Richmond Blues

Cephas and Wiggins SFW40179

In Richmond Blues, guitarist-singer John Cephas and his harmonica-player partner Phil Wiggins personify the century-old blues sound of the Piedmont, the Appalachian foothills running from Richmond to Atlanta. Drawing from roots of ragtime, ballads, country, old-time string band, rhythm and blues, and more, Richmond Blues is a musical roadmap of the Virginia Piedmont tradition. While Cephas calls it "part of my heritage, part of my soul," their sound is at the same time distinctly modern, a kind of "urban acoustic blues."

This recording is part of the Smithsonian Folkways African American Legacy series, co-presented with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Year of Recording 2008
Record Label Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Source Archive Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
Credits Produced by Barry Lee Pearson ; Liner Notes by Barry Lee Pearson ; Recorded by Bill McElroy ; Recorded by Slipped Disc Audio ; Mastered by Pete Reiniger ; Design by Sonya Cohen Cramer

Download Liner Notes

101	Richmond Blues	John Cephas and Phil Wiggins	3:57
102	Going to the River	John Cephas and Phil Wiggins	5:02
103	Keep Your Hands Off My Baby	John Cephas and Phil Wiggins	3:58
104	Black Rat Swing	John Cephas and Phil Wiggins	3:32
105	Mamie	John Cephas and Phil Wiggins	4:10
106	Crow Jane	John Cephas and Phil Wiggins	3:01
107	Dog Days of August	John Cephas and Phil Wiggins	4:09
108	John Henry	John Cephas and Phil Wiggins	5:36
109	Pigmeat Crave	John Cephas and Phil Wiggins	3:32
110	Prison Bound Blues	John Cephas and Phil Wiggins	5:21
111	Key to the Highway	John Cephas and Phil Wiggins	3:25
112	Going Down the Road Feeling Bad	John Cephas and Phil Wiggins	3:35
113	Careless Love	John Cephas and Phil Wiggins	5:48
114	Great Change	John Cephas and Phil Wiggins	3:47
115	Reno Factory	John Cephas and Phil Wiggins	3:16
116	Step It Up and Go	John Cephas and Phil Wiggins	2:57

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