The Mississippi Marvel

“The World Must Never Know” represents the debut recordings of a 70-something Delta bluesman dubbed the Mississippi Marvel. Like countless bluesmen before him, he has lived a life steeped in two separate and opposing traditions: The reckless abandon of a juke joint on Saturday night, and the healing redemption of church on Sunday. And like many of those earlier bluesmen, this artist has never reconciled these two warring factions of his identity.Although he still occasionally turns up at his neighborhood juke, the artist today devotes more attention to his local church community. And like many conservative black churches in the South, his still regards blues music as something shameful, even sinful.Fearing the rejection of this community, the artist steadfastly refuses to release any music under his own name. And so, the Legend of the Mississippi Marvel is born.The Mississippi Marvel’s voice is an instrument of incomparable intensity, full of power and fury. His rich vibrato recalls some of the region’s most legendary singers. His guitar playing is all jagged lines and ragged, funky rhythm, played with aggression rather than grace.