Jas Obrecht

I received a copy of this book for free through the GoodReads first reads program in exchange for an honest review.

The blues tradition is one that has never ceased to fascinate me. There's something simultaneously dark and romantic about it. It came to fruition from the years of Reconstruction after the Civil War, and some of the most famous bluesmen were indeed the sons of former slaves and worked as sharecroppers. In the midst of all of this, Jim Crow laws, rampant racism, and the strange years of prohibition and segregation... some bluesmen were stars, among white as well as black crowds. How strange is that?

This book traces those early years from the very first bluesman to cut a record. It has much of the artwork promoting the musicians, their histories an techniques. It showcases the cloudiness where history failed to fill in the blanks, and the times when history was all too clear. White men who recorded with the black musicians and had to hide their names, but obviously greatly admired and benefited from those sessions. The way the advertisements both lauded and ridiculed the musicians, while all the time they were their best sellers.

This history is wonderful and more illuminating than many race studies are. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone curious about what traditions Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and The Who arose from. These are the stars who were forgotten all too often, musicians musicians. Their very histories are folk legends, when the truth is just as fascinating.… (meer)

This is a fabulous book for the guitar playing blues listener or collector. Unlike much of the discographical or scholarly writings, it's meant to introduce these players in depth by collating interviews and facts gathered from many different sources not readily available or remembered by collectors. It's not breezy or overly scholarly, but written in a beautifully accessable style, and illustrated with a plethora of graphics, many not previously seen or remembered, at least by me.

It breaks down many guitar styles and techniques to a readable understanding of how the music was played, without veering into musicological densities. All in all, most highly recommended.… (meer)