Blind Willie Johnson’s music seems to resurface through discovery with each generation and understandably so. Because tied to the meager catalog of thirty songs that he recorded over some four sessions between December, 1927 and April, 1930, is a dark and foreboding voice in the night. Its glow is that of a solitary candle in a room of shadows in a house whose bones have fallen to derelict and decay. Willie is telling us to take notice.
The story of Blind Willie Johnson was best transcribed in Sam Charters’ introduction and liner notes for Columbia’s Roots & Blues Series’ “The Complete Works of Blind Willie Johnson”. We’ll go a bit deeper, dedicating our two hours to Blind Willie Johnson featuring tracks from the new tribute album “God Don’t Never Change: The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson”, some classic recordings of Blind Willie, as well as covers of every stripe and style.
No.
1
Artist
Title
Album
Buy
2
Reverend Lewis Jackson & Charlotte Rucell
Dark Was The Night
Classic Sounds of New Orleans
3
Blind Willie Johnson
Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground
Blues Masters, Vol. 15: Slide Guitar Classics
4
Derek Trucks And Susan Tedeschi
Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning
God Don't Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson
5
Hot Tuna
Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning [Live]
Live In Japan
6
Bruce Cockburn
Soul of a Man
Nothing But a Burning Light
7
Ry Cooder
Dark Was The Night
Paris, Texas
8
Maria Muldaur
Oh, the Rain
Any Woman's Blues
9
Sinead O'Connor
Trouble Will Soon Be Over
God Don't Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson
10
Ella Mae Wilson, Lillie B. Williams, and Richard Williams
Motherless Children
Drop On Down in Florida [Disc 2]
11
John Hammond, Jr.
Motherless Willie Johnson
Country Blues
12
Odetta
Motherless Children
7 Classic Albums Plus Bonus Radio Tracks
13
The Dixie Hummingbirds
Nobody's Fault
Diamond Jubilation: 75th Anniversary
14
Arizona Dranes
Bye & Bye We're Going To See The King
He Is My Story: The Sanctified Soul Of Arizona Dranes
15
Blind Willie Johnson
Trouble Will Soon Be Over
The Complete Blind Willie Johnson
16
Blind Willie Johnson
Let Your Light Shine On Me [Album Version]
The Ladykillers Music From The Motion Picture
17
Rev. Pearly Brown
God Don't Never Change
You're Gonna Need That Pure Religion
18
The Staple Singers
Samson And Delilah
Freedom Highway
19
Lee Roy Parnell/The Fairfield Four
John the Revelator
Peace in the Valley [Arista]
20
The Venice Four with Rose Stone and The Abbot Kinney Lighthouse Choir
Let Your Light Shine On Me [Album Version]
The Ladykillers Music From The Motion Picture
21
Blind Willie Johnson
Church, I'm Fully Saved To-Day
The Complete Blind Willie Johnson
22
The Levon Helm Band
God Don't Never Change
The Midnight Ramble Sessions Vol 3
23
David Bromberg Band
Nobody's Fault But Mine
Only Slightly Mad
24
The Blasters
Samson and Delilah
Testament: The Complete Slash Recordings (1981-1985) (2 of 2)
25
Blind Willie Johnson
If I Had My Way I'd Tear The Building Down
ABC Of The Blues Vol 20
26
Johnny Shines
It Ain't Nobody's Fault But Mine
Traditional Delta Blues
27
Irma Thomas
Soul of a Man
After the Rain
28
Tom Waits
The Soul Of A Man
God Don't Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson