The Very Best of Skip James

Skip James' soft eerie falsetto and odd guitar tunings place him apart from other Delta blues players, and when he took a turn at the piano, that, too, was unique. His reputation rests on 18 sides he recorded for Paramount Records in Grafton, Wisconsin, in 1931, but James also had a brief second act when he was rediscovered in the 1960s with his guitar and singing skills still intact. He recorded for several small labels and played the folk and blues college coffeehouse circuit until his death in 1969, and if his legacy wasn't expanded by his rediscovery years, neither was it diminished. This set contains several of his classic 1930s tracks, including "Devil Got My Woman," "I'm So Glad," and "Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues," but it also features versions of these three songs recorded live in the 1960s, ample proof that James lost little of his talent in those 30-plus "lost" years.