Covering everything from choosing a plectrum to executing the most accomplished finger roll this side of the Mississippi, this guide takes you through the complexities of the blues. It offers a thorough breakdown of the styles, including John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson and Howling Wolf.
An illustrated study based on the seven-part PBS-TV series furnishes an impressionistic portrait of the blues and its influence on American music and culture as viewed by seven famous directors, in a collection of photographs, historical and personal essays, and interviews. Reprint. 35, 000 first pr
Provides information about the history of the most simple and enduring genre in the history of popular music. This title brings together pioneers like Robert Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson, the influence of Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon on the blues boom of the 1960s, and the blues resurgence featuring Keb'Mo, Larry Garner and Jonny Lang.
Bobby Womack's is the story of R&B and soul itself, a crucial link between the gospel of the 1950s and the greatest soul and rock of the 1960s and 1970s. In a turbulent life, Womack was one of the last to see his friend Janis Joplin shortly before she died and was one of the key witnesses to the mysterious shooting of Sam Cooke.
Takes a comprehensive look at one of the greatest and most popular bluesmen of all time, Jimmy Reed. From "The Hell Hole of the Delta", where he was born and raised, to "Death Valley", a part of South Chicago where he worked the iron mills, his growth as a person and professional musician is chronicled.
This close-up look at the life and music of Robert Johnson and his contributions to the evolution of blues music describes his obscurity during his own life, his innovative influence on American popular music, and how the history of blues music was shaped and transformed by white fans with different tastes and standards.
The blues grew out of the plantations and prisons, the swampy marshes and fertile cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta. This book 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, and B B King.
This volume tells the story of the birth of rhythm-and-blues. It records the rise and fall of Stax Records - who produced Otis Redding, Booker T. and the MGs - as well as other labels such as Atlantic. It profiles major artists such as Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, James Brown and Al Green.
Born to shell-shocked parents in shell-shocked London shortly after the end of World War II, Paul 'Sailor' Vernon came into his own during the 1960s when spotty teenage herberts with bad haircuts began discovering The Blues. This illustrated autobiography charts the many twists and turns in his roller-coaster adventure of a life.
In the sequel to "Roosevelt's Blues", Guido van Rijn presents an account of the gospel and blues music of the immediate post-war period, concentrating on songs that comment on contemporary political events and issues during a crucial time in the shaping of black consciousness in America.
Explores how, and why, the blues became a central component of English popular music in the 1960s. This work analyses the transmission of blues records to England, from the first recordings to hit English shores to the end of the sixties. It also maps the influences on British blues and blues-rock performers.
Presents an account of the Gospel and blues music of the post-war period (1945-1960). The author studies over 300 songs, many of them rare recordings, from artists including Fats Domino, John Lee Hooker and B B King, and usefully transcribes 123 of them in their entirety.
Rock 'n' roll defined the last half of the 20th century, and while many think of Elvis Presley as the genre's driving force, the truth is that Fats Domino was the first to put it on the map with such hits as "Ain't That a Shame" and "Blueberry Hill". This is a biography of an extraordinary man and New Orleans at the birth of rock 'n' roll.