The Blues: A Very Short Introduction
Written by Elijah Wald
Narrated by Brian Telestai
()
About this audiobook
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." He traces its roots in work and praise songs, and shows how it was transformed by such professional performers as W. C. Handy, who first popularized the blues a century ago. 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. Wald brings the story up to the present, touching on the effects of blues on American poetry, and its connection to modern styles such as rap.
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.
Elijah Wald
Elijah Waldis a writer and musician whose books include Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues and How the Beatles Destroyed Rock ’n’ Roll: An Alternative History of American Popular Music. A respected expert on the folk revival, he collaborated with Dave Van Ronk on The Mayor of MacDougal Street, the inspiration for the Coen Brothers’ film Inside Llewyn Davis. His awards include a 2002 Grammy, and he has taught blues history at UCLA and lectured widely on American, Mexican, and world music. He currently lives in Medford, Massachusetts.
More audiobooks from Elijah Wald
American Epic: When Music Gave America Her Voice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dylan Goes Electric!: Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to The Blues
Related audiobooks
Ludwig van Beethoven: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Country Music: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Music: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Film Music: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Elizabeth Bishop: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Music and Technology: A Very Short Introduction, 2nd Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBohemians: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5World Music: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBritish Cinema: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Anxiety: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAmerican Poetry: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Imagination: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAmerican History: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMary Shelley: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Suburbs: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInvasive Species: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5James Joyce: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Jury: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The American South: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Management: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Ghetto: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSilent Film: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The British Constitution: A Very Short Introduction, Second Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsContemporary Fiction: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The U.S. Congress: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5American Political Parties and Elections: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe U.S. Supreme Court: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAutobiography: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5George Bernard Shaw: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnimal Rights: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Music For You
IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Paris: The Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within, Book & Includes Online Downloadable code Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Storyteller: Expanded: ...Because There's More to the Story Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gold Dust Woman: The Biography of Stevie Nicks Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Inner Game of Music Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hurricanes: A Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sing From Within: A guide to developing a dynamic singing voice using techniques used by the professionals Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Heroin Diaries: Ten Year Anniversary Edition: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sweat the Technique: Revelations on Creativity from the Lyrical Genius Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My Effin' Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Perfect Union of Contrary Things Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5No Bull Music Theory for Guitarists: Master the Essential Knowledge All Guitarists Need To Know Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fail Until You Don't: Fight Grind Repeat Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bad Fat Black Girl: Notes from a Trap Feminist Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Killing the Legends: The Lethal Danger of Celebrity Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Constitution of the United States of America, 1787 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Adversity for Sale: Ya Gotta Believe Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Me: Elton John Official Autobiography Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Song Maps: A New System to Write Your Best Lyrics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin): A Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rememberings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5More Myself: A Journey Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for The Blues
0 ratings0 reviews