JOHN HAMMOND
At The Crossroads -
The Blues Of Robert Johnson (Vanguard)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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Although Robert Johnson's name and songs are familiar to almost anyone with a passing interest in the blues these days, that wasn't true when John Hammond began interpreting his music four decades ago. There had only been a dozen recordings of the seminal Delta bluesman released, eleven before his death at the age of 27 in 1938 and one posthumously, and those were only to be found on aging 78s, although some of the songs had become familiar through the work of some of his followers. Hammond, more than anyone else, though, dedicated himself to resurrecting the music in the style of Johnson himself, earning a reputation in some circles as "the white Robert Johnson."

Hammond's enthusiasm for Johnson's music and Johnson's style has never waned, and there's no artist more suitable for a compilation like At The Crossroads. Drawn from Hammond's releases on Vanguard during the sixties and seventies, these fourteen tracks provide an excellent musical portrait of both the interpreter and the original creator of this music. When it's just Hammond and his slide guitar, the echoes of Johnson's original roadhouse performances are uncannily present. When Hammond is joined by bands for four of the cuts, it's just as easy to imagine Johnson transported to a later era when he could have joined the likes of Michael Bloomfield, Charlie Musselwhite, Robbie Robertson and Hammond's other accomplices in a modern studio setting. In any setting, Hammond's affection for the form and the authenticity of his performances are impressive.

This may be the ultimate John Hammond collection, as well as the ultimate Robert Johnson tribute. In either event, it's an essential addition to your blues collection.

Track List:

32-20 Blues * Milkcow's Calf Blues * Traveling Riverside Blues * Stones In My Passway * Cross Road Blues * Hellhound Blues (Hellhound On My Trail) * Me And The Devil Blues * Walking Blues * Come On In My Kitchen * Preaching Blues (Up Jumped The Devil) * Sweet Home Chicago * When You Got A Good Friend * Judgement Day (If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day) * Rambling Blues (Rambling On My Mind)

© 2003 - Shaun Dale