ABOVE THE DELTA, IN THE NORTHERN HILLS OF MISSISSIPPI, THE BLUES HAS BEEN EXPRESSED IN ITS MOST AUSTERE, ENIGMATIC, AND TRANSGRESSIVE FORM. "MISSISSIPPI" FRED MCDOWELL, JESSIE MAE HEMPHILL, JUNIOR KIMBROUGH, AND THE BURNSIDE DYNASTY. SEVENTY YEARS OF UNIQUE BLUES, INSEPARABLE FROM THE LAND WHERE IT EMERGED AND THE BLUESMEN WHO PLAYED IT. THEIR LEGACY LIVES ON, THE DESCENDANTS OF BURNSIDE AND KIMBROUGH CONTINUE TO RECORD THE HILL COUNTRY BLUES THEY GREW UP WITH, THE DICKINSON BROTHERS OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS HAVE EVOLVED ITS ROOTS, AND THE BLACK KEYS HAVE TAKEN THEIR LEARNINGS INTO ORIENTED POP AUDIENCES. KENT BURNSIDE, GRANDSON OF R.L., HAS RETURNED TO THE STUDIO, SILENT FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, TO RECORD ANOTHER PIECE IN THE ONGOING EVOLUTION AND REVITALIZATION OF THOSE MAGICAL CHORDS. THE TITLE OF HIS FOURTH SOLO ALBUM, “MISSISSIPPI HILL BLOOD,” LEAVES NO DOUBT ABOUT ITS CONTENTS: HILL COUNTRY BLUES EXPRESSED WITH THE DEEPEST CONVICTION BY A BLUESMAN WHOSE ROOTS RUN UNSHAKABLY DEEP.