Honeyboy Edwards

At 92 years old, Mississippi born Honeyboy Edwards is one of the last remaining musicians with a direct link to the earliest days of recorded blues, having learned from folks like Charley Patton and Robert Johnson. Alan Lomax made Edwards’ first recordings for the Library of Congress in 1942. There’s one song and a story from that session included on this, his new studio recording. In the ensuing years, Edwards has become a legend in his own right and this collection of harmonica duets and small group recordings reveals that his style and approach are still deeply rooted in the blues of the Mississippi delta. While his voice is a little worse for wear and his guitar playing not as fluid as it once was, Edwards has surprising energy, attacking certain phrases with playful abandon. Bobby Rush, Billy Branch, Sugar Blue and the late Big Walter Horton blow strong harp lines, filling out the sound and pushing the songs along. This is old-school blues done right.