▁African - American ▁market ▁for ▁" race ▁records ". ▁The ▁major ▁labels ▁produced ▁the ▁earliest ▁record ings , ▁consisting ▁mostly ▁of ▁one ▁person ▁singing ▁and ▁playing ▁an ▁instrument . ▁Live ▁performances , ▁however , ▁more ▁commonly ▁involved ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁mus icians . ▁Current ▁belief ▁is ▁that ▁Fred die ▁Spr u ell ▁is ▁the ▁first ▁D elta ▁bl ues ▁artist ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁recorded ; ▁his ▁" Mil k ▁Cow ▁Blues " ▁was ▁recorded ▁in ▁Chicago ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 2 6 . ▁Record ▁company ▁talent ▁sc outs ▁made ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁record ings ▁on ▁field ▁tri ps ▁to ▁the ▁South , ▁and ▁some ▁perform ers ▁were ▁invited ▁to ▁travel ▁to ▁northern ▁cities ▁to ▁record . ▁According ▁to ▁D ixon ▁and ▁God rich ▁( 1 9 8 1 ), ▁Tommy ▁Johnson ▁and ▁I sh mon ▁Bra ce y ▁were ▁recorded ▁by ▁Victor ▁on ▁that ▁company ' s ▁second ▁field ▁trip ▁to ▁M emph is , ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 . ▁Robert ▁Wil kins ▁was ▁first ▁recorded ▁by ▁Victor ▁in ▁M emph is ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 , ▁and ▁Big ▁Joe ▁Williams ▁and ▁Gar field ▁Ak ers ▁by ▁Brun sw ick / V ocal ion , ▁also ▁in ▁M emph is , ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 9 . ▁ ▁Son ▁House ▁first ▁recorded ▁in ▁G raft on , ▁Wisconsin , ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 ▁for ▁Param ount ▁Records . ▁Char ley ▁Pat ton ▁also ▁recorded ▁for ▁Param ount ▁in ▁G raft on , ▁in ▁June