The longest road I know.

This is a recording of 61 Highway written by Fred McDowell. U.S. Route 61 connects Louisiana to the northern states and is path that the blues took to get north. Where the 61 crosses the 49 is where Tommy Johnson (and later Robert Johnson) sold his soul to the Devil to play guitar.

Fred McDowell's music feels very familiar to me. As a middle class white boy I can't relate to the specifics of his music, but I can relate to the joys and the sadness of it. Of course I'm not alone in this. This is the reason the blues is such a transcendent art form. But Fred's music resonates in me. When he writes that the 61 Highway is the longest road he knows, this is not only a statement of fact, but an allusion to the history behind the it, and a reflection on the burden of travelling that road. It ceases to be just a highway and becomes a symbol of personal journey.

This is the third song in a series of me learning to sing. My voice is getting stronger and more confident. I think this song also suits my voice. I still have a hard time keeping my lungs to the end.

For you poor souls still using Internet Explorer the lovely flashplayer above is probably broken, so here is a link to the mp3. There are more of my solo guitar recordings on jimmycorp.com.