J.B. Lenoir Down In Mississippi (LP, 180g Vinyl, Ltd.)

(Bellaphon/Blue Angel) 12 tracks, 180g vinyl, gatefold cover, limited edition (1,000).

J.B. Lenoir, born on 5 March 1929, was a cornerstone of the Chicago blues scene for years. He was on stage with other greats like Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf or Sonny Boy Williamson. Despite various song successes, however, he was long denied the opportunity to record a complete album of his own songs.

This only changed in the mid-1960s when the blues connoisseur Horst Lippmann rediscovered J.B. Lenoir and made it possible for him to record his own works on two LPs: "Alabama Blues" (1965) and "Down in Mississippi". Already on his first album, Lenoir openly criticised the racism of those tumultuous days of the American civil rights movement - and thus became a pioneer of political blues.

On "Down in Mississippi", recorded on 2 September 1966, the bluesman continued his criticism, putting the Vietnam War and the poverty of blacks in the USA into words, accompanied only by his acoustic guitar and the well-known drummer Fred Bellow.
Unfortunately, Lenoir himself did not live to see the release of his second album, as he died in April 1967 as a result of an unexplained car accident. Both albums, however, became his legacy, inspiring other artists - from Jimi Hendrix Ober John Mayall to Wim Wenders.

As a storyteller, songwriter, musician and live performer, J.B. Lenoir was a giant - and he gave a lot to the blues that made it grow and thrive."