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Devil At The Confluence
The Pre-War Blues music of St. Louis, Missouri. Out of ragtime, out of jazz, out of big band music and beyond, American music came into its own due to the talents and experiences of the musicians at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Included with the illustrated pages is a special compact disc of rare and often some of the last recorded performances recordings by St. Louis legends, including early blues masters Barrelhouse Buck, Speckled Red, Roosevelt Sykes, and many more. Devil at the Confluence tells the untold story of the profound connection between these historical blues artists and their ties to St. Louis. Artist Kevin Belford combines years of scholarly research and discovery with his well-renowned artwork to present a book that chronicles various legendary talents that built the base for what is now called American popular music.
- GenresMusic
207 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
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September 21, 2025
“Nobody leaves this place without singing the Blues.”
-Albert Collins to Elisabeth Shue
“Adventures in Babysitting”
This book was a birthday present from my wife Barb, who is herself an avid Blues fan as well as quite knowledgeable about the St. Louis music scene. It is a sort of “coffee table book,” with both text and lush illustrations by the author, who spent 15 years researching the material. George Carlin once quipped, “All music is the Blues. All of it.” Mr. Belford is somewhat more specific:
“A simple and fair definition of blues music is that it is a melancholy type of song. Blue feelings are universal and music with those feelings is one of the foundational styles that popular American music incorporated. The blues are also American vernacular poetry filled with Prozac emotions and a steady beat you can dance or cry to. Depression as entertainment has always been a money maker, especially in the heyday of the blues during an economic depression, when a popular antidote, alcohol, was banned.”
The subtitle is “The Pre-War Blues Music of St. Louis, Missouri,” which spans the years of about 1905 through the late 1930’s and into the early 1940’s. Mr. Belford maintains that the local Blues were an independently-developed musical style, rather than, as is commonly indicated, a concoction of the Delta Blues brought through St. Louis by musicians on their way to Chicago. The strongest example he gives is, of course, Scott Joplin, whose Ragtime was a major forerunner to both Blues and Jazz.
Mr. Belford goes on to describe around twenty musicians from this time line, all African-American, who not only popularized the Blues but were also influences on other, younger musicians. This included both men and women. At the time, mainstream record labels refused to release music by Black entertainers, so that several record labels, notably OKeh, Black-owned, released them to a limited audience. In addition, the book describes the promoters, managers, agents, and club owners who had their own powerful influence in bringing these musicians to an audience. The book ends with descriptions of more contemporary musicians, such as Ike and Tina Turner and Miles Davis, who reverently pay homage to those who came before them.
It was a true pleasure reading this book, as I learned a great deal about this poorly- known local phenomenon. And while the text was intriguing and the illustrations on every page were at-times-overwhelming collages of photos, posters, St. Louis landscapes, and record labels with their songs, I must admit that the sepia-toned paintings, along with the slick pages, made the reading a bit slow. A minor criticism for a major work.
But wait, there’s more! At the back of the book is a CD of a number of these musicians who are still alive. They tracked down and found, interviewed, and encouraged to play some of their classic tunes. There are dropped chords and weaker voices, but the spirit is definitely there! The songs and their musicians are described in some detail towards the end of the book. This project is reminiscent of a documentary produced by Ry Cooder on “The Buena Vista Social Club,” a group of older Cuban musicians who were lured out of retirement and went on to do a traveling road show (go check it out, it'll make your day). And while I’m at it, I would also recommend the 2003 PBS series on “The Blues,” produced by Martin Scorcese. Many musicians such musicians as B. B. King, Ike Turner Buddy Guy, Dr. John, the Rolling Stones and, indeed, Clint Eastwood, are profiled. The influence on Rock music by Black jazz and Blues is certainly acknowledged. Seven glorious episodes. Catch it.
Well, OK, no surprise, five enthusiastic stars for this book. Highly recommended.
-Albert Collins to Elisabeth Shue
“Adventures in Babysitting”
This book was a birthday present from my wife Barb, who is herself an avid Blues fan as well as quite knowledgeable about the St. Louis music scene. It is a sort of “coffee table book,” with both text and lush illustrations by the author, who spent 15 years researching the material. George Carlin once quipped, “All music is the Blues. All of it.” Mr. Belford is somewhat more specific:
“A simple and fair definition of blues music is that it is a melancholy type of song. Blue feelings are universal and music with those feelings is one of the foundational styles that popular American music incorporated. The blues are also American vernacular poetry filled with Prozac emotions and a steady beat you can dance or cry to. Depression as entertainment has always been a money maker, especially in the heyday of the blues during an economic depression, when a popular antidote, alcohol, was banned.”
The subtitle is “The Pre-War Blues Music of St. Louis, Missouri,” which spans the years of about 1905 through the late 1930’s and into the early 1940’s. Mr. Belford maintains that the local Blues were an independently-developed musical style, rather than, as is commonly indicated, a concoction of the Delta Blues brought through St. Louis by musicians on their way to Chicago. The strongest example he gives is, of course, Scott Joplin, whose Ragtime was a major forerunner to both Blues and Jazz.
Mr. Belford goes on to describe around twenty musicians from this time line, all African-American, who not only popularized the Blues but were also influences on other, younger musicians. This included both men and women. At the time, mainstream record labels refused to release music by Black entertainers, so that several record labels, notably OKeh, Black-owned, released them to a limited audience. In addition, the book describes the promoters, managers, agents, and club owners who had their own powerful influence in bringing these musicians to an audience. The book ends with descriptions of more contemporary musicians, such as Ike and Tina Turner and Miles Davis, who reverently pay homage to those who came before them.
It was a true pleasure reading this book, as I learned a great deal about this poorly- known local phenomenon. And while the text was intriguing and the illustrations on every page were at-times-overwhelming collages of photos, posters, St. Louis landscapes, and record labels with their songs, I must admit that the sepia-toned paintings, along with the slick pages, made the reading a bit slow. A minor criticism for a major work.
But wait, there’s more! At the back of the book is a CD of a number of these musicians who are still alive. They tracked down and found, interviewed, and encouraged to play some of their classic tunes. There are dropped chords and weaker voices, but the spirit is definitely there! The songs and their musicians are described in some detail towards the end of the book. This project is reminiscent of a documentary produced by Ry Cooder on “The Buena Vista Social Club,” a group of older Cuban musicians who were lured out of retirement and went on to do a traveling road show (go check it out, it'll make your day). And while I’m at it, I would also recommend the 2003 PBS series on “The Blues,” produced by Martin Scorcese. Many musicians such musicians as B. B. King, Ike Turner Buddy Guy, Dr. John, the Rolling Stones and, indeed, Clint Eastwood, are profiled. The influence on Rock music by Black jazz and Blues is certainly acknowledged. Seven glorious episodes. Catch it.
Well, OK, no surprise, five enthusiastic stars for this book. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 of 1 review