Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Fascinating music with a fascinating history. In 1971 Swedish blues fan and amateur field researcher Bengt Olsson and recording engineer James Larocca went to an area described in this album's sleevenote as "the middle of nowhere" to search for undiscovered blues artists. And there in Elba, Alabama they stumbled across the singer/guitarist Perry Tillis who had recently become blind. In his early years Tillis had been a "rambling" blues musician travelling all over the South East and as far West as California rubbing shoulders with maestros like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. Tillis had even played two shows at Geneva Country with gospel slide guitar legend Blind Willie Johnson. In old age, Tillis had dedicated his life to Jesus and with his last wife had started a tiny church next to his house. And there, at the Savior Lord Jesus Pentecostal Church he continued to minister til his death at the age of 85. The searing blues gospel that Bengt Olsson captured on this album is nothing short of breathtaking. Declaring traditional songs like "God Don't Like It" and "Too Close", timeless classics like Washington Phillips' "Denomination Blues" and Blind Willie Johnson's "Nobody's Fault But Mine" and powerful Tillis originals like "Soon One Morning" and "Kennedy Moan" all sung with the passion of the true believer while his throbbing guitar, often heavily amplified, is all you need to take you down to blues gospel alley. Don't let your taste in gospel stop at rock white boys acknowledging the roots, get this album and hear the real country blues deal in all its mighty, smouldering power.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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