Memphis songster Furry Lewis may not have achieved the posthumous fame of Robert Johnson or attained the bad-man cachet of Tommy McLennan, but nonetheless he was a matchless raconteur and a formidable repository of Memphis folklore. His most famous recording is a retelling of the Kassie Jones legend that stretches for more than six minutes and contains more cryptic witticisms, double entendres, and risqué jokes than a half-dozen country blues records put together. Lewis displayed his particular gift as an entertainer and tale-teller on nearly all his recordings. If none of his other works rival "Kassie Jones" for sheer length, they sometimes surpass it in terms of pathos (as in the heartrending "Falling Down Blues") or observational acuity (as in Furry's finely wrought retelling of the story of Billy Lyon and Stack-o-Lee). Furry Lewis 1927-29 collects the entirety of Lewis' prewar output. The material glows with fierce energy and charm, making this collection an essential purchase for listeners with an interest in the history of Memphis blues.
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Memphis songster Furry Lewis may not have achieved the posthumous fame of Robert Johnson or attained the bad-man cachet of Tommy McLennan, but nonetheless he was a matchless raconteur and a formidable repository of Memphis folklore. His most famous recording is a retelling of the Kassie Jones legend that stretches for more than six minutes and contains more cryptic witticisms, double entendres, and risqué jokes than a half-dozen country blues records put together. Lewis displayed his particular gift as an entertainer and tale-teller on nearly all his recordings. If none of his other works rival "Kassie Jones" for sheer length, they sometimes surpass it in terms of pathos (as in the heartrending "Falling Down Blues") or observational acuity (as in Furry's finely wrought retelling of the story of Billy Lyon and Stack-o-Lee). Furry Lewis 1927-29 collects the entirety of Lewis' prewar output. The material glows with fierce energy and charm, making this collection an essential purchase for listeners with an interest in the history of Memphis blues.
