Nhistory of delta blues books

The list starts with general books of the blues essential reading, followed by blues artists in alphabetical order, interjected with blues books on particular themes. Buy a cheap copy of delta blues book by carolyn haines. Stefan grossman, noted roots blues guitarist and musicologist, has compiled this fascinating collection of 14 songs from seven pivotal early blues guitarists from the mississippi delta. He has recorded several cds as a pianist and composer and is the author of five highly regarded books on jazz and roots music. Artists like tony joe white, john fogerty, eric clapton and tab benoit have certainly put their spin on delta blues. Blues is the roots and everything else is the fruits willie dixon blues had a baby and they called it rock and roll muddy waters in this book, ted gioia gets to the roots of the rootsthe delta blues, arguably the greatest influence in music today. Strongly influenced by jazz and incorporated caribbean influences, it is dominated by piano and saxophone but has also produced major guitar bluesmen. Jackson offers a unique and entertaining look at the history of delta blues and teaches the basic vocabulary of delta blues style with this twoprong, book anddvd approach.

The stories are all by different authors and edited by carol haines. This collection of short fiction captures both the art of the tale and the power of the blues, and is a nod at the human condition that often inspires musicians to write and sing the blues. Delta blues by carolyn haines goodreads share book. The best acoustic blues guitar lessons to learn how to play in the style of the greatest bluesmen such as robert johnson, big bill broonzy, son house and many others. Santellis wide definition of blues music includes styles from folk to rock.

It is truly a unique culture and the blues music is awesome. Here komara and johnson answer the question of not only what is a blues book, but which ones are worth owning. The story of the blues told through the eyes of the artists who lived it. The stories are fascinating and touched with mysticism, and violence and murder and the blues. Search the history of over 424 billion web pages on the internet.

We are in the posthistory of the blues, and at this point we might as well set some requirements, guards against benign nonsense, for new books. Jackson offers a unique and entertaining look at the history of delta blues and teaches the basic vocabulary of delta blues style with this twoprong, bookanddvd approach. However, there isnt a single source that traces the entire arc of the delta blues from its absolute origins at the turn of the century, through the era of the classic blues singers of the 20s and 30s. Oliver is one of the most respected and prolific writers on blues history and this is a very readable overview of the origins and evolution of blues in the 20th century. There have been suggestions that he moved to chicago shortly after world war i. Connect with delta blues collectors across the globe and complete your collection. Mick brown enjoys a judicious history of one of popular musics most influential traditions. Pioneers like howlin wolf and muddy waters paved the way for many british artists who created a pop influenced blues style. In general delta blues, country blues and ragtime is called fingerstyle these days. In this book, ted gioia gets to the roots of the rootsthe delta blues, arguably the. List of books and articles about blues music online. This songbook provides a nice spoonful of blues by artists from the fifties chuck berry and elvis, the sixties cream, the seventies zz top, acdc, led zeppelin and deep purple, the eighties stevie ray vaughan and the nineties eric claptons acoustic cover of bo diddley. Alfred beginning delta blues guitar bookdvd woodwind. Desoto magazineif you dont know a lot about blues music and the delta musicians who birthed it, lived it and kept it alivein spite of the more popular.

The more we visit, the more i appreciate the people, their struggles and their history. Francis daviss the history of the blues is a groundbreaking rethinking of the blues that fearlessly examines how race relations have altered perceptions of the music. Deep blues robert palmer robert palmers book focuses on the deltachicago connection, loaded with fascinating stories and profiles about people and places. American cornerstone influencing everyone from the rolling stones to cassandra wilson, the blues recordings that came out of the mississippi delta. It originated in the mississippi delta, a region of the u. Alfred beginning delta blues guitar bookdvd musicians. Experience the blues in its birthplace on this guided excursion in the mississippi delta.

When the mississippi delta blues festival began in 1978, it was the only major festival of its kind in the south. Learn the techniques and history of the delta blues with this book anddvd set. Bb king charles brown koko taylor buddy guy hubert sumlin robert lockwood and many, many more. Author robert palmer, a little rock, arkansas native, served as the chief popmusic critic for the new york times and became a frequent contribute to rolling stone, atlantic monthly, and other publications. Local son morgan freeman once said, what was true then is true now. Over the 1920s and 1930s, country blues, delta blues and memphis blues originated out of their respective areas, employing various instruments and differing sounds. He is the author of deep blues and other books, and served as writer and music director for two awardwinning documentary films, the world according to john. My book also has a lot of general history of the delta, and it is a fascinating place with some rich african american history a book i highly recommend is the most southern place on earth by james c. Apr 12, 2015 the mississippi delta has always been the home of the blues. The early masters of american blues series provides the unique opportunity to study the true roots of modern blues. In its earliest form, the style became the first black guitardominated music to make it onto phonograph records back in the late 20s. The history of the blues by francis davis abebooks. Popular musicians of that time included bo carter, blind lemon jefferson, tampa red, blind blake, sylvester weaver, robert johnson, blind willie mctell, blind boy fuller, frank stokes, robert wilkins and casey bill weldon. As the legend of delta blues man robert johnson has grown and mutated into a kind of scholarly fervor, the reputation of robert lockwood jr.

