Hill country blues

Hill country blues
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsMississippi, U.S.

Hill country blues (also known as North Mississippi hill country blues or North Mississippi blues) is a regional style of country blues. It is characterized by a strong emphasis on rhythm and percussion, steady guitar riffs, few chord changes, unconventional song structures, and heavy emphasis on the "groove", which has been characterized as the "hypnotic boogie".[1]

The hill country is a region of northern Mississippi bordering Tennessee. It lies in the counties of Marshall, Panola, Tate, Tippah, and Lafayette[2] and straddles the ecoregions of the North Hilly Plain (Red Clay Hills or North Central Hills), the Loess Plains, and Bluff Hills. The hills have poor agricultural soil and wide forested areas, which led to the development of a lumber industry but only small farms.[3] Holly Springs and Oxford, Mississippi, are often cited as centers of hill country music. The style is regarded as distinct from the blues of the Mississippi Delta, which lies west of the hill country. An annual picnic is held to celebrate the region and its music.

  1. ^ "Mississippi Hill Country Blues: An Introduction | R.L. Burnside – Junior Kimbrough – Mississippi Fred McDowell – Jessie Mae Hemphill – North Mississippi Allstars". Hillcountryharmonica.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  2. ^ "Oxford Blues". Mississippi Blues Trail. Mississippi Blues Commission. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  3. ^ "North Central Hills". MS Archaeology Trails. Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Archived from the original on May 5, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.