As much a folklorist and community historian as a performer, Sparky Rucker (Knoxville, TN) has combined his love for blues and songs from the Black ballad tradition with a desire to both educate and entertain. Rucker is also closely associated with the folk legacy of the Appalachians. His recordings and performances often constitute history lessons in themselves, as Rucker revives and reinterprets bygone lore -- tales of Black outlaws and heroes, railroad songs, prison songs, freedom songs, spirituals, and more. A fine slideguitarist, Sparky Rucker brings his own touch to the blues of Robert Johnson and other legends, as well as composing his own. ~ Jim O'Neal