Mance Lipscomb

Mance Lipscomb — Texas songster, blues guitarist, share-cropper, gentleman, and carrier of a remarkably rich rural African American heritage. His amazingly wide repertoire ranges from powerful topical protest ballads like "Tom Moore" to spirituals, children's songs, old pop songs, blues, boogies and stories.

Lipscomb influenced many folk artists like Bob Dylan, Taj Mahal, etc., during the 1960's and '70s, when he appeared with many of the stars at folk festivals. He called himself a "Songster" and mastered an extraordinarily large and varied repertoire reflecting the full range of rural Texas African-American culture as well as many pop songs and fiddle tunes.

These tracks are rare, live performances by a legendary giant of roots music. Filled with incredible, raw talent and musicianship these performances harken back to an era when the originators of blues and zydeco were still with us to enjoy.

Chris Strachwitz writes: "Once frowned upon as "alley music," "low class" or worse, the blues have in the past 40 years become one of the most widely loved and imitated forms of American popular music. None of this dawned on us in 1966, but I am glad that many of the legends of the Blues world did get heard outside their usual "chitlin' circuit." Today they are almost all gone, but they have enriched our lives immeasurably. I know that Mance Lipscomb especially not only enjoyed meeting new friends but also cherished the fact that his musical legacy and heritage was being passed on to future generations.

"Back home in their own communities the blues singers' music and poetry were seldom still valued or appreciated but perhaps this new, outside attention will revive or awaken an interest among all young people and help them realize that there is priceless beauty not only in contemporary music but in the older traditions as well."

— Courtesy Calabash Music