Deep Blues: A Musical and Cultural History, from the Mississippi Delta to Chicago’s South Side to the World
by Robert Palmer
Viking Penguin (1981)
Browsers in our music section often say, “I want to read about the Blues, where do I start?” Always a good choice is Palmer’s Deep Blues. This little paperback is so readable and yet continuously informative – every page seems to have an unexpected folk-social history fact tucked in the text.
In 1903, the first descriptions of black music in the Delta were published in the Journal of American Folklore. From this point, Palmer describes the musical influence from Africa as it migrated into Delta culture, placing emphasis on how folk polyrhythms played such an important part in the development of Mississippi Blues (this section surely was one of my favorites, as Palmer featured interesting narratives on hand drumming).
From Dockery Plantation, to the early 1920s and 30s recordings, to Mighty Mojo Muddy From Stovall, Palmer writes a who’s who of Delta Music. With ease he explains how all the players were influenced by the music and each other, fitting in together and creating a Delta way of life. From the Delta, to Chicago in the 40s, through the Chess’n of the 50s Blues Gods – not leaving out King Biscuit Time or Memphis and all the pathways in between – Palmer clearly explains it all.
All the major players appear with jigsaw puzzle perfection explained in time, influence, and place. Palmer chronicles how major songs, bands, record labels and communities grew from the Delta blues, thus having a major impact on the world music scene.
Deep Blues has a chapter-by-chapter discography and bibliography to further guide the reader. Unfortunately, Robert Palmer passed away in 1997. A 30-year updated anniversary edition would be so interesting – a very good excuse for a reread.
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