Each of the first three sections of the book, "Before The Blues", "Blues, How Do You Do?" and "Meaning In The Blues," compiles radio broadcasts which work within the theme under discussion. The fourth section, "Documenting The Blues," deals with the problems associated with assembling this material and the misfortune of how much has been lost. So much of this music was never recorded because it was being performed in honky-tonks and juke joints where people with the kind of equipment necessary would never have dreamt of showing up.
Some of the music recorded or talked about in these broadcasts only exists today because Paul Oliver traveled through the South in the early 1960s. (This was at great personal risk, being a white man wandering around the rural south; hanging out with black people was not looked upon with great favour by others of the same race in the local population.) He recorded as many people as he could find, thus preserving their music for posterity.
Broadcasting The Blues: Black Music In The Segregation Era, whether in book form or on CD, is an invaluable contribution to the collection of anyone who has a passion for blues music. Throughout his career, Paul Oliver has done his best to broadcast the blues in all meanings of the word. Let's hope the seeds he's been distributing continue to grow and flourish.
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1 - -E
Congrats, this article was picked for one of this week's Ed Picks. Keep up the good work.
2 - VANESSA ANNE HUDGENS
HI!