Women of the Delta Blues - Pt. 4-Jessie Mae Hemphill

April 18, 2008 - AM

Vines draping fences, mist stroking the rolling hills and the tapping drizzle of rain created a surreal feeling long highway #4 from Oxford to Senetobia this morning.  Jessie Mae has been a constant companion on this pilgrimage.  Previous entries make regular mention of this pioneering blues woman and I make consistent musical identification with her rhythm and trance like songwriting.  Indeed she is a regular in my thoughts as I write and record my new music here.  

I have managed to find all of her recordings and have immensely enjoyed her strength and spirit!  Her success was primarily through the 1980's and a stroke in 1993 ended her playing but not her sense of musical community.  The granddaughter of Sid Hempill (Rabbit Foot Minstrels, Fife & Drum Tradition, etc.), Jessie Mae indicated on a weird and wonderful segment on Mr. Roger's Neighborhood (I saw it at the Blues Archives) that she began playing drum at age 9.  She is joined on that video by the legendary fife and drum player Othar Turner.  

This woman was as unique and lovely as any blues figure in history!  Thank you Jessie Mae.

Kat