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Delta Blues: The Life and Times of the Mississippi Masters Who Revolutionized American Music
The definitive account of how the rough sounds of the Mississippi Delta changed the course of American popular music. The blues grew out of the plantations and prisons, the swampy marshes and fertile cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta. With original research and keen insights, Ted Gioia―the author of a landmark study of West Coast jazz and the critically acclaimed The History of Jazz ―brings to life the stirring music of the Delta, evoking the legendary figures who shaped its sound and ethos: Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, B. B. King, and others. Tracing the history of the Delta blues from the field hollers and plantation music of the nineteenth century to the exploits of modern-day musicians in the Delta tradition, Delta Blues tells the full story of this timeless and unforgettable music. No cultural force boasts such humble origins or such world-conquering reverberations. In this evocative rags-to-riches tale, Gioia shows how the sounds of the Delta altered the course of popular music in America and in the world beyond. 38 illustrations
448 pages, Hardcover
First published October 17, 2008
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1679 people want to read
About the author
Ted Gioia
21 books265 followersTed Gioia (1957) is an American jazz critic and music historian.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
October 16, 2025
Blues Passion
For many years, the blues of the Mississippi Delta were all but forgotten. With the combination of cross-over or urbanized performances and scholarly interest, the blues have experienced a resurgence. Ted Gioia's new book "Delta Blues: the Life and Times of the Mississippi Masters who Revolutionized American Music" (2008) is the most recent work which carefully studies the Delta blues tradition Gioia is a performer and a scholar who began with an interest in jazz. As a young jazz musician, Gioia tells the reader that he thought that he understood the nature of the blues in terms of harmony, rhythm, and chord patterns. Only as a result of maturity and years of close study did he become aware of the "deeper essence" of the music Gioia writes:
"I found myself listening to the same blues music I had heard in my youth with much different ears, and certainly no longer with the glib assurance that I had plumbed its depths. On the contrary, the music now seemed multilayered, otherworldly, elusive. I sensed a richness to these songs, especially the older blues from the Delta tradition, that I had missed before."
Throughout the book, Gioia writes about the history of the Delta blues, the performers, and the music with passion and knowledge.
The history of the Delta blues can be divided into two large parts. The first is the traditional blues, performed by artists on the farms, plantations, prisons, juke joints, streets, railroad stations of the Delta itself. Generally traditional blues were performed by one person singing and accompanying himself on the guitar or harmonica. or sometimes by two persons, a singer and an accompanist. This type of traditional blues generally ended with Muddy Waters's recordings on the Stovall Plantation in Mississippi for Alan Lomax and the Library of Congress in 1943.
The second period of the Delta blues began when blues musicians migrated from the Delta and moved to Chicago or other cities. When they did so, they generally electrified their guitars and began performing in bands rather than as individuals. Their music became influenced by other musical styles and by commercial considerations. It led to rock and roll and then in turn became heavily influenced by rock. Here again Muddy Waters is the prototypical figure with his move to Chicago shortly after his sessions with Lomax.
In his book, Gioia discusses thoroughly both these forms of the Delta blues and he shows their relationship. But his heart clearly is with the early blues masters. This early music is wild, raw and primitive. In its anguish, simplicity, repeated guitar patterns, and harmonic quirkiness, it brought something to music that was not found elsewhere, either in the classics or in other forms of popular music. The Delta blues was music of outcasts and loners, of untutored musicians who lacking musical training struggled to express what was in them. The bluesmen lived undisciplined lives filled with wandering, alcohol, violence, prisons and Parchman Farm, and lost love. These passions they expressed through music.
Most importantly, many bluesmen were conflicted between what they perceived as their rootless, sinful life in the blues and the force of religion. The Delta blues show a distinctively metaphysical, personal cast. The tension between the life of a vagrant musician and a life devoted to God pervades the music of Son House, Tommy Johnson, Robert Johnson and others. Gioia is at his best when he describes this tension and gives it central place in his treatment of the Delta blues. He describes as well the origins of the music, its recording history, and the biographies of its practitioners. He analyzes the music in a way that lay readers may follow easily. In addition to the musicians that have now become well-known, Gioia describes obscure figures such as blueswomen Geeshie Wiley and the rare Delta woman blues pianist Louise Johnson.
