Live 1971 by Mississippi Fred McDowell

When Mississippi Fred McDowell proclaimed on one of his final albums, "I do not play no rock & roll," it wasn't a boast by an aging musician swept aside by rock, it was a statement of fact. As a stylist and purveyor of the original Delta blues, he was superb musician, with his slashing bottleneck and roughed up vocal style. He influenced countless musicians including Bonnie Raitt, who he coached on slide guitar and the Rolling Stones who covered his blues classic, "You Got to Move" on 'Sticky Fingers'.

This 19-track set is one of his final performances recorded in Tacoma, Washington on April 4, 1971. The repertoire consists of mostly original compositions along with his unique arrangements of historical songs.

He was diagnosed with cancer while performing that year and lingered for a few months into July 1972, finally succumbing to the disease at age 68. And right to the end, the man remained true to his word; he didn't play any rock & roll, just the straight, natural blues.

McDowell was born in Rossville, Tennessee in 1904. He settled in Como, Mississippi in 1940 where he worked as a farmer while playing music on weekends. He was recorded in 1959 by roving folklore musicologist Alan Lomax and Shirley Collins. With interest in blues and folk music rising the recordings caught the attention of blues aficionados and performed at festivals and clubs internationally.