Bobby Joe Swilley Delta Pride CD

This is truly a very unique cd in many ways. First, by looking at the cover photo, this cd is dedicated to two families who were share croppers on the Swilley Farm. This photo was taken in September, 1952, across the road from the Swilley home. The cotton field in this photo was a part of the land my father acquired through share cropping. These families went on to acquire their own land through the process of share cropping. Another unique part of this cd is the writing of Bobby Joe Swilley. The lyrics tell the story of life as is was in the 1950's as a cotton farmer in the Mississippi Delta. Should you take away the instrumentation of these songs you will find beautiful poetry. In fact, the writer, Bobby Joe Swilley, even thought of poetry as a release for this project. Deeper in the music of this project you will hear the authentic voice of a real Mississippi Delta White Boy. This might be hard to understand but not for Bobby Joe. He was raised in the cotton fields in Mississippi and heard the Negro Spirituals and chants from those cotton fields and was a regular listener to the Negro Gospel Music at Truvine Church in Langford, Mississippi and his mother played the piano at the Oakdale Baptist Church in the same community for fifty years. Bobby Joe had the influences at an early age of all this music and life. So, he developed a style that includes all these different styles and is, indeed, very unique and a style you cannot learn. It is born of the South and especially the Mississippi Delta. Bobby Joe cannot put his style in one catagory of music, it is a blend of all of it, that's why it is so unique. Another part of the music written and recorded by Bobby Joe is the fact that he was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall Of Fame in 1998 but inducted as a Drummer, not a singer. In his early years, he was the studio drummer for Delta Records in Jackson, Mississippi under the direction of Jimmie Ammons. Bobby Joe recorded many songs there as a drummer and sometimes a back up vocal singer but never as a lead singer. But he had a feel for the music as a drummer and offered rhythm to the songs that gave it "the beat". Delta Records was a demo studio and most of the songs went on to major labels and Bobby Joe did not play on those songs. However, he is credited for many demos that the drums made a difference when presented to major record producers. Bobby Joe decided later to begin his singing career and has recorded four cd's on his own of mostly original songs and a few cover songs. Although he is the lead vocalist on this cd he is, also, the drummer. Lastly, this cd is a historical writing of life as it was in the 1950's from the view of the farmer, share cropper, cotton gin, and of course, THE MUSIC. It is a rare blend of country, gospel, rockabilly, blues, all combined with beautiful harmonies and melodies. "Authentic Mississippi Delta Country Blues", that what it is. Hope you enjoy!