Gioia offers as well a sympathetic portrayal of the Delta blues beginning in the 1940s with its urbanization and increased sophistication. His portrayals of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, and their relationship with Leonard Chess and Chess records in Chicago were brought home in the recent movie "Cadillac Records" which I found captured the spirit of this urban transformation of the Delta Blues. Besides Waters and Wolf, Gioia devotes extensive attention to the long careers of John Lee Hooker and B.B. King. Gioia's treatment of King is particularly detailed as he portrays King's early days in the Delta, his blues scholarship and knowledge, and the many transformations in his music and in its reception over the years.
Writing of the early Delta blues in particular, Gioia states "This is strange, wonderful music no less peculiar for having achieved lasting appeal and commercial success". Gioia's in-depth treatment of traditional Delta blues has inspired me to revisit this great American music. The book includes an excellent bibliography and a list of 100 Delta blues songs for listening and study.
Robin Friedman
For many years, the blues of the Mississippi Delta were all but forgotten. With the combination of cross-over or urbanized performances and scholarly interest, the blues have experienced a resurgence. Ted Gioia's new book "Delta Blues: the Life and Times of the Mississippi Masters who Revolutionized American Music" (2008) is the most recent work which carefully studies the Delta blues tradition Gioia is a performer and a scholar who began with an interest in jazz. As a young jazz musician, Gioia tells the reader that he thought that he understood the nature of the blues in terms of harmony, rhythm, and chord patterns. Only as a result of maturity and years of close study did he become aware of the "deeper essence" of the music Gioia writes:
"I found myself listening to the same blues music I had heard in my youth with much different ears, and certainly no longer with the glib assurance that I had plumbed its depths. On the contrary, the music now seemed multilayered, otherworldly, elusive. I sensed a richness to these songs, especially the older blues from the Delta tradition, that I had missed before."
Throughout the book, Gioia writes about the history of the Delta blues, the performers, and the music with passion and knowledge.
The history of the Delta blues can be divided into two large parts. The first is the traditional blues, performed by artists on the farms, plantations, prisons, juke joints, streets, railroad stations of the Delta itself. Generally traditional blues were performed by one person singing and accompanying himself on the guitar or harmonica. or sometimes by two persons, a singer and an accompanist. This type of traditional blues generally ended with Muddy Waters's recordings on the Stovall Plantation in Mississippi for Alan Lomax and the Library of Congress in 1943.
The second period of the Delta blues began when blues musicians migrated from the Delta and moved to Chicago or other cities. When they did so, they generally electrified their guitars and began performing in bands rather than as individuals. Their music became influenced by other musical styles and by commercial considerations. It led to rock and roll and then in turn became heavily influenced by rock. Here again Muddy Waters is the prototypical figure with his move to Chicago shortly after his sessions with Lomax.
In his book, Gioia discusses thoroughly both these forms of the Delta blues and he shows their relationship. But his heart clearly is with the early blues masters. This early music is wild, raw and primitive. In its anguish, simplicity, repeated guitar patterns, and harmonic quirkiness, it brought something to music that was not found elsewhere, either in the classics or in other forms of popular music. The Delta blues was music of outcasts and loners, of untutored musicians who lacking musical training struggled to express what was in them. The bluesmen lived undisciplined lives filled with wandering, alcohol, violence, prisons and Parchman Farm, and lost love. These passions they expressed through music.
Most importantly, many bluesmen were conflicted between what they perceived as their rootless, sinful life in the blues and the force of religion. The Delta blues show a distinctively metaphysical, personal cast. The tension between the life of a vagrant musician and a life devoted to God pervades the music of Son House, Tommy Johnson, Robert Johnson and others. Gioia is at his best when he describes this tension and gives it central place in his treatment of the Delta blues. He describes as well the origins of the music, its recording history, and the biographies of its practitioners. He analyzes the music in a way that lay readers may follow easily. In addition to the musicians that have now become well-known, Gioia describes obscure figures such as blueswomen Geeshie Wiley and the rare Delta woman blues pianist Louise Johnson.
Gioia offers as well a sympathetic portrayal of the Delta blues beginning in the 1940s with its urbanization and increased sophistication. His portrayals of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, and their relationship with Leonard Chess and Chess records in Chicago were brought home in the recent movie "Cadillac Records" which I found captured the spirit of this urban transformation of the Delta Blues. Besides Waters and Wolf, Gioia devotes extensive attention to the long careers of John Lee Hooker and B.B. King. Gioia's treatment of King is particularly detailed as he portrays King's early days in the Delta, his blues scholarship and knowledge, and the many transformations in his music and in its reception over the years.
