Nothing But the Blues: The Music and the Musicians

Cohn, Lawrence

ISBN 10: 0789206072 / ISBN 13: 9780789206077

Published by Abbeville Press, 1999

Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0789206072I3N00

Synopsis:

Presents gloriously illustrated posed and candid shots of the musicians as well as photographs of one-of-a-kind artefacts, a must-buy for any Blues fan!

At root, the blues is rich in its simplicity, but it has flowered across the years in a variety of rare complexity. Perhaps no form of popular art is more immediately appealing than the blues, yet so rewards a thorough knowledge of its finer points. In 11 authoritative essays commissioned especially for the book, Nothing But the Blues traces the African-American origins of the music, its early development as popular entertainment, its early recorded manifestations, its regional differentiation (Mid-South, Tidewater-Piedmont, Chicago, Detroit, New York, Los Angeles), its many stylistic dimensions, and its contemporary manifestations. Country blues, urban blues, the evolution of rhythm and blues, rock 'n' roll, and the blues revival are all fully covered.

But the written history is only part of the story. Blues fans have always treasured rare photographs of their heroes, and Nothing But the Blues is gloriously illustrated with posed and candid shots of the musicians as well as photographs of such one-of-a-kind artifacts and documents as Leadbelly's NYPD rap sheet and classic recording contracts. Nothing But the Blues features an introduction by one of the genre's living legends, B. B. King, and a comprehensive "best of the best" discography, including current and rereleased recordings as well as the collectors' treasures to go after. Blues is more popular than ever before. Not only are reissues of historical blues classics selling in unprecedented numbers, but a whole new crop of vital young blues artists is active in clubs and on record today. Nothing But the Blues is a lavishly illustrated comprehensive history of the music and the musicians, as well as the promoters, producers, and others who have shaped - and continue to shape - this powerful and enduringly popular American musical art form.

About the Author: <div>Blues historian <B>Lawrence Cohn</B> is the producer of a massive blues reissue project undertaken by Sony Music/Legacy Recordings. The premiere two-CD set in the series, featuring the music of blues giant Robert Johnson, not only earned Cohn a Grammy award, but has sold some half-million copies in the U.S. alone--an unprecedented number for a historical reissue.<BR> </div>

Bibliographic Details

Title: Nothing But the Blues: The Music and the ...
Publisher: Abbeville Press
Publication Date: 1999
Binding: Paperback
Condition: Good
Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket