IVOS 2: ΚΕΙΜΕΝΑ,ΕΙΚΟΝΕΣ

Durham, North Carolina  singer and guitarist  Jake Xerxes Fussell ‘s self-titled debut record, produced by and featuring  William Tyler , transmutes ten arcane folk and blues tunes into vibey cosmic laments and crooked riverine rambles. Jake Xerxes (yes, that’s his real middle name, after Georgia potter  D.X. Gordy ) grew up in  Columbus, Georgia , son of  Fred C. Fussell , a folklorist, curator, and photographer who hails from across the river in  Phenix City, Alabama  (once known as “The Wickedest City in America” for its rampant vice, corruption, and crime.) Fred’s fieldwork took him, often with young Jake in tow, across the Southeast documenting traditional vernacular culture, which included  recording blues and old-time musicians with fellow folklorists and recordists  George Mitchell  and  Art Rosenbaum  (which led Jake to music, and to some of the songs herein) and collaborating with American Indian artists (which led Jake eventually to his graduate research on Ch