Writing of the early Delta blues in particular, Gioia states "This is strange, wonderful music no less peculiar for having achieved lasting appeal and commercial success". Gioia's in-depth treatment of traditional Delta blues has inspired me to revisit this great American music. The book includes an excellent bibliography and a list of 100 Delta blues songs for listening and study.
Robin Friedman
March 24, 2024
"Blues is the roots and everything else is the fruits" -- Willie Dixon
"Blues had a baby and they called it rock and roll" -- Muddy Waters
In this book, Ted Gioia gets to the roots of the roots--the Delta Blues, arguably the greatest influence in music today. Gioia brings to life the old Delta masters from Charley Patton to Son House and Skip James and the legend of Robert Johnson, to those who migrated north and helped influence a new sound--Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, and B.B. King. He also tells of the great Blues revival of the 1960's and how a nearly lost music became more popular than ever, bringing fame to some of these surviving legends. He even gives us a taste of the Mississippi hills bluesmen such as R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough.
To say that I loved this book would be to sell it short. I guess the biggest compliment I could pay it was that I didn't want it to end. I wanted to keep reading of other Mississippi masters who are on the heels of those mentioned above. My underlying fear was that the end of the book signaled the end of those masters. But Gioia gives hope at the end of his book that another revival might come much as Jazz has been revived in New Orleans.
I am a huge Blues fan, which is why I read this book. Yet I learned something new on almost every page. I would heartily recommend this book to any Blues fans out there. But I also think anyone who likes music period should read this book and find out how at least part of the sounds they listen to have roots way down in Mississippi.
Feb. 4, 2012
I just finished this book for the second time and loved it maybe more than I did the first time. Once again, I didn't want the book to end. There HAVE to be more tales to tell, more of a history to add. I thank Mr. Gioia for putting so much love and effort into this book.
The end of the book talks about Fat Possum Records and the way that label carries on the tradition of the Delta. The Black Keys and The Heartless Bastards have since outgrown that label, but they carry the sound with them, which is the tradition of the Delta. Two nights ago, I witnessed another band with a soundload of this tradition that gives me hope. Even though they're not from Mississippi, it seems like it's not too far of a distance to travel from the Delta to The Alabama Shakes.
"Blues had a baby and they called it rock and roll" -- Muddy Waters
In this book, Ted Gioia gets to the roots of the roots--the Delta Blues, arguably the greatest influence in music today. Gioia brings to life the old Delta masters from Charley Patton to Son House and Skip James and the legend of Robert Johnson, to those who migrated north and helped influence a new sound--Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, and B.B. King. He also tells of the great Blues revival of the 1960's and how a nearly lost music became more popular than ever, bringing fame to some of these surviving legends. He even gives us a taste of the Mississippi hills bluesmen such as R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough.
To say that I loved this book would be to sell it short. I guess the biggest compliment I could pay it was that I didn't want it to end. I wanted to keep reading of other Mississippi masters who are on the heels of those mentioned above. My underlying fear was that the end of the book signaled the end of those masters. But Gioia gives hope at the end of his book that another revival might come much as Jazz has been revived in New Orleans.
I am a huge Blues fan, which is why I read this book. Yet I learned something new on almost every page. I would heartily recommend this book to any Blues fans out there. But I also think anyone who likes music period should read this book and find out how at least part of the sounds they listen to have roots way down in Mississippi.
Feb. 4, 2012
I just finished this book for the second time and loved it maybe more than I did the first time. Once again, I didn't want the book to end. There HAVE to be more tales to tell, more of a history to add. I thank Mr. Gioia for putting so much love and effort into this book.
The end of the book talks about Fat Possum Records and the way that label carries on the tradition of the Delta. The Black Keys and The Heartless Bastards have since outgrown that label, but they carry the sound with them, which is the tradition of the Delta. Two nights ago, I witnessed another band with a soundload of this tradition that gives me hope. Even though they're not from Mississippi, it seems like it's not too far of a distance to travel from the Delta to The Alabama Shakes.
December 2, 2011
If you think Americana means McDonalds, tacky furniture and bad radio, here is the proof that it is something much, much greater. This book encapsulates what is loathsome and what is worthy about America. The huge chunks of racial intolerance, cruelty, and exploitation that make up our history are vast and terrible, and certainly responsible for the roots of blues music -- which is a hard thing to reconcile, because this music is great.
