Delta blues pioneer Skip James, an influence on everyone from Robert Johnson to Cream, was one of the most idiosyncratic, innovative bluesmen ever. His initial legacy consisted of just 18 songs, cut in 1931 for Paramount, all featuring his high, haunted vocals, unusual guitar tuning, and complex fingerpicking patterns. The Depression pretty much blew James's career out of the water, and he disappeared from public view for decades. He was found and coaxed back into music.