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. Steve Cheseborough is an independent scholar and blues musician. His work has been published in Living Blues, Blues Access, Mississippi, and the Southern Register . |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 30
Page 13
... Williamson II and Willie Love rode the line from Jackson to New Orleans in April 1953, on their way to Houston for a recording session. On the train, the bluesmen danced, sang, and told jokes to the other passengers. When they got to ...
... Williamson II and Willie Love rode the line from Jackson to New Orleans in April 1953, on their way to Houston for a recording session. On the train, the bluesmen danced, sang, and told jokes to the other passengers. When they got to ...
Page 38
You have reached your viewing limit for this book.
You have reached your viewing limit for this book.
Page 52
You have reached your viewing limit for this book.
You have reached your viewing limit for this book.
Page 68
You have reached your viewing limit for this book.
You have reached your viewing limit for this book.
Page 70
You have reached your viewing limit for this book.
You have reached your viewing limit for this book.
Contents
3 | |
Memphis | 23 |
Down Highway 61 | 55 |
The Clarksdale Area | 81 |
The MidDelta | 105 |
The Greenwood Area | 131 |
Greenville to Vicksburg | 151 |
The Jackson Area | 183 |
East Mississippi | 213 |
North Mississippi Hill Country | 227 |
Recommended Reading | 251 |
Recommended Listening | 253 |
Index | 259 |
Other editions - View all
Blues Traveling: The Holy Sites of Delta Blues, Third Edition Steve Cheseborough Limited preview - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
acts artists Avenue band Beale Street became become blues bluesman born building called cemetery Center Charley Church City Clarksdale closed club continued cotton crossroads Delta Delta Blues died downtown drive early east Elvis festival front grave Greenville guitar Handy Helena Highway 61 Hurt Jackson James John jook joint King late later Little live look Main marker Memphis miles Mississippi moved museum musicians Nelson never night original owner Park past Patton performance played probably radio reads recorded River road Robert Johnson rock Sam Chatmon says side singer singing songs Sonny Boy Southern started station stone stop studio tour town tracks train turn walk Waters Williamson Willie Wolf