Legends of Bottleneck Blues Guitar

This video presents rare and historical recordings from 1965 to 1970 of some of the greatest exponents of bottleneck blues technique. Black bottleneck guitar styles were probably initially inspired by lap-style Hawaiian slide guitar which enjoyed immense popularity shortly after its inception in the mid-1890s. By 1903, it was already in vogue in Mississippi (and probably elsewhere) according to testimony from W. C. Handy, Gus Cannon, and others. Although particularly popular in Mississippi and Louisiana, bottleneck styles could be found the length and breadth of the rural South. While there were similarities among guitarists in some locales, there was no preponderant style or approach other than the abilities and imagination of the guitarist employing a slide technique. The musicians presented in this video are among the greatest exponents of slide blues guitar who ever lived and are ample testimony to the superb variety available in this style. Features Son House, Johnny Shines, Fred McDowell, Jesse Fuller, Furry Lewis, and Mance Lipscomb.