Broadcasting the Blues

1. Auflage 2005
ISBN: 978-0-415-97176-8
Verlag: Routledge

Buch, Englisch, 210 Seiten, Format (B × H): 152 mm x 229 mm, Gewicht: 538 g

Broadcasting the Blues: Black Blues in the Segregation Era is based on Paul Oliver's award-winning radio broadcasts from the BBC that were created over several decades. It traces the social history of the blues in America, from its birth in the rural South through the heyday of sound recordings. Noted blues scholar Paul Oliver draws on decades of research and personal interviews with performers--some of whom he "discovered" and recorded for the first time--to draw a picture of how the blues aesthetic developed, giving new insights into the role blues played in American society before racial integration.

The book begins by outlining the history of the blues from African music through country stomps, ragtime songs, and field hollers. From the heroic figures of black folksong--including the steel-driving railroad worker John Henry and the destructive Boll Weevil--to the content of the emerging blues, the author discusses the "meaning" behind the often coded words of the blues, evoking topics such as playful sexuality, magic and medicine, the stresses of segregation, and commentary on national events. Finally, the author traces the history of blues documentation, showing how our views of the early blues have been shaped through a complex interplay of social forces, and indicating possible lines for future research.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Oliver, Paul

Fachgebiete

• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften Interdisziplinär
• Geisteswissenschaften Musikwissenschaft Musikgattungen Rock & Pop, Blues, Soul

Inhaltsverzeichnis

PrefaceIntroduction: The Development of the Blues I Before the Blues1 Blues in Retrospect2 Blues and Black Society3 Echoes of Africa4 Go Down Old Hannah5 Old Country Stomp6 Ragtime Millionaires7 Dr. Medicine8 John Henry and the Boll Weevil9 Yonder Comes the BluesII Early Performers10 Washboard Rhythm Bands11 Harmonica Breakdown: Sonny Terry12 Leadbelly (Parts 1 and 2)13 Some Contemporary Blues SingersIII Meaning in the Blues14 Blues and Trouble15 Down the Dirt Road16 Black Cat's Bone17 Tricks Ain't Walkin'18 Jail-house Moan19 Let's Have a New Deal20 High Water Everywhere21 This World is in a Tnagle22 Blues with a Feeling23 Three Ball BluesIV Documenting the Blues24 Creating the Documents25 (De)Classifying the Blues26 Anticipatin' the Blues27 Playing with the Strings28 Blowin' the Blues29 In the Field30 Still to Be DocumentedConclusion: The Blues as an Art Form

Über Autor(innen)

Paul Oliver is a world-renowned authority on the blues. He was among the first to write seriously about the music, and his many acclaimed books include Blues Feel This Morning, Conversation with the Blues, The Story of the Blues, and Savannah Syncopators. He lives in Oxfordshire, England.