Booker T. Washington White, from Aberdeen, Mississippi, was born in 1906. The cousin of B.B. King, Bukka is remembered as a fine blues singer, gifted song-writer and deft guitarist.
He first recorded in the 1930’s including one session for Alan Lomax which was taped while he was serving time at the infamous Parchman Farm Prison for shooting a man.
There then came a gap of 24 years before he was recorded again by E.D. Denson and John Fahey. He gave himself to these sessions with an almost relentless determination and despite the passage of time, there had been almost no change in Bukka’s style; he hadnt slowed his picking and the songs still had their powerful, raw edge.
The years that passed since 1964 were often unsettled, often insecure, but for Bukka White the singing never stopped.
The 1963 series of recordings, ‘Shake Em On Down’, provided the inspiration behind Recoil’s ‘Electro Blues for Bukka White’ which featured on the ‘Bloodline’ LP.