It would be very flippant to think that music appeases the circumstance of African-American history in any way. I don't think you can hear the music without realizing where it came from. But here is the worthiness I am talking about, that men and women were able to turn the experience of poverty, slavery, and oppression into this fire in the belly music that feels like a total revelation. Maybe that sounds grandiose. But just watch Howlin' Wolf perform and listen to his words and try not to feel pride (if you happen to be American) that this man is a part of your history. It can't be done.
Like most things, blues music tends to get forgotten in the canon of creativity in favor of white achievement. It's a foundation of rock music, but many people I've met can't name a single blues musician. (Maybe B.B. King, but he did that song with Eric Clapton, so...go figure.) One can only hope that books like this will change that.
It would be very flippant to think that music appeases the circumstance of African-American history in any way. I don't think you can hear the music without realizing where it came from. But here is the worthiness I am talking about, that men and women were able to turn the experience of poverty, slavery, and oppression into this fire in the belly music that feels like a total revelation. Maybe that sounds grandiose. But just watch Howlin' Wolf perform and listen to his words and try not to feel pride (if you happen to be American) that this man is a part of your history. It can't be done.
Like most things, blues music tends to get forgotten in the canon of creativity in favor of white achievement. It's a foundation of rock music, but many people I've met can't name a single blues musician. (Maybe B.B. King, but he did that song with Eric Clapton, so...go figure.) One can only hope that books like this will change that.
December 6, 2024
Well researched book on the delta blues of Mississippi. It took me longer to read/listen because I kept stopping to listen to the songs he was writing about. I ended up making a playlist if anyone is interested
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3xS...
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3xS...
December 30, 2008
This is a well detailed examination of the rise and evolution of the delta blues. If you want to get a sense of the origins of this musical genre (springing not from the main delta of the Mississippi River in Louisiana, but in the confluence of the Yazoo River and the Mississippi River in the state of Mississippi), this will do nicely.
The book examines where the blues sound came from (a bit thin, but it is tough to reconstruct such matters here), some of the early greats (e.g., Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, John Hurt, Son House, and the like), how the recording industry developed to provide an entree to the music to much broader audiences than the small towns and farms of the delta, how the sound evolved with musicians like Muddy Waters. . . .
All in all, a fine resource for those who want a more in-depth analysis of this wonderful music.
The book examines where the blues sound came from (a bit thin, but it is tough to reconstruct such matters here), some of the early greats (e.g., Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, John Hurt, Son House, and the like), how the recording industry developed to provide an entree to the music to much broader audiences than the small towns and farms of the delta, how the sound evolved with musicians like Muddy Waters. . . .
All in all, a fine resource for those who want a more in-depth analysis of this wonderful music.
July 31, 2013
I found this a fascinating read. Ted Gioia examines the birth of the blues at the start of the twentieth century, and follows some of the major (but often little known) players through their lives. The journey shows us the evolution of the music, as well as the changes in society. Sadly, many of these bluesmen and women did not live long enough to see the tremendous impact they had on what is now our modern music. Nor did most of them ever get the credit they deserved.
Gioia's writing is engaging and his love for the music bleeds onto the pages. However, this is not a light read I'd recommend for a casual fan. This is a detailed examination of a musical style and culture that reshaped music as we know it. If the name Robert Johnson doesn't mean anything to you, then I doubt this book would hold your interest. But if you love the blues, this is a must have for your collection.
Gioia's writing is engaging and his love for the music bleeds onto the pages. However, this is not a light read I'd recommend for a casual fan. This is a detailed examination of a musical style and culture that reshaped music as we know it. If the name Robert Johnson doesn't mean anything to you, then I doubt this book would hold your interest. But if you love the blues, this is a must have for your collection.
May 13, 2010
This is a good starting point for any blues research, and it has some amazing stories of lives filled with hardship and plain bad luck, some of which are happily followed by heroic third acts of fame and recognition, if not actual fortune.
Gioia helps put the chronology of this musical form that changed the world into perspective. Also, being an accomplished jazz and blues musician himself, Gioia gives a good understanding of the unique musical etymology and accidents that make these feels so hard to adequately emulate despite their simple structure on paper.
Reading this made me yearn for a closer look at some of the big players, which I'm now doing with a book on Howlin' Wolf.
