Skip James

Skip James, born Nehemiah Curtis James on June 9, 1902, was a pioneering blues guitarist and pianist closely associated with the American Delta Blues tradition and regarded as a founder of the “Bentonia” style.

James' distinctive sound is based on his unique use of open D-minor tuning that gives his songs a somber and profound character. In addition to his unique tuning, Skip James utilized a broader range of registers than other blues guitarists of his time.

Although James did not experience commercial success during his prime recording years between the 1920s and 1930s, the songs recorded in this period, including “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues” and “22-20 Blues,” have become canonical in the blues repertoire, with “22-20 Blues” popularized by Robert Johnson as “32-20 Blues.”

In the early 1960s, interest in the music of Skip James grew as a result of the folk revival at the time. Although he was in ailing health, Skip James recorded and released at least four LPs, with unreleased material published periodically since his death.

Skip James' songs have been covered by artists including Cream (“I’m So Glad”) and have been featured in popular films including O Brother, Where Art Thou.