[Dixielandjazz] THE BLUES - Part 1

[Nancy Giffin]

<rebecca.e.thompson at verizon.net> wrote:

>    I enjoyed the first part that dealt with the history of the blues in
>    Mississippi and parts of the South.  However, when they tried to
>    make the connection to music in Mali, Western Africa, I could
>    NOT hear the connection.  It all sounded more Middle Eastern.

Oh man, I was so into the soul connection these guys were making that I
wasn't hardly listening to the music. Scorsese bringing things full-circle,
filming a Black American jammin' with his contemporary in West Africa --
what a trip! 

Son House (I think) said the blues weren't the blues unless you were singing
about a man and a woman. Willie King said that the blues lyrics, often about
a man being treated badly by his woman, were a means for blacks to openly
complain about mistreatment by their masters.

It was great seeing old films of Son House playing guitar with a slide. Back
when I studied blues guitar, I preferred using a slide (like Bonnie Raitt).

The film didn't tell us much about John Lee Hooker, other than to show how
blues with a dance beat appealed to white folks. I wonder if buddy Wiggins
would share some stories about his experiences working with him. Tom?

Love and hugs,
Nancy