Until recently, there was a lot I didn’t know about the blues.
No, I didn’t know that it derives a lot of its forms from African polyrhythms and slavehand field hollers. And no, I didn’t know the contributions the blues form had on writers like Langston Hughes. And don’t get me wrong, that’s stuff IS important and it WAS interesting to learn. But you know what’s even worse? I didn’t know about the blues itself – about Blind Willie McTell, Robert Johnson, Howlin’ Wolf, and so many others. But that’s all remedied now.
Since the beginning of the year, I’ve become increasingly immersed in the blues as an art form thanks to my American Lit. class focusing on the blues in American culture, as well as to various projects I’ve done for some of my other classes focusing on the blues’ inter-cultural implications. Did you know that the blues is similar in form to many Muslim spirituals? The more you know. . .
But let’s be realistic here – my interest in blues would be for naught if I didn’t like the music. But I like music. Oh yes, I really like the music. Having to shell out a rough $60 for a CD set never felt so good. This “text” for my class comes in the form of a five disc set comprising the soundtrack to a series of blues documentaries produced by Martin Scorsese. It chronicles the rise of the form from the early 20s and 30s up to the blues revival of the 60s and then onto the more popular blues rock of the 70s and 80s. A slew of names await the listener in this set, from the almost mythical bluesmen of yesteryear – Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie Johnson, Charlie Patton – to more well-known artists with blues undertones – Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Allman Brothers Band, Bonnie Raitt. The list on both sides goes on and on.
The set does a good job, and the discs proceed mostly in chronological order. Many of the original recordings for the early blues tracks had deteriorated or been lost, however, so a good number of the pieces from the early artists are re-recordings done in and around the 60s. Discs 1 and 2 are mostly pieces from the early days of blues in the pre-Depression era (Ma Rainey, Skip James). Disc 3 displays a lot of tracks that show the link between the blues and early rock-n-roll (Elvis, Chuck Berry), Disc 4 shows mostly the blues within the guitar rock of the 60s (Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan) and Disc 5 rounds things out with a good mix of modern rockers (Stevie Ray Vaughn, Johnny Winter) and artists hailed within the current blues scene (Keb’ Mo’, Corey Harris).
Never fear, though. The blues legends are here en masse as well, and the set offers quick fixes from the likes of B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Blind Willie McTell, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton and others, including Sonny Boy Williamson. . .both of them. Overall, I would say this set was a perfect intro into blues music, and Scorsese gets my personal thanks for helping to establish a fine compilation (I’m sure he’ll treasure my gratitude always). I’ve been directing myself in more specific directions lately, checking out artists I found myself enamored by in the collection like Blind Willie McTell, Howlin’ Wolf, and Skip James. I’ve got a lot to consider though, as now I essentially how a whole new type of music to explore. So, until next time, I’ll be goin’ where the Southern cross the Dog. . .