Delta blues guitar country blues series by stefan grossman and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Born in hazlehurst, mississippi in 1911, robert leroy johnson would be dead at 27. Delta blues guitar is a book that has been around for quite awhile, that is, it has stood the test of time. A musical and cultural history of the mississippi delta by robert palmer, escaping the delta. Discover the most collected and trending delta blues music. In this extraordinary musical and social history, robert palmer traces the odyssey of the blues from its rural beginnings, to the steamy bars of chicagos south side, to. A musical and cultural history of the mississippi delta. Throughout the book, gioia writes about the history of the delta blues, the performers, and the music with passion and knowledge. There are many fine books on the blues, so i thought i would share with you my recommendations. All three books have been honored with the ascap deems taylor award.

A guide to the repertoire, the history of jazz and delta blues. Alfred beginning delta blues guitar bookdvd musician. The music called the blues that emerged from mississippi has shaped the development of popular music in this country and around the world. Delta blues lessons how to play blues guitar burninguitar. I have read a few books about blues history, and i have watched a lot of documentaries. Ted gioia born 21 october 1957 is an american jazz critic and music historian. A dollar donation for every book sold will be given to the rock river foundation, a charity dedicated to helping the arts and literacy in the delta. Delta blues was advertised on page 14 of rifter 35. Henry sloan january 1870 possibly march, 1948 was an american musician, one of the earliest figures in the history of delta blues. New orleans blues, is a subgenre of blues music and a variation of louisiana blues that developed in the 1940s and 1950s in and around the city of new orleans, rooted by the rich blues roots of the city going back generations earlier. You might pick up some rock with some tough guitar riffs or some rap. Delta blues musicians like charley patton and skip james headed to northern.

Today, delta blues is a melting pot of traditional blues, a bit of pop and a good pinch of cajun spice. Deep blues is a history of delta blues written by robert palmer one of the great music writers of the last half of the twentieth century. This musical and cultural history traces the blues from its roots in west africa to the mississippi delta to urban chicago and beyond. The essential history of this distinctly american genre. The delta blues museum was established in 1979 by the carnegie public library board of trustees and reorganized as a standalone museum in 1999, the delta blues museum is mississippis oldest music museum and the nations first museum dedicated to the american art form known as the blues. After a convenient hotel pickup, embark on a journey down the famed highway 61 and explore blues history at landmarks like the crossroads, the delta blues museum, the grammy museum mississippi, and the. The mississippi delta style of blues or, simply, delta blues emphasized solo performances by singers accompanying themselves on guitar and relying on a host of distinctive techniques, such as the sliding of a bottleneck or metal object such as a knife along the fingerboard to bend notes, the. There have been many blues books published over the years focussing on individual blues styles and artists. Im working my way through one of grossmans country blues books but he seems to cover it all.

He created an essential body of blues guitar music, recording 29 songs in 1936 and 1937 that would exert a powerful influence on the likes of eric clapton, jimi hendrix, keith richards, johnny winter and. By the midtwenties the jukejoints, dances and fishfries in every little town in the delta, were moving to the sound of the blues. Ive just finished reading ted gioias new book, delta blues, a thoroughly researched and brightly written study of the history of the delta blues, its central location in the history of all blues. Oct 08, 2016 these musicians are the pillars upon which the houses of folk, rock, and blues have been built.

Delta blues by carolyn haines overdrive rakuten overdrive. Mississippi delta home of blues music, culture, history for. In this extraordinary musical and social history, robert palmer traces the odyssey of the blues from its rural beginnings, to the steamy bars of chicagos south side, to international popularity, recognition, and imitation. Urban blues evolved from classic blues following the great migration, or the great northern drive, which was both forced and voluntary at times, of african americans from the southern u. A brief history of the blues article by ed kopp, published on august 16, 2005 at all about jazz. Big bill broonzy and muddy waters directly joined that migration, like many others, avoiding the more harsh southern jim crow laws. The mississippi delta style of bluesor, simply, delta bluesemphasized solo performances by singers accompanying themselves on guitar and relying on a host of distinctive techniques, such as the sliding of a bottleneck or metal object such as a knife along the fingerboard to bend notes, the. The mississippi delta is ground zero of the blues, meaning it was here where it all began. Delta blues is one of the earliestknown styles of blues. Mississippi is in fact no more or no less racist than the rest of. Mace has significantly increased knowledge of and pride in the blues as a distinctive form of the mississippi deltas arts and culture. If you have any blues books you dont want, please let me know. The roots, the music, the people from charley patton to robert cray francis davis by francis davis and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.

