From Lake Mary

Recorded on the obscure Japanese label Ahura Mazda in 1970, From Lake Mary is the only known document of Scott Dunbar's music. Taped in what is clearly the room of a house, the album retains a back-porch feel. Musically, Dunbar seems a holdover from an earlier era, employing techniques popular among Mississippi blues singers in the 1920s and 1930s. He moans and slurs lines, stretches phrases, and sings in multiple voices (voice projection being an often employed gimmick of prewar players like Charley Patton and Son House). His falsetto is reminiscent of Skip James. An impeccable rhythmic sense is evident on traditional tunes like "Little Liza Jane" and "Vicksburg Blues," Dunbar stomping his foot in perfect time, picking and strumming his strings with snappy energy. Most interesting are "Blue Yodel," made famous by Jimmie Rodgers, and the traditional folk waltz "Goodnight Irene," which closes the album.