Portrait Of The Blues

by Paul Trynka

The story of the blues is told in this unique collection of firsthand interviews with over fifty major blues and blues-influenced players, including John Lee Hooker, B. B. King, and Buddy Guy; and presented with the stunning pictures of world-famous photographer Val Wilmer, taken over the last thirty years in the rural south and in urban blues centers such as Chicago, New Orleans, and Memphis.

Genres: Music

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Paul Trynka was formerly the editor of Mojo magazine (1996-2003). He has also been the editorial director of Q magazine, launch editor of The Guitar Magazine, and editor-in-chief of New Projects at Emap. He is the author of Iggy Pop (Broadway 2007), Portrait of the Blues, and Denim, a history of the fabric. He lives in London.

Reviews

[David Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Photos and quotes of and by bluesmen. I expected to skim through the photos by Val Wilmer (which are very interesting). I found myself pulled in to this story of the blues as told through quotes. Mr. Trynka spoke with a broad range of blues players, some famous and others not so much. The reader hears their authentic voice(s) with the bits arranged to form a linear storyline.