The Blues: A Very Short Introduction
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.30 (976 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0195398939 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 152 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2017-09-14 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Marc Hyman said Authoritative blues history in a small package. The author does an outstanding job, within the 1"Authoritative blues history in a small package" according to Marc Hyman. The author does an outstanding job, within the 125-page limit prescribed for Oxford University Press's "Very Short Introduction" series, of presenting a thorough overview of American blues. His history stretches from West African call-and-response traditions up to the present day. Along the way he gives concise but clear and illuminating . 5-page limit prescribed for Oxford University Press's "Very Short Introduction" series, of presenting a thorough overview of American blues. His history stretches from West African call-and-response traditions up to the present day. Along the way he gives concise but clear and illuminating . "A short but marvellous exploration!" according to robyn louise durack. A very important book for someone who knows very little about The Blues. Clear and well-written, the author has opened up a music genre as well as provided an accessible and serious insight the history of the USA I felt enlightened from reading it!. Four Stars Excellent, concise but comprehensive history of "old" blues up to modern pop music. Couldn't put it down.
In The Blues, Wald surveys a genre at the heart of American culture. As Howlin' Wolf once described it, "When you ain't got no money and can't pay your house rent and can't buy you no food, you've damn sure got the blues." It has been defined by lyrical structure, or as a progression of chords, or as a set of practices reflecting West African "tonal and rhythmic approaches," using a five-note "blues scale." Wald sees blues less as a style than as a broad musical tradition within a constantly evolving pop culture. He follows its evolution from Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith through Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix; identifies the impact of rural field recordings of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charley Patton and others; explores the role of blues in the development of both country music and jazz; and looks at the popular rhythm and blues trends of the 1940s and 1950s, from the uptown West Coast style of T-Bone Walker to the "down home" Chicago sound of Muddy Waters. Handy, who first popularized the blues a century ago. As with all of Oxford's Very Short Introductions, The Blues tells you--with insight, clarity, and wit--everything you need to know to understand this quintessentially American musical genre.. Wald brings the story up to the present, touching on the
. His books include How the Beatles Destroyed Rock 'n' Roll, Global Minstrels, and Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues. Elijah Wald is a musician who teaches blues history at UCLA
"The most illuminating short treatment of the blues ever published."--Terry Teachout, Wall Street Journal"Both thorough and illuminating. It would be impossible to pack more critical wisdom-or common sense-into a smaller, shapelier package."--Wall Street Journal