Jas. Mathus And His Knock-Down Society – Play Songs For Rosetta

Limited Edition Vinyl

This is a limited pressing, and the final number is shaped entirely by the fans who preorder it. When the preorder window closes, that number gets set. This pressing will not exceed 500 copies, and a repress is not planned. This is your chance to own it.

Preorder is available until September 30, 2026

Expected shipping date: February 5, 2027

DETAILS

Play Songs for Rosetta is the 1997 debut from Jimbo Mathus & His Knockdown Society, recorded during the peak of his Squirrel Nut Zippers years. The band featured Luther and Cody Dickinson before they became the North Mississippi Allstars, Pat Sansone (Wilco), Andrew Bird, and Glenn Graham (Blind Melon). It was recorded by Mike Napolitano (Squirrel Nut Zippers, Blind Melon, Ani DiFranco, Andrew Bird, Afghan Whigs, Corrosion of Conformity, Twilight Singers). With all that talent, no wonder it is one of the finest Delta blues records of its era. Yet somehow, it has never been on vinyl.

Near Miss Records is releasing the 30th Anniversary Edition pressed across two LPs. The original album is included in full, closing with On the Record, where Jimbo tells the story of this album and his relationship with Rosetta Patton, Charley Patton’s daughter, in his own words. LP2 also includes five live performances from Knock Down in Nashville, a CD-only release from 1998 capturing the Knockdown Society live at Billy Block's Western Beat Roots Revival on February 3, 1998. These recordings have also never appeared on vinyl.

What's Included

Every copy comes with digital access to:

• A booklet of photos and other pieces from the Rosetta era

• Video footage from the sessions

• Postcards for Rosetta, Jimbo's companion film created during an artist-in-residence stay in Clarksdale, MS. Recorded using his own handmade marionettes, it tells the story of Charley Patton's last moments, as passed down to Jimbo by Charley's daughter, Rosetta Patton Brown. In Jimbo's words: "This is a very personal story that I created with marionettes, elbow grease and a little time. I hope you'll watch it."

Track List:

LP 1 - Side A

1. I Got Mine

2. Keep Your Hands Off

3. Diggin’ My Potatoes

4. Jesus is a Dying Bed Maker

5. Trouble Belongs to Me/Blues for Blind Lemon

6. Mississippi Moan

LP 1 - Side B

1. Hey, Hey

2. Turkey Buzzard in a Pork Pie Hat

3. Don’t Make Me Wait

4. Who’ll Sop My Gravy?

5. Goin’ Down the Road

LP 2 - Side A

1. Memphis Bound

2. She’s Alright

3. Some of These Days

4. On the Record (The Story of Play Songs for Rosetta)

LP 2 - Side B

1. Don’t Make Me Wait (Live - Knock Down in Nashville)

2. Blues for Blind Lemon (Live - Knock Down in Nashville)

3. No Monkey Business (Live - Knock Down in Nashville)

4. I Like the Christian Life (Live - Knock Down in Nashville)

5. Don’t Know Nothin’ (Live - Knock Down in Nashville)

Production Details

2LP gatefold jacket — 140-gram black vinyl — two-sided color insert — anti-static poly-lined inner sleeves

About This Pressing

At Near Miss Records, we press to real demand. The total number of copies made is determined by the preorders placed during the window plus a small reserve for artist copies, promos, and late demand, not by a number we picked in advance. For this release, the ceiling is 500 copies.

Once the preorder window closes and we send everything to the pressing plant for production, every purchaser will get an email with the final quantity pressed. That same number will also be on the album's hype sticker, so you'll always know exactly what you're holding.

A repress of this edition is not planned. The people who preorder are the people guaranteed to get it. We think that's the right way to do this.