Gioia makes you hear the music afresh with more learned ears that understand the context, and more importantly rids the awful sound of every bad Balmain pub blues band from your cortex forever.
Gioia helps put the chronology of this musical form that changed the world into perspective. Also, being an accomplished jazz and blues musician himself, Gioia gives a good understanding of the unique musical etymology and accidents that make these feels so hard to adequately emulate despite their simple structure on paper.
Reading this made me yearn for a closer look at some of the big players, which I'm now doing with a book on Howlin' Wolf.
Gioia makes you hear the music afresh with more learned ears that understand the context, and more importantly rids the awful sound of every bad Balmain pub blues band from your cortex forever.
February 24, 2024
I've been raised in the blues since I was born, and it has always been one of my favorite genres, and it will always blow me away that it never gets the love it deserves. This was a great look into the origins, history, and legends of the genre.
January 1, 2024
The literary quality missing from Gioia’s book on Jazz is here in abundance, but this work suffers from repetitiveness, as when Spier forgets Robert Johnson, or even a huge paragraph on Johnson’s numerous monikers and the fact that Robert was “the most consistent part of his identity.” These were not the only instances. It was also disjointed in many places.
Add to these things unnecessary derision in a remark about Dr. Dre and Simon Cowell on page 192, completely out of bounds for a work of scholarship, regardless of how one feels about them personally. I thought these factors unusual for a publication from Norton. Gioia is a master of material, but not quite of long-form writing.
Add to these things unnecessary derision in a remark about Dr. Dre and Simon Cowell on page 192, completely out of bounds for a work of scholarship, regardless of how one feels about them personally. I thought these factors unusual for a publication from Norton. Gioia is a master of material, but not quite of long-form writing.
February 13, 2013
Wonderful journey through the history of the great Mississippi Delta Blues masters, from those born around the turn of the 20th century and gone too early. Tracing the roots of the music pioneers who came to influence later generations of rock superstars from their humble beginnings on plantations and also the work details of Parchman prison. Many of these talented musicians and songwriters had the misfortune to begin their careers in the years leading up to the Great Depression, and while some even made some commercial recordings, the total contraction of the music market led many back to making a living from farming or other means. Some of the greats, such as Charley Patton and Robert Johnson, were lost at an early age to ill health and poisoning, respectively. Their stories have been pieced together with a lot of persistence of some earlier researchers. Some, such as Son House, Skip James, and Mississippi John Hurt enjoyed a rediscovery of their music and revival of their careers in the 1960's. For anyone interested in the history of American music, or in the history of the blues and it's founders, this is a good read. There is a small section of photos, mostly of those who came to popularity as the inspiration behind artists like The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. Other portraits which appear at the beginning of each chapter, are sketches based on the few known photographs of some of the early pioneers.
May 29, 2018
Imprescindible.
Gracias a Ted Gioia por ser mi guía en este viaje.
He habitado en este libro lugares y espacios musicales soñados.
Disfrutando la historia del blues, sus irónicos y mágicos avatares, los cruces de caminos, el descubrimiento de cada uno de los músicos.
Un placer inmenso escuchar cada tema en spotify, navegar por los álbumes y los autores, añadir mis blues favoritos a una colección.
Finalizado este viaje, hoy escucho música con mayor bagaje en mi hatillo. Y sé que es sólo el principio.
Thanks Ted!
Gracias a Ted Gioia por ser mi guía en este viaje.
He habitado en este libro lugares y espacios musicales soñados.
Disfrutando la historia del blues, sus irónicos y mágicos avatares, los cruces de caminos, el descubrimiento de cada uno de los músicos.
Un placer inmenso escuchar cada tema en spotify, navegar por los álbumes y los autores, añadir mis blues favoritos a una colección.
Finalizado este viaje, hoy escucho música con mayor bagaje en mi hatillo. Y sé que es sólo el principio.
Thanks Ted!
May 15, 2025
Since watching Sinners (2025) dir. Ryan Coogler, I have been interested in learning more about blues music. As a Black American woman from the South and close to both Memphis and the Mississippi Delta regions, I have always been familiar with blues culture. I know that it's considered the first American musical genre, and it has inspired popular genres today such as R&B, hip hop, and rock and roll. I even had my phase of listening to new blues artists who are often cross-genre with rock music. I also knew that blues music wasn't all that different from popular Black music today in its sensuality and sexually explicit content.
