The most important of the early Delta bluesman is without a doubt Charley Patton. He's been called the "Father of the Delta Blues" because of important early Delta blues recordings and his lasting influence on both contemporaries and the blues players and rock stars who followed. He remains a personal favorite, and this is the only book about him that is currently in print. While it is a bit on the academic side, it is likely essential for Patton fans. - Roger Stolle, Cat Head
 
From the web: "On the fiftieth anniversary of Charley Patton's death, a distinguished group of blues scholars gathered in Liège, Belgium, at a conference organized by Robert Sacré, to discuss Patton's life and work and his importance in the history and evolution of the blues. Three years later, the conference papers were published in a no-frills, limited edition of two hundred copies, which quickly became an elusive and much sought-after collector's item. This updated and amended reprint, which is enhanced by the inclusion of unpublished photographs from the archives of David Evans, makes these important essays on Charley Patton generally available for the first time." - Guido van Rijn, author of Roosevelt's Blues: African-American Blues and Gospel Songs on FDR and Kennedy's Blues: African-American Blues and Gospel Songs on JFK, both published by University Press of Mississippi