Fat Possum, a twisted subsidiary of the punk imprint Epitaph Records, is home to old-time blues purveyors such as R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. Some wise guy at the label must have had the bright idea to put three of the label's most volatile and visceral artists on a single bill and send the whole shooting match out into the hinterlands to see who comes back alive. The aptly christened Juke Joint Caravan tour boasts an incredible lineup of seasoned Delta blues guitar men, including Paul "Wine" Jones, CeDell Davis, and of course, the incomparable T-Model Ford. The three players have a combined age hovering just over 220 years. Jones is a welder by trade who picked up the guitar as a diversion. Davis has always played, but had to relearn the instrument when, at the age of 10, he was struck down by polio and had to start playing left-handed, using one of his mother's knives as a slide -- a trick he continues to employ. Ford may have the wildest tale to tell. The 79-year-old has put out three albums on Fat Possum in the last four years (
Peewee Get My Gun,
You Better Keep Still, and
She Ain't None of Your'N) -- an amazing feat, considering he never picked up a guitar until he was 56 years old. If you've never been to the Delta, the quickest way to get there is a ride on the Juke Joint Caravan.
