Walter 'furry' Lewis

The Guitar Of Furry Lewis

A guide to the traditional blues playing style of the Mississippi bluesman who lived in Memphis and had a gift for storytelling and showmanship. Walter 'Furry' Lewis recorded 25 songs between 1927 and 1929, as well as several albums in the 1960s for Folkways, Prestige and other labels after being rediscovered as part of the great blues rebirth.

As a guitarist, Furry Lewis was a two-finger picker with a huge vocabulary of sounds at his fingertips. He worked effortlessly with both broad strokes and intricate detail, possessing a fluidity that recalls the talents of the great Robert Johnson. Guitar authority John Miller presents a close-up analysis of the playing of this intriguing character who epitomised the showmanship and craft of the blues in a unique and highly personal way.