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Bentonia blues, with it's own distinct sound, tunings, and repertoire, is a style of music that has haunted fans and scholars alike for decades. Nehemiah "Skip" James, who cut 18 sides for the Paramount label in 1931, left behind the largest body of work from this school, until his rediscovery more than three decades later. Shortly thereafter, a couple more Bentonia musicians were discovered — Cornelius Bright and Jack Owens — who both made their debut recordings in 1966. Forty years later, Jimmy "Duck" Holmes would record his debut album, and he is now considered to be one of the last surviving practitioners of this genre.

Never a group with large numbers, the Bentonia school has a small but proud tradition, largely centered around Henry Stuckey, who was interviewed but never recorded. According to legend, he learned the eerie, minor guitar tuning that is part and parcel of the Bentonia sound from two soldiers overseas in World War I — who, by varying reports, were either Gypsies, or from the West Indies. After returning to Mississippi, he taught the tuning to a young Skip James, who incorporated it into his repertoire shortly thereafter.

In this special episode of Blues Unlimited, we trace the history of Bentonia blues back to Skip James' historic 1931 recordings, through the rediscovery period of the 1960s, and all the way up to the 21st century, with recordings made by Jimmy "Duck" Holmes (some of them at the legendary Blue Front Cafe), for such contemporary labels as Fat Possum and Broke & Hungry.

Pictured (from left to right): Jacob Stuckey, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, and Tommy Lee West, in front of Bentonia’s legendary Blue Front Cafe. Photo courtesy of Jimmy “Duck” Holmes. Inset: One of the recordings Skip James made for Paramount in 1931.

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