The most important bluesman of all time? Arguably, yes. He was the genre's first "rock star" —  selling hit records and influencing many other musicians, not just later, but during his lifetime. He sold enough 78s that Paramount Records let him choose  other artists for recording sessions. His popular records and animated live shows influenced everyone from Howlin' Wolf, Pops Staples and Bukka White to Bob Dylan, Jack White and Taj Mahal. (Juke Joint Festival favorites Jimbo Mathus and Rev Peyton have also recorded Patton hits.)

I bought a copy of this 2-LP reissue in 1992, and to this day, I still love to hear it. With many of the tracks closing in on 100 years old, the "antique" nature of the music and recording process provides a window — maybe even a portal — to the beginnings of Delta blues. And that's not even getting into to the topical nature of many Patton classics — "Mississippi Boweavil Blues," [Sheriff] "Tom Rushen Blues,"  "Highwater Everywhere," etc. Simply amazing. I ask you: How many recordings released this year will still be influencing new generations of musicians in the year 3000? - Roger Stolle (Cat Head).

1929-1934 recordings:
    - Disc 1 -
    1 Mississippi Bo Weevil Blues
    2 Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues
    3 Down the Dirt Road Blues
    4 Pony Blues
    5 Banty Rooster Blues
    6 It Won't Be Long
    7 Tom Rushen Blues
    8 A Spoonful Blues
    9 Shake It and Break It
    10 Going to Move to Alabama
    11 Elder Green Blues
    12 Frankie and Albert
    13 Some These Days I'll Be Gone
    14 Green River Blues
    - Disc 2 -
    1 Hammer Blues
    2 When Your Way Gets Dark
    3 High Water Everywhere Part 1
    4 High Water Everywhere Part 2
    5 Rattlesnake Blues
    6 Running Wild Blues
    7 Dry Well Blues
    8 Moon Going Down
    9 Bird Nest Bound
    10 High Sheriff Blues
    11 Stone Pony Blues
    12 34 Blues
    13 Revenue Man Blues
    14 Poor Me