Blues Traveling: The Holy Sites of Delta BluesAt a crossroads in the Mississippi Delta, Robert Johnson is said to have sold his soul to the Devil so that he could become a guitar virtuoso and King of the Delta Blues. Blues Traveling: The Holy Sites of Delta Blues will tell you where that legendary deal was supposed to have been made and guide you to all the other hallowed grounds that nourished Mississippi's signature music. Johnson, Mississippi John Hurt, Memphis Minnie, Jimmie Rodgers, Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Howlin' Wolf, B. B. King, Little Milton, Elvis Presley, Bobby Rush, Junior Kimbrough, R. L. Burnside -- the list of great artists with Mississippi connections goes on and on. A trip through Mississippi blues sites is a pilgrimage every music lover ought to make at least once in a lifetime, to see the juke joints and churches, to visit the birthplaces and graves of blues greats, to walk down the dusty roads and over the levee, to eat some barbecue and greens, to sit on the bank of the Mississippi River, and to hear some down-home blues music. Blues Traveling is the first and only guidebook to Mississippi's musical places and blues history. With photographs, maps, easy-to-follow directions, and an informative, entertaining text, this book will lead you in and out of Clarksdale, Greenwood, Helena (Arkansas), Rolling Fork, Jackson, Natchez, Bentonia, Rosedale, Itta Bena, and dozens of other locales that generations of blues musicians have lived in, traveled through, and sung about. Stories, legends, and lyrics are woven into the text so that each backroad and barroom comes alive. Touring Mississippi with Blues Traveling is like having a knowledgeable and entertaining guide at your side.Even people with no immediate plans to visit Mississippi will enjoy reading the book for its photos, descriptions, and lore that will broaden their understanding and enhance their appreciation of the blues. |
From inside the book
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Former Residence of Tommy Johnson , Skip James , Elmore James , and Other Bluesmen 905 Ann Banks St. Tommy Johnson was born in Terry , a town about fifteen miles south of Jackson , in about 1896. He moved to Drew , in the Delta , as a ...
Elmore James is buried about a hundred feet back , midway between the church and the right - hand edge of the cemetery . His stone is striking . It is black , with a three - dimensional metal sculpture of him coming from the front of it ...
It is hard to avoid the word " haunting " when discussing James's music , which features his falsetto singing and minor - key guitar playing or quirky piano . After a long period away from music , James did some more recording and ...
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Blues traveling: the holy sites of delta blues
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictIndependent scholar and blues musician Cheseborough has compiled a detailed guide to blues music landmarks in Mississippi and Memphis. Providing excellent maps and driving instructions, he begins the ... Read full review
Blues traveling: the holy sites of delta blues
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictIndependent scholar and blues musician Cheseborough has compiled a detailed guide to blues music landmarks in Mississippi and Memphis. Providing excellent maps and driving instructions, he begins the ... Read full review
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Blues Traveling: The Holy Sites of Delta Blues, Third Edition Steve Cheseborough Limited preview - 2010 |