded audio

posted by nola (8 comments total)

I was exposed to his stuff after getting Black Key's EP of Kimbrough covers, Chulahoma, which includes an endorsement by his widow. It was a good stepping stone into Junior's stuff as it tends to wander and turn trance like.
posted by asterisk at 7:18 PM on October 3, 2007

is mississippi "still sweltering" from more injustice than any other state? we have injustice here in oregon.
posted by bruce at 7:35 PM on October 3, 2007

Oh yes. Junior was a giant. Keeper of the flame. Churner-outer of some of the finest raw and gritty blues expression this side of RL Burnside.

Thanks for pointing in his direction once again, nola, and thanks to klang, too, for that earlier obit.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:37 PM on October 3, 2007

This guy is the best blues I have ever heard. It's not even close. Compare this to most of the horn driven yuppie dance music also called 'blues' and it's two different genres.

Here's an article that might be of interest to his fans.

The Black Keys cover him pretty good. I like their version of "My Mind is Ramblin" better than Kimbroughs'. He's not an easy musician to cover. Fat Possum released an album of Kimbrough covers that few people will play more than once. The Stooges were big fans of his and they cover "You Better Run". Kimbrough's version actually conveys menace, the Stooges' version just sounds forced. I like Fat Possum's catalog but Kimbrough is the real stand out in the bunch. No doubt.
posted by BigSky at 8:09 PM on October 3, 2007

I can't remember anymore who it was that introduced me to Junior Kimbrough, but it stuck. What a great performer and songwriter. Thanks for the clip that shows him playing live. I had no idea what he looked like.
posted by Kattullus at 8:46 PM on October 3, 2007

Anyone who loves Kimbrough, Burnside and similar should definitely get this DVD from Fat Possum. Performances, interviews, etc. Gives the total local flavor.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:53 PM on October 3, 2007

Oh, I really like Junior Kimbrough. I also like the album of covers, for the most part. The Black Keys get it right.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 8:56 PM on October 3, 2007

Junior was the fucking shit.
posted by zzazazz at 5:49 PM on October 4, 2007