Charley Patton represents the beginning of delta blues music. Often referred to by insiders as the “Father of the Delta Blues”, his deep vocals and traditional, inspired acoustic guitar playing made him clearly the most well-known blues musician of his day. Some of the Mississippi Deltas’ greatest musicians, including Robert Johnson and Howlin’ Wolf, cited Charley Patton as a main influence. Born near Edwards, Mississippi in 1887, Patton roamed the Delta a complete generation prior to blues legends like the great Muddy Waters, mastering his skills on every street corner that was available to him. By as early as the 1920’s, Charley Patton had established himself as the master of the delta blues artists. From 1929 to 1934, Patton recorded over fifty songs in total. “Down the Dirt Road – A Tribute to Charley Patton”, features a cast of blues musicians brought together to pay tribute to Charley Patton and his musical influence.

The disc features a unique blend of artists inspired by Patton’s work, ranging from blues purists like Charlie Musslewhite and Joe Louis Walker to British rocker Graham Parker and folk singer Colleen Sexton. Especially inspiring are Snooky Pryor’s version of “Pony Blues”, which was Patton’s first big hit song, Parker’s “Poor Me”, and a group effort on “Some Summer Day”, which features Kid Bangham handing the guitar chores. With “Down the Dirt Road”, Telarc again offers listeners an opportunity to appreciate the creative works of a Delta blues legend with a refreshing clarity (thanks to modern recording science) and the variety of the invited guests’ contributions.

Charley Patton paved the way for the future of blues music by creating a unique sound that would subsequently be copied by hundreds of musicians. “Down the Dirt Road” is a fitting tribute to one of the great masters of the blues and his musical contributions.