- Charley Patton, Vol. 3 (1929-1934) · 1990
- Charley Patton, Vol. 1 · 1990
- The Immortal Blues Masters · 2014
- Charley Patton Vol. 2 (1929) · 1990
- Founder of the Delta Blues · 1971
- Charley Patton, Vol. 1 · 2013
- Charley Patton, Vol. 1 · 2013
- Charley Patton, Vol. 1 · 2013
- The Complete Recordings 1929-34, Vol. 1 · 2002
- Charley Patton Vol. 1 (1929) · 1990
- Poor Me · 1971
- The Best of Charlie Patton · 2003
- The Best of Charlie Patton · 2003
Essential Albums
- Between 1929 and 1934, Charley Patton pretty much created the Delta blues, and on this comprehensive collection you can hear it happen. Patton's raw, stark sound could be feral and feverish, as on the driving "Mississippi Boweavil Blues" and the furious, stomping "High Water Everywhere (Pts. 1 & 2)", or lonesome and haunted, like on the strangely scary "Rattlesnake Blues". But whatever mood he was in from moment to moment, this album makes it clear that Patton was one of the most potent voices in blues history.
Artist Playlists
- The godfather of the Delta blues.
Singles & EPs
About Charley Patton
Head to the source of Delta blues—and all the blues, rock, and hip-hop it begat—and find Charley Patton, a diminutive musician of booming voice, dazzling guitar skills, and innate showmanship. While little is known about either his race or parentage, Patton was probably born in rural Mississippi in 1891. In 1897, his family moved to Dockery Farms, where Patton began performing on porches and at picnics. His Mississippi coterie included Robert Johnson and Son House, while Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters studied him intently. Although he only recorded some 50 tracks during sessions for Paramount (1929-30) and Vocalian (1934), they reflect a journeyman entertainer’s protean familiarity with country blues, hillbilly songs, balladry, ragtime, and even Tin Pan Alley pop. Tracks such as “Mississippi Bo Weavil Blues” and “Down the Dirt Road Blues” transcend their recordings’ limitations with polyrhythmic subtlety and emotional vigor. Patton’s versatility is on full display in the gospel fervor of “You’re Gonna Need Somebody When You Die” (released in 1939 under the pseudonym Elder J.J. Hadley). Patton’s range and dependability made him a popular performer until his premature coronary-related death in 1934.
- HOMETOWN
- Hinds County, MS, United States
- BORN
- 1 May 1891
- GENRE
- Blues