Bo Carter

Armenter "Bo Carter" Chatmon's lyrics proved him the master of the double entendre, from "Banana in Your Fruit Basket" to "Let Me Roll Your Lemon" to "My Pencil Won't Write No More." His solo work from the late 1920s to the early '40s is stunning, with Robert Johnson-influenced guitar work weaving multiple bass and treble parts simultaneously. This finger-picking wizard -- the half-brother of blues legend Charlie Patton -- was also a singer, with a high, sweet voice touched with a slight vibrato. Carter spent a good deal of time playing in his brother Lonnie's band, the Mississippi Sheiks, which showcased his multi-instrumental skills on guitar, banjo, clarinet and more for string/jug-band classics.