Radio Topia

From PRX

You're listening to Radio Diaries, I'm Joe Richmond.

On November 23rd, 1936, two men sat down in front of a microphone and began to play.

These two men could not have been more different.

One was a cello prodigy who had performed for the Queen of Spain.

The other played guitar in the juke joints of the Mississippi Delta.

This is the sound of one of the world's greatest classical cellists,

and probably the most legendary blues guitarist of all time, jamming together.

Of course, it didn't really happen. Not like that, anyway.

Pablo Casals and Robert Johnson were an ocean apart.

But in the same day in 1936, they both made recordings that would change music history.

I went to the crossroad, bell down on my knees.

I first met Robert, 1936, same year he recorded.

He wasn't famous at the time.

Just a choir and played guitar.

My name is Honeyboy Edwards. I'm a guitar playing and I play the blues.

Back in them days on a Saturday night,

everybody would go up at that roadhouse,

read down the 61 highway.

Have music, have barbecue, white whiskey.

And we all started playing the blues together.

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