Ted Gioia gives an insider look into the history of the Delta Blues tradition, which is considered one of the earliest forms of blues. In Delta Blues: The Life and Times of the Mississippi Masters Who Revolutionized American Music, the book does exactly what the title suggests. Each chapter focuses on a different master like Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, B. B. King, Skip James, and others. Because of Jim Crow-era racism being so prominent in the time of these masters, so much of the classic blues era is shrouded in mysticism and legend. Here, Gioia honors that while also giving historically accurate accounts of what happened.
This book is compulsively readable and a page-turner. There is a ton of new information for those of us who are in the early stages of studying this genre, while also being accessible enough for casual/beginner fans to read. So many music books can be bogged down by name-dropping and the overflow of textbook-toned information, but this was like talking to an excited friend or elder who knows their stuff. With that said, the only thing that is preventing me from giving this five stars is my attention span. There were moments where I'd skim or my mind would trail off somewhere else, but I knew early on that this would be a book that I would purchase for myself for future reference.
Ted Gioia gives an insider look into the history of the Delta Blues tradition, which is considered one of the earliest forms of blues. In Delta Blues: The Life and Times of the Mississippi Masters Who Revolutionized American Music, the book does exactly what the title suggests. Each chapter focuses on a different master like Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, B. B. King, Skip James, and others. Because of Jim Crow-era racism being so prominent in the time of these masters, so much of the classic blues era is shrouded in mysticism and legend. Here, Gioia honors that while also giving historically accurate accounts of what happened.
This book is compulsively readable and a page-turner. There is a ton of new information for those of us who are in the early stages of studying this genre, while also being accessible enough for casual/beginner fans to read. So many music books can be bogged down by name-dropping and the overflow of textbook-toned information, but this was like talking to an excited friend or elder who knows their stuff. With that said, the only thing that is preventing me from giving this five stars is my attention span. There were moments where I'd skim or my mind would trail off somewhere else, but I knew early on that this would be a book that I would purchase for myself for future reference.
June 8, 2019
Una gran introducción al mundo del blues, desde sus orígenes rurales hasta su actual estado de hibridación, vanguardia y clasicismo. Un texto muy divulgativo apto para todos aquellos que deseen adentrarse en un género musical fundamental para entender la música popular del siglo XX y XXI. Una gozada.
September 6, 2019
This was a really great overview of the Blues. Its something I wasn't really familiar with and before you know it I'm driving around listening to Son House, Robert Johnson and Howlin Wolf. A great intro to the music that birthed rock n roll
August 27, 2012
Ted Gioia's thoughtful book traces the lives and works of American blues musicians from the Mississippi Delta. I've seen John Lee Hooker and B.B. King. Gioia's book puts them in context, at the end of a uniquely American musical movement. I'm familiar with some of the earlier music, but this book provides a framework -- and a study guide -- for an unschooled listener.
Gioia's appreciation for his subject is obvious. I could have done without the final chapter, though. The content doesn't fit with the rest.
The 100 essential blues recordings list is a gem.
"The influence of the Delta on the sound of our musical lives is so pervasive today that is is almost impossible to take full measure of its impact. One might as well try to imagine cooking without herbs and spices, or medicine before the arrival of penicillin."
"The American blues musician, in contrast, honed a music of personal expression, often reflecting a lack of connection to the broader streams of society, evoking feelings of alienation and anomie."
"The blues ... emerged in isolation and far from the well-traveled haunts. It emerged in settings that were almost perfectly suited for halting, not fostering, the spread of a new form of musical expression. ... The essence of the blues was not innovation, was not the spread of a new way of making music, but stemmed primarily from the retention of traditional practices and perspectives."
"(B.B.) King introduces the piece with a soulful single-note guitar line that settles into a moody ballad, at a 65 beats per minute tempo, slower than a lover's heartbeat."
Gioia's appreciation for his subject is obvious. I could have done without the final chapter, though. The content doesn't fit with the rest.
The 100 essential blues recordings list is a gem.
"The influence of the Delta on the sound of our musical lives is so pervasive today that is is almost impossible to take full measure of its impact. One might as well try to imagine cooking without herbs and spices, or medicine before the arrival of penicillin."
"The American blues musician, in contrast, honed a music of personal expression, often reflecting a lack of connection to the broader streams of society, evoking feelings of alienation and anomie."
