RIP John Cephas

John Cephas died on March 6th, in Virginia.

I go back with this guy a long way. Although some of the obits I read refer to him as a “master guitarist,” I would disagree. He definitely mastered the style of Piedmont Blues, and carried on the tradition of the Guitar/Harmonica combo, but technically he was limited to that style. Additionally, I think that, apart from the pairing of himself and Phil Wiggins (on harmonica) he would have toiled in relative obscurity. As it stands, together they created the best Piedmont Blues of the last quarter century, and deserve all the accolades that they received. Phil Wiggins, on the other hand, I would consider a master harmonica player.

R.I.P Bowling Green John Cephas.

This tune is from a concert in Maryland a couple years ago, and the link above has some video.

Cephas and Wiggins