Blind Lemon Jefferson is a blues legend, without a doubt. Although he recorded seemingly little throughout his lifetime, his musical influence has been enormous. This is volume one in a series of recordings revealing his immense influence and talent. Let’s have a listen to this, and see what it sounds like.

We begin with I Want To Be Like Jesus In My Heart which is a very old sounding recording, with loads of tape hiss. The intense performance by Blind Lemon Jefferson, him singing alone and playing guitar is awesome. You can hear nearly a century later how good this really is, it is fantastic. Preaching to Jesus, he does a wonderful job here. The guitar playing is beautiful and intricate, a nice piece of music here. Beautiful.

Following is All I Want Is That Pure Religion which is a more upbeat sounding blues tune that sounds very much like an ode to Christianity. With a great sounding voice and excellent guitar chops, Blind Lemon Jefferson delivers well here. He comes across as a storyteller, and one who is deep and meaningful. Repeatedly singing hallelujah, he comes across as a different sort of early bluesman than Robert Johnson, the alleged devil worshipper ever did. Good tune anyway. Beautiful sounding.

Got The Blues (2471-2) is a great soulful and well delivered piece with some expert intricate acoustic guitar fills and Blind Lemon Jefferson singing about woman troubles. Interesting, and a good listen. Amazing that this was recorded around 100 years ago, it sounds like something out of a completely different era and that this music is really quite pure to hear today. The whole thing sounds awesome.

Long Lonesome Blues (2472-1) is next and sounds a little melancholy, in amongst tape hiss. It is another great song by Blind Lemon Jefferson and sounds different. It goes into a proto Rapped vocal section some of the way through. This is far better than most Rap today, however, even though it is difficult to hear through the hiss. Good job here, the guitar playing gets quicker towards the end.

Next is Booster Blues which is a better quality recording, but still retains the quality blues about it. Despite it being recorded so long ago, it still sounds as good and emotional as it does today. Singing of travels and loving to a woman, this is great music to hear, and will last for a long time. Good tune here, from way back.

After that is Dry Southern Blues which is about southern USA and travels to that part of the country. Skillful chops and deep singing is here, showcasing a talent that never should be forgotten. Singing about thirst for a drink of sorts, Blind Lemon Jefferson does well here. Great listening. “I’ve got a girl in Cuba, I’ve got a girl in Spain…” sings our blues maker.

Black Horse Blues comes along next, with some good melodic playing of guitar to begin with. Singing about more travels across the USA, this is an incredible effort, even today. It is simple, melodic, beautiful and above all, bluesy. There is an extended guitar solo style section (if you can call it that) on this track, showcasing the great talent at hand. The singing is just as good, coming in at the right times.

Corinna Blues (Take 2) comes along next, which has a powerful vocal and delivered very deeply and emotionally by Blind Lemon Jefferson. It is very good that these recordings have lasted until today, showcasing a great talent here. Although not always perfectly audible, especially the lyrics, this is a moving and great listening experience. This is good traditional blues music, no doubt it will put a smile to your face.

Next is Got The Blues (1053) which is another good solid listening experience to hear. Tales of women and loving throughout are here, but the music has genuinely good talent through it. Our blues master created a wonderful set of songs here, and takes you back through time to a much simpler world. Good and nice sounding blues music.

Following is Long Lonesome Blues (1054) which is a different sounding blues piece that sounds covered in hiss, but is superbly done and delivered. Unfortunately, although being great music, it is difficult to hear what is being said and done here, due to the audio quality. A quickly styled delivering is here, but is nice to have in the background of your home whilst doing housework or something similar. Great all the same.

Jack O’Diamonds (Take 1) comes next, with some slide guitar playing here. Blind Lemon Jefferson sings with a deep and soulful vocal, doing superbly here. The whole piece is really good, although the technology of the time struggled to keep up with this amazing talent. The slide guitar is brilliantly done, and is about card playing, for those of who are unaware of the meaning of this song. Great stuff.

Jack O’Diamonds (Take 2) arrives next and is a lot clearer sounding than the previous track. It reveals Blind Lemon Jefferson as a truly unique talent, and singing about losing in a card game, likely Poker or something similar. It is a sad tale of losing at cards, but unless you are a gambler, there need not be feeling overly emotional, although this is a great piece of music.

After that we have Chock House Blues which is more upbeat and with more skilled chops here, and definitely sounds more cheerful than some other cuts here. The singing here is deep and powerful, showcasing a rare and unique talent at the time. Singing about having girls throughout the week, this is really interesting listening.

Next is Beggin’ Back which is an improved quality recording about women troubles with some upbeat guitar playing (electric guitars were not around then, so acoustic only here). It is Blind Lemon Jefferson singing a story about fighting with a woman. Interesting listen, but despite being a good listen, sounds odd.

Old Rounders Blues shows a more bluesy sort of tune than the previous listen. This recording may be covered in hiss, but it sounds really good. Not a bad effort, especially at the time. Some of the guitar playing here is really good, played intricately and without any mistakes. The king of acoustic blues of this time is here.

Stocking Feet Blues (Take 1) is a clearer sounding recording from this time. Singing soulfully and powerfully, Blind Lemon Jefferson delivers, and does well here. He delivers a slower, yet more bluesy song. It is good music on these recordings, even if they were delivered around 100 years ago. Great stuff to listen to. A superb listening experience from way back.

Next is the interestingly titled That Black Snake Moan (Take 2) which is a well played and structured piece about being single. It is a good performance about sexual expression and all that comes along with it. Good listening, although it is covered in tape hiss. A good sense of melodicism and suspense is in this song.

Following is Wartime Blues which is much clearer listening than what is previously delivered. It is a showcase piece for Blind Lemon Jefferson and the lifetime of living through a World War. A pure and refreshing statement, this is really good quality music. Deep and powerful, this really is great blues music. Hear it if you can.

Broke And Hungry (Take 2) is a song about a touchy subject which is normal, sadly, for many people around the world. Blind Lemon Jefferson pleads to go with a lover to go back home with a woman in mind, despite the fact he is broke and hungry. A slower and gentler piece, this is good music, even if it was deemed “satanic” at the time for much of blues music. This is not, and it still is great.

Shuckin’ Sugar Blues (Take 2) begins with some good guitar and equally good singing from our blues master. It sounds unique and brilliant, even today. This is an excellent piece of music that is really great to hear today. A great music piece, this sounds glorious. Good effort by Blind Lemon Jefferson.

Up next is the hilariously titled Booger Rooger Blues which is another solid and well delivered piece of music. It sounds really great, even today. It is more tales of women and heartbreak, but still sounds quite amazing today. This music showcases Blind Lemon Jefferson’s talent throughout the decades, and still shines bright today.

Following is Rabbit Foot Blues which is a more guitar based piece with soulful blues singing. Although this music is notably simple, it is a great listen, even today. The guitar playing gets a little more frenetic towards the end, but this is great music all the same.

Bad Luck Blues is a short piece to end this great collection of songs, and sounds really quite beautiful. A nice way to showcase the real talent that was Blind Lemon Jefferson, a unique and terrifically good listening experience. Good job pal. Sounding melodic and beautiful, this is a good starting point for blues music that has lasted until today.

This is a great collection in a series of collections of Blind Lemon Jefferson’s recordings. The only real downside is that there is hiss all over the place, and you really have to listen carefully to what is going on here with the songs. Regardless, a true talent of recordings nearly 100 years old are here, it’s time to get the blues and listen to songs such as these.

Bluesy.

8/10