"The blues ... emerged in isolation and far from the well-traveled haunts. It emerged in settings that were almost perfectly suited for halting, not fostering, the spread of a new form of musical expression. ... The essence of the blues was not innovation, was not the spread of a new way of making music, but stemmed primarily from the retention of traditional practices and perspectives."
"(B.B.) King introduces the piece with a soulful single-note guitar line that settles into a moody ballad, at a 65 beats per minute tempo, slower than a lover's heartbeat."
September 8, 2009
A terrific overview of the acknowledged masters of the Mississippi Delta blues (Robert Johnson, Son House, Muddy Waters, and others), some of their less-famous, underappreciated forebears and contemporaries(Willie Brown, Rube Lacy, Tommy McClennan, etc.), and finally members of the next generation who carry the legacy of the Delta blues in their own music, particularly with the Fat Possum record label (North Mississippi All-Stars, Junior Kimbrough, R.L. Burnside).
Gioia admits to being, originally, a jazz aficionado, but his love for the music of the Delta and for American folk/roots traditions in general shines through in his excellent prose and scholarship. The "For Further Reading" section listed many other worthwhile books, and I was particularly thrilled with the discography - since many of these songs were re-recorded and are repackaged again and again by record companies, it is often hard to determine which were the original recordings. Gioia cuts through all that by providing original label info. and release numbers. A must-read for the casual or rabid blues fan.
Gioia admits to being, originally, a jazz aficionado, but his love for the music of the Delta and for American folk/roots traditions in general shines through in his excellent prose and scholarship. The "For Further Reading" section listed many other worthwhile books, and I was particularly thrilled with the discography - since many of these songs were re-recorded and are repackaged again and again by record companies, it is often hard to determine which were the original recordings. Gioia cuts through all that by providing original label info. and release numbers. A must-read for the casual or rabid blues fan.
November 15, 2010
Ted Gioia takes a somewhat dry, academic and definitely hit-and-miss look at a great subject. The title is misleading as two-thirds of the book is about Chicago bluesmen with roots in the Mississippi Delta: Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, et al. The real roots of Delta Blues remain almost as mysterious as the music of the Romans or the Greeks; whereas the Chicago/Chess story is well-documented and often told. Still, how can you go wrong with anecdotes about Robert Johnson (while playing he always hit on the homeliest woman in the room to increase his chance of success and reduce the odds against jealous retaliation); Leadbelly (yes the Lomaxes discovered him and made him a star, but they also made him their driver); and Muddy Waters (painted the Chess studio for extra cash). Occasionally Gioia manages to scrape off the mustard, like his 10-page repudiation of the Robert Johnson "Crossroads" myth (what next, an investigative report into the Santa Claus hoax?). I'm a blues junkie so this remains essential reading. I'm told Robert Palmer's book is much better.
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December 4, 2011Hard-core jazz fans should try spreading their mental and musical wings and reading Gioia's latest, for long- and well-known as a critic of that musical genre, Gioia has seemingly made use not only of his original background, but also of every iota of new material that has come to light in his chapters on the early blues associated with Dockery Plantation and Parchman Prison, as well as those on Son House, Skip James, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, B. B. King, and the blues revival.
Perhaps DELTA BLUES is natural evolution from two of the three Deems-Taylor Awards winners Gioia has to his credit, WORK SONGS and HEALING SONGS (Duke University Press, 2006), but who'd expect Pythagoras
to join the mix above? If Gioia's alma mater is Stanford, it should be no surprise that he jumped to the east coast only recently to join rhw contributora to the massive undertaking by Greil Marcus and Werner Sollors, A NEW LITERARY HISTORY OF AMERICA (Harvard University Press).
Perhaps DELTA BLUES is natural evolution from two of the three Deems-Taylor Awards winners Gioia has to his credit, WORK SONGS and HEALING SONGS (Duke University Press, 2006), but who'd expect Pythagoras
to join the mix above? If Gioia's alma mater is Stanford, it should be no surprise that he jumped to the east coast only recently to join rhw contributora to the massive undertaking by Greil Marcus and Werner Sollors, A NEW LITERARY HISTORY OF AMERICA (Harvard University Press).
September 3, 2010
There's lots of great history in this book, and it's a great, driving read.As he's already proven in his jazz books, Gioia knows music and knows how to write exceptionally well about music.
