Synopses & Reviews
In this 'expertly researched, elegantly written, dispassionate yet thoughtful history' (Gary Giddins), award-winning author Ted Gioia gives us 'the rare combination of a tome that is both deeply informative and enjoyable to read' (Publishers Weekly, starred review). From the field hollers of nineteenth-century plantations to Muddy Waters and B.B. King, Delta Bluesdelves into the uneasy mix of race and money at the point where traditional music became commercial and bluesmen found new audiences of thousands. Combining extensive fieldwork, archival research, interviews with living musicians, and first-person accounts with 'his own calm, argument-closing incantations to draw a line through a century of Delta blues' (New York Times), this engrossing narrative is flavored with insightful and vivid musical descriptions that ensure 'an understanding of not only the musicians, but the music itself' (Boston Sunday Globe). Rooted in the thick-as-tar Delta soil, Delta Bluesis already 'a contemporary classic in its field' (Jazz Review).
Synopsis
The blues grew out of the plantations and prisons, the swampy marshes and fertile cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta. With original research and keen insights, Ted Gioia--the author of a landmark study of West Coast jazz and the critically acclaimed The History of Jazz--brings to life the stirring music of the Delta, evoking the legendary figures who shaped its sound and ethos: Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, B. B. King, and others. Tracing the history of the Delta blues from the field hollers and plantation music of the nineteenth century to the exploits of modern-day musicians in the Delta tradition, Delta Blues tells the full story of this timeless and unforgettable music. No cultural force boasts such humble origins or such world-conquering reverberations. In this evocative rags-to-riches tale, Gioia shows how the sounds of the Delta altered the course of popular music in America and in the world beyond.
Synopsis
The definitive account of how the rough sounds of the Mississippi Delta changed the course of American popular music.
Synopsis
The definitive account of how the rough sounds of the Mississippi Delta changed the course of American popular music.
Synopsis
'The essential history of this distinctly American genre."Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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About the Author
An authority on jazz and blues, Ted Gioiais the founder and editor of jazz.com. He has recorded several CDs as a pianist and composer and is the author of five highly regarded books on jazz and roots music. He lives in Plano, Texas.
Exclusive Essay
Read an exclusive essay by Ted Gioia