Between Midnight and Day: The Last Unpublished Blues Archive

by Dick Waterman, Bonnie Raitt (Preface), Peter Guralnick (Introduction)

Between Midnight and The Last Unpublished Blues Archive celebrates the rich heritage of one of America’s greatest cultural legacies, the blues. Dick Waterman has been representing and photographing blues artists for over fifty years and in Between Midnight and Day, he collects these rare images, many previously unseen, and illuminates them with his own first-hand commentary offering his unique perspective as an agent, representative, photographer, and friend to some of the most influential figures in American music. Waterman includes personal recollections and 120 color photographs of blues legends like Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Son House, “Mississippi” John Hurt, Skip James, Janis Joplin, B.B. King, Fred McDowell, Bonnie Raitt, Otis Rush, Roosevelt Sykes, Big Mama Thornton, Sippie Wallace, Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Bukka White, and Howlin’ Wolf. Contributors include critically acclaimed music biographer Peter Guralnick, Grammy award-winning musician Bonnie Raitt, and author Chris Murray.

Genres: Music, Photography, History

176 pages, Hardcover

First published November 19, 2003

Reviews

[Paul Secor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good photographs of and good well told stories about Mississippi John Hurt, Lightnin' Hopkins, Joseph Spence, Mance Lipscomb, Arthur Crudup, and a host of others.
I have one minor disagreement with Mr. Waterman. In the section on Chuck Berry, he writes about speaking with Mose Allison about his appearance with The Muddy Waters Band, Otis Spann, Mississippi John Hurt, and Chuck Berry at a New York City Folk Festival concert in 1965. Mose remarks that he still remembers that Chuck and the accompanying band (members of Muddy's band) played out of time with each other. Nitpicking. I was there that night (still have the flyer - tickets ranged from $2 to $4.95!) and no one in the audience noticed or cared. Chuck tore the place up that night - out of time or not. Perhaps my disagreement should be with Mr. Allison.

[Mateo · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some reason, Goodreads credits this book to Bonnie Raitt. Raitt wrote the foreword, but the text and photos are actually by the famed blues producer and publicist Dick Waterman.

This book probably comes as close as any set of photos can to the meat and feel of the blues, in its richly, darkly luminescent prints and nearly otherworldly feel. Virtually every page has a magnificent photo on it, and the personal anecdotes that Waterman relates are funny, poignant, and sharp, often all three together. If there's a flaw, it's that Waterman clearly has some scores to settle and is not above the occasional bit of rapier-waving, but the honesty behind it makes it all worthwhile. Highly recommended.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best blues memoirs I've ever read. Best collection of blues photography ever

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a folk style to Waterman's storytelling (an unexpected and possibly unrivaled example of the "unreliable narrator" approach) that allows the text not only to accompany these photographs comfortably but to actually communicate with them. To most listeners, there is an aura of mystery around many of these performers; Waterman's stories play with and build on that sense of wonder.