Gioia did his homework talking to people who've been researching the early-mid 20th century Mississippi Delta inside out for decades, and he surveys pretty much everything that's already been written about delta blues.
I love that the fanatics who went looking for old 78s in the 1950s and 60s are sometimes even bigger characters than the blues people they were researching. The Mississippi native who got a job as an exterminator in order to gain entrance to black households and haggle for 78s takes the cake in this department.
Gioia did his homework talking to people who've been researching the early-mid 20th century Mississippi Delta inside out for decades, and he surveys pretty much everything that's already been written about delta blues.
I love that the fanatics who went looking for old 78s in the 1950s and 60s are sometimes even bigger characters than the blues people they were researching. The Mississippi native who got a job as an exterminator in order to gain entrance to black households and haggle for 78s takes the cake in this department.
December 31, 2009
(Non-Fiction Music) My knowledge of blues music is slim to none, so I jumped at the chance to read this book for a class. I really enjoyed Gioia's research and descriptions of people, places, and above all, the music. I certainly have a deep appreciation for the blues now. I really loved his informalities throughout the book, where he suggestively speaks to his readers. Gioia includes a bibliography, a further reading list and a listening list of important blues recordings, so if I want to become a blues scholar anytime in the future he's provided a great roadmap to do so.
February 21, 2013
An excellent and thorough overview of the great Delta Blues players, covering their music, influence and personal histories (to the extent possible). The sections on Skip James and Muddy Waters are particularly interesting; the section on Robert Johnson tends to get bogged down in scholarly dispute. The most vivid sections of the book deal with life in The Delta, which consisted of hardships the average American would find difficult to imagine. Ted Gioia is an accomplished scholar of both jazz and blues; his research and analysis of the work of other researchers is impeccable.
August 26, 2016
Great read for anyone interested in blues and listen to the songs on you tube definitely worth it!!!
I chose this rating because I learned a lot about the Blues and how the Mississippi delta shaped the foundation of music. I only knew about Robert Johnson and had tangentially heard about the other Blues artists. I learned more about the major influencers of BB King, Muddy Waters, Tommy Johnson , Skip James and Howlin Wolf on modern music. Great read. Thank you.
I chose this rating because I learned a lot about the Blues and how the Mississippi delta shaped the foundation of music. I only knew about Robert Johnson and had tangentially heard about the other Blues artists. I learned more about the major influencers of BB King, Muddy Waters, Tommy Johnson , Skip James and Howlin Wolf on modern music. Great read. Thank you.
September 17, 2017
A truly great book about the blues masters from the early 1900's through today. Some had been forgotten until the 1960's when bands like Cream, Canned Heat, Santana and the Rolling Stones shared the stories of their greatest influences and how it shaped their musical journeys. There are tales of Robert Johnson, Son House, W.C. Handy, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker and B.B. King, to name a few. This book is well-researched, which was no easy task and it's well-written.
August 20, 2013
The third of the basic introductory texts to country blues, and the most coherent and comprehensive of the lot. Gioia's book benefits from the fact that he's a musician and has all the scholarship since the 50's at his disposal. Would have given it five stars if Gioia's writing style/approach wasn't so gosh darn pleasant.
Sucks amazon bought goodreads.
Sucks amazon bought goodreads.
December 6, 2008
Lots of fascinating American history in this book. I got lots of ideas for CDs to listen to while reading this one. I'm a huge fan of old country blues recordings and this book enriched my current and future listening experiences. Ted Gioia is an excellent writer.
November 11, 2009
Tons of detail, clear that the author is really interested in his material, but there was a serious lack of storyline. If I want a litany of dates and names, I can spend a few hours on Wikipedia. This book made me wish that I had taken notes in 76-221.
December 7, 2011
I discovered Gioia's recommended list of blues songs at the back of the book when I was half-way through it. I wish I had seen the list earlier, so that I could have listened to the songs as I was reading the whole way.
August 24, 2014
an impressive overview of delta blues music and its pantheon of stellar musicians. gioia does a masterful job of bringing both the giants of the genre, and the overlooked geniuses of the form, to vivid life on the page.
May 10, 2025
Got this book especially for the chapter on Muddy Waters and the mysterious and mythical Robert Johnson. It, along with the mini biographies on other blues legends (as well as the origins and evolution of the genre) did not disappoint.
Although academic, this is a fascinating read.
Although academic, this is a fascinating read.
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