Volume two of
Document
's near-complete recorded works of
Blind Lemon Jefferson
presents 22 sides waxed for
Okeh
and
Paramount
during a seven month period between March and October 1927. On tracks six, nine, and ten he is accompanied by pianist
George Perkins
, and this adds another dimension to an artist who was almost always heard by his lonesome.
Lemon
's adept handling of the guitar and his disarmingly expressive voice account for the fact that some folks fall in love with his distinctive sound after hearing him sing two or three tunes. For this reason, truly devoted listeners will regard three decidedly different versions of the
"Match Box Blues"
as a burst of good fortune rather than something esoteric intended only for musicologists. True to
's multifaceted personality, this collection is packed with colorful images and subject matter drawn from all walks of life. He sings about what happens when the Mississippi River overflows its banks, of sexuality and infatuation, of locomotives, loose change, and bed linen infested with parasites, of Jesus rising from the dead, and, most famously, about his own grave, which he asks be kept clean. The upbeat
"Hot Dogs"
features
knocking out rhythm with his feet and dexterously picking away at the guitar while keeping up a steady stream of friendly banter. Although this excellent disc and its three adjacent volumes on
are highly recommended,
JSP
's four-CD
set has since proven to be the best way to acquire and absorb this wonderful artist's complete works, not least because of the "cleaned up" audio. On the other hand, there is something to be said for hearing these records through varying degrees of authentic 78 rpm surface noise. For this reason those who really love their
will not flinch at the prospect of owning both sets. ~ arwulf arwulf