Archive for blues

Son House – John the Revelator

When it comes to Delta blues, there is no singer who moves me like Son House. To my ears, no one can match the purity and intensity of his performance on tracks like “Death Letter,” “Grinnin’ in Your Face,” and “Empire State Express.” Like a lot of blues and gospel musicians, Son House had a complicated relationship with the church. His many occupations included time as a Baptist preacher, but ultimately he became a blues singer, playing the kind of music in the kinds of places of which the church did not approve. Still, his belief in God and his sense of a Judgement Day can be heard throughout his recordings. Here is his version of “John the Revelator,” a traditional call and response gospel song first recorded by Blind Willie Johnson.