Father of the Folk Blues, one of the key albums of the folk-blues revival, helped introduced the deepest of the Delta blues singers to a new generation of listeners in the 1960s. House had just begun performing again after years in retirement, and, although tapes of earlier performances from late 1964 and 1965 have since surfaced on various albums, this was the first of his LPs to be released, and, notably, on a major label as well. The session was produced by John Hammond, who had a special interest in House as the mentor of Robert Johnson (an artist Hammond had been championing since the 1930s), with House’s manager Dick Waterman assisting the proceedings. House may not have been as agile a guitarist as he was on his prewar Paramount and Library of Congress sessions, but he played with striking force and his vocals have rarely if ever been equalled in emotional power. Al Wilson, an avid House devotee famed for his stint with Canned Heat, played second guitar and harp on some tracks, and according to Waterman, Wilson helped House relearn his own music.
Released as Columbia CS 9217 (LP) in 1965. Released as Columbia C2K 48867 on CD and cassette with previously unissued songs and alternate takes fom the same session as Father of the Delta Blues: The Complete 1965 Sessions.