An authority on jazz and blues, ted gioia is the founder and editor of. Here, we look at five essential delta blues albums every aficionado should have on their shelf. This book is a collection of short stories about folks who live or come from around the mississippi delta. Once the delta blues made their way up the mississippi to urban areas. Mystery novelist carolyn haines was born may 12, 1953, in hattiesburg, mississippi.

The earliest blues records were made in the 1920s, but very little recording took place in the mississippi delta area. The mississippi delta is the fertile alluvial plain in the northwest of the state. Lets begin with the delta musician extraordinaire, robert johnson. A look at the history of blues music, musicians and emotion. Looking for recommendations for delta blues method books. Blues delta blues delta blues the delta blues style comes from a region in the southern part of mississippi, a place romantically referred to as the land where the blues were born. Placed together, the words and photos of hidden history of mississippi blues bring a music, history and people to the printed page in a purposely intimate way leaving readers rooting for the bluesmen and pondering the future of music. A complete guide to authentic acoustic blues slide guitar. We are in the post history of the blues, and at this point we might as well set some requirements, guards against benign nonsense, for new books on all blues, but especially delta blues. Record companies began to record african american music. American cornerstone influencing everyone from the rolling stones to cassandra wilson, the blues recordings that came out of the mississippi delta from the late 1920s.

Blues is the cornerstone of american popular music, the bedrock of rock and roll. Robert johnson, muddy waters, john lee hooker, bo carter, son house, elmore james, robert lockwood, charley. Tracing its origins from the mississippi delta to its amplification in chicago right after world war ii, davis argues for an examination of the blues in its own right, not just as a precursor to jazz and rock n roll. Delta blues together with the beginning delta blues guitar dvd and save. The daughter of two journalists, she earned a bachelors degree in journalism from the university of southern mississippi in 1974 and went on to work at several ne. Mace has significantly increased knowledge of and pride in the blues as a distinctive form of the mississippi delta s arts and culture. Palmer treads the fine line between scholarship and readability and makes the book both informative and interesting. New book on the mississippi delta blues steve hoffman.

Fiction and nonfiction books about blues music and blues musicians score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. This local folk idiom became known as the blues and went on to revolutionise western popular music. Below is a list of albums made by artists from the delta who, in the early years of the 20 th century, played in a quite distinctive style. It originated in the mississippi delta, a region of the united states that stretches from north to south between memphis, tennessee, and vicksburg, mississippi, and from east to west between the yazoo river and the mississippi river.

My son was a teacher for tfa in the delta and lived in clarksdale for a couple of years. Politics, religion, customs, dialect and traditions can all be heard in the various styles of the blues. Delta blues is characterised by insistent repeated guitar riffs, and heart rending vocal lines that owe a lot to the work songs and field hollers that the audience, and players, heard around them every day. Blind lemon jefferson easy rider blues blind willie mctell statesboro blues kansas joe when the levee breaks mamie smith and her jazz hounds crazy blues memphis minnie where is my good man at mississippi john hurt avalon blues nora bayes homesickness blues sam collins lonesome road blues. Featured texts all books all texts latest this just in smithsonian libraries fedlink us genealogy lincoln collection. The story of king records an excellent history of king records, a very influential indie label based in cincinnati, ohio. New orleans was a popular center for jazz, especially in the 1920s. Very little is known for certain about his life, other than he tutored charlie patton in the ways of the blues. Gioia is an editorinchief of the encyclopedia of jazz musicians and has authored a number of books on jazz such as the jazz standards. Heres a sample lesson from blues by the book fingerpicking blues. The land where the blues began by alan lomax in the 1930s, library of congress archivist and blues aficionado alan lomax visited the mississippi delta with his folklorist father, john lomax. This ambitious biographical encyclopedia delivers the goods, listing over 600 entries from every era and style of the blues.

The blues, like many other genres of music, are deeply influenced by the region in which they are created. Like conversation with the blues, blow my blues away 1971, by george mitchell, and blues 1975 by robert neff and anthony connor, consist largely of firstperson commentary by the blues singers themselves, and both books are quite sought after. Now ted gioia gives us delta blues, a book weve needed for a long time. Apr 07, 2014 delta blues 2 hours of blues, 41 great tracks, the greatest stars of the delta. In addition to stefans expert transcriptions, the book includes a cd containing the original. And there are many other great writers on delta blues history heres some source material from the back of my book. And the reason is that it is a valuable collection of solos by players like charley patton, son house, willie brown, robert johnson, and others. This book is about clarksdale, a small town in mississippi, usa, and how the local community has revitalised the longdilapidated downtown, with the renewal based on the towns intimate association with blues music and the culture that flows through the mississippi delta. The blues represent lessons about ways of dealing with pain and suffering that transcend time. The delta blues is one of the earliest styles of blues music. Mar 08, 2007 the early masters of american blues series provides the unique opportunity to study the true roots of modern blues. The mississippi delta is historically famous for its fertile soil and the poverty of farm workers.