Rory Block - The Lady And Mr. Johnson (2006)

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She and Mr. Johnson

Two years after Eric Clapton's double tribute to Robert Johnson (*), top country blues guitarist Rory Block tried her hand at it in her 100% acoustic style.

“The Lady And Mr. Johnson” is the precursor of her series of tribute recordings which now includes Son House (2008), Fred McDowell (2011), Rev. Gary Davis (2012), Mississippi John Hurt (2013), Skip James (2014), Bukka White (2016) and Bessie Smith (2018) (read details further below).

With Claud, the son of Robert Johnson

The album cover shows her in front of an old black & white photo of a young man who strangely resembles Johnson. It can't be Robert since only three pictures of him have been found up to now, and this is not any of them. His ghost? No, his great grandson Richard Johnson!

Block has told in the CD's liner notes the story of her “discovery” and encounter with the descendants of the legendary Delta bluesman while in the making of the album.

Though Rory Block didn't deal with the devil at a crossroads, her guitar technique is most likely more sophisticated that Johnson's ever was. A simple listen to her incredible slide dexterity on "Preaching Blues (Up Jumped the Devil)" is convincing enough.

Contrary to Clapton who chose to play electric with a backing band on most of his covers, she is totally solo and sticks to strict acoustic guitar, sometimes in slide mode, putting out a big sound with her Martin, almost resonating like a dobro (resonator guitar). Hats off to the recording engineer!

In studio

The only exception is the very short intro of "Cross Road Blues" featuring a gospel choir, maybe the Strait Way Ministries Church choir of Utica (Mississippi), of which “Elder” Steven Johnson, a grandson of Robert, is a member.

Block's singing certainly reminds Johnson's vocal style with the same high pitch bursts at the end of some verses or the short talked phrases to emphasize some lines.

With Johnson's grandson Steven

The result is a faultless collection of thirteen of the most iconic songs of the legendary Delta troubadour among his 29 titles that survived to posterity. From "Cross Road Blues" to "Kind Hearted Woman Blues" through "Milkcow's Calf Blues", "32-20 Blues", "Rambling on My Mind", "Last Fair Deal Gone Down", "Come in My Kitchen", "Hellhound on My Trail" or "If I Had Possession over Judgement Day" and more, the lady delivers some of the most stirring contemporary country blues performances, reviving Johnson himself.

Would he sound the same way if he could use today's recording technology? That, we'll never know. So let's find solace in listening to Rory Block's superb tribute. ■

(*) “Me And Mr. Johnson” and “Sessions for Robert J.”, both released in 2004. Review here.

Rory Block's Mentor Series
After “The Lady and Mr Johnson”, Rory Block developed the concept with what she called “The Mentor Series”. So far, she released seven albums :
→ 2008 - Blues Walkin' Like a Man: A Tribute to Son House (audio :: https://youtu.be/zXYimhagBOY)
→ 2011 - Shake 'Em On Down: A Tribute To Mississippi Fred McDowell
→ 2012 - I Belong to the Band: A Tribute to Rev. Gary Davis
→ 2013 - Avalon: A Tribute to Mississippi John Hurt
→ 2014 - Hard Luck Child: A Tribute to Skip James
→ 2016 - Keepin' Outta Trouble: A Tribute to Bukka White
→ 2018 - A Woman’s Soul: A Tribute to Bessie Smith

■ Rory Block, like many of her expert guitarists peers, has also released several instructional records and/or videos to teach guitar, as “Classics of Country Blues Guitar” (1984) and “The Power of Delta Blues Guitar” (1990). The DVD “Rory Block Teaches The Guitar Of Robert Johnson” was released in 2004. 

Encounter with Robert Johnson's descendants
Rory Block : “From 1964 until the winter of 2006 I thought Robert Johnson had no surviving relatives. There was a sense of terrible loss and loneliness surrounding his tragic, early death. How could so great a musical giant have left us after only one recording? Imagine my joy when halfway through the project I learned that Johnson’s family had been found, alive and well, in Mississippi. Heart pounding, I dialed the phone, and in a shaking voice I said, ‘You don’t know me, but to me, you’re family... I feel like I'm finding long lost kin!’ On the other end came a beautiful voice in a deep, mellow tone, and the hair stood up on my neck...”
She actually arranged a meeting and drove down to Mississippi where she met Robert Johnson's son (Claud), grandsons (Steven and Michael) and great-grandson (Richard).
Photos of Rory Block with the Johnson family © Shonna Valeska.

Interviews
► On the Cable TV program Folk Exposure, 1990s : https://youtu.be/uHTnWEF8RcY
► At the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, Canada, 2012 : https://youtu.be/XezkOvmB8U4

Videos

■ Rory Block plays Robert Johnson
► "Cross Road Blues" :
→ Cuyahoga Falls, OH, 2007 : https://youtu.be/n8CB2F1JRlE
→ Pittsburgh, PA, 2014 : https://youtu.be/hTfVLgQeNI8
► "Ramblin' On My Mind”, Netherlands, 2007 : https://youtu.be/AP6s1EfhD_A
► "Terraplane Blues", 2006 : https://youtu.be/nmR0_epz5OQ
► "Me and the Devil Blues", 2013 : https://youtu.be/PXbHtpyz_S4
► “When You've Got a Good Friend”/”Me and The Devil Blues”, Philadelphia Folk Festival, 1986 : https://youtu.be/4S4rToAV9qI
► "If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day" : https://youtu.be/AMA8-pDYQq8

■ Rory Block live
► Cosenza (Italy), 1988 : https://youtu.be/wFRHHVKsmAQ
► German TV program Ohne Filter, 1988 : https://youtu.be/5f1Sce70O48
→ “Lovin' Whiskey”, Pinkpop Festival, Netherlands, 1989 : https://youtu.be/BkUMIrEEe-U
► With her son Jordan, Bristol, UK, 1999 : https://youtu.be/n8SbQbpGOKc
► Hampton Acoustic Blues Revival, 2007 :
→ #1 : https://youtu.be/ZiKLtMwqIfc
→ #2 : https://youtu.be/k0kO50GGWTE
► Big Muddy Folk Festival, Boonville, MO, 2010 : https://youtu.be/MTrqZOT64hE
► Netherlands, 2012 : https://youtu.be/ViU285SNuBU
► With Bonnie Raitt, Albany, NY, 2016 : https://youtu.be/fLqJugit6bc
► Huntingdon, PA, 2016 : https://youtu.be/aNm2KxwSCSY
► Rory Block and Cindy Cashdollar :
→ Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch, 2019 :
    - part 1 : https://youtu.be/ew9vnyQmnB0?t=1131
    - part 2 : https://youtu.be/ew9vnyQmnB0?t=6495
→ Cohoes Music Hall, NY, 2019 : https://youtu.be/xFavKgfRb04
► With the Strait Way Ministries Choir, Fur Peace Ranch, 2020 : https://youtu.be/12zLR_Nml4g
► Blues Radio International, 2020 : https://youtu.be/RXyvdziv0Gc