The History Of The Blues: The Roots, The Music, The People

by Francis Davis

Overview

Francis Davis's The History of the Blues is a groundbreaking rethinking of the blues that fearlessly examines how race relations have altered perceptions of the music. 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. The lives of major figures such as Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, and Leadbelly, in addition to contemporary artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robert Cray, are examined and skillfully woven into a riveting, provocative narrative.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780306812965
Publisher:	Hachette Books
Publication date:	09/04/2003
Edition description:	Second Paperback Edition
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	455,166
Product dimensions:	7.35(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.05(d)

About the Author

Francis Davis is a contributing editor of the Atlantic Monthly and writes regularly for the New York Times and the New Yorker. He is the author of the acclaimed books Outcats and History of the Blues and a biography of John Coltrane (Knopf). He lives in Philadelphia.