tributary

Son House

Son House sang like a preacher fighting his own congregation, wringing a raw, percussive slide-guitar moan out of the Mississippi Delta that felt less like entertainment than confession. He was there at the source, mentoring the young Robert Johnson and passing the Delta's rawest sound down to whoever was listening close enough.

the sound in question
1930
Preachin' the BluesSon House

we haven’t charted Son House yet

this stretch of the river isn’t mapped. we trace the watershed one artist at a time — and we’re always heading further upstream.

downstream