1. From Africa to the New World From the 17th century, men, women and children were taken
as slaves from their African homes to the Americas. But no one could take
away their music.
Blues Legends: Papa Charlie Jackson
Classic Songs: Salty Dog ~ Airy Man Blues ~ All
I Want Is A Spoonful ~ Shake That Thing
2. The Roots of African-American
Music The blues is conceived in the rural South where slaves
lavour on the plantations.
Blues Legends: Lead Belly (Huddy Ledbetter)
Classic Songs: C.C. Rider ~ Rock Island Line
~ Goodnight Irene ~ Swing Low Sweet Chariot ~ John Henry
3. Ragtime, Jazz, and The Birth
of the Blues Two distinctive styles of black music surface in the
United States, notably New Orleans, and the blues is born.
Blues Legends: Charley Patton ~ Scott Joplin ~
Buddy Bolden ~ King Oliver ~ Louis Armstrong ~ W.C. Handy ~ Jellyroll Morton
Classic Songs: Maple Leaf Rag ~ The Entertainer
~ Make Me A Pallet On The Floor ~ St. Louis Blues ~ Pony Blues ~ High Water
Everywhere ~ A Spoonful Blues
4. The Blues . . . When They
Were A Girl Thing The early years of the blues are dominated by women --
"Classic blues singers," who are legendary figures.First Blues Record:
August 10, 1920 The Jazz Hounds recorded Crazy Blues with vocal
by Mamie Smith released on OKeh label ~ The beginning of the "Race Records"
genre. Records and recordings offer millions of black people a slice of
their own culture.
Blues Legends: Bessie Smith ~ Ma Rainey ~ Ethel
Waters ~ Trixie Smith ~ Ida Cox ~ Alberta Hunter ~ Memphis Minnie
Classic Songs: Nobody Knows You When You're Down
and Out ~ Down Home Blues ~ Freight Train Blues ~ T'aint Nobody's Business
If I do ~ Backwater Blues ~ Down Hearted Blues ~ Bo-Weavil Blues ~ Sloppy
Drunk Blues ~ Mississippi Delta Blues ~ Trouble in Mind
5. Goin' To The Country From 1927, record companies go in search of new talent
and make "field trips" to the Southern states.
Blues Legends: Blind Lemon Jefferson ~ Blind Blake
~ Blind Willie McTell ~ Lonnie Johnson ~ Mississippi John Hurt ~ T-Bone
Walker ~ Charlie Christian
Classic Songs: Statesboro Blues ~ Stack O'Lee
Blues ~ Canned Heat Blues ~ Guitar Blues ~ Bottleneck Blues ~ Matchbox
Blues ~ Black Snake Moan ~ West Coast Blues ~ Broke Down Engine Blues
6. Memphis, Jug Bands, and The
Delta The blues moves from the Mississippi to the cities.
Blues Legends: Memphis Jug Band ~ Sleepy John
Estes ~ Son House ~ Sonny Boy Williamson ~ Furry Lewis
Classic Songs: Roll & Tumble Blues ~
Drop Down Mama ~ Airplane Blues ~ Walk Right In ~ Black Mama ~ Dry
Spell Blues ~ Preachin' the Blues ~ Rolling Stone
7. The Depression, No Depression,
and Some