Given the importance of Como, Mississippi in blues history, it is surprising and saddening that there is rarely any live blues to be heard in the little town, despite two popular restaurants and a recording studio. Nevertheless, there is abundant talent in the vicinity, as evidenced by the two records of Como-area singers released by the Daptone label. There is also
R. L. Boyce, the senior statesman of Panola County blues musicians, whose career spans both the Hill Country guitar tradition of R. L. Burnside and also the endangered fife-and-drum traditions unique to the region of northern Panola County and southern Tate County in Mississippi. Boyce calls his band the Como Breakdown, and their spirited performance at Cat Head in Clarksdale Saturday was made even more exciting by the unexpected early appearance of Duwayne Burnside, son of the late R. L. Burnside. Boyce established a rapport with the crowd early, and his band kept things jumping, even before the two songs he did with Burnside. He has recorded an album which is supposed to be coming out here in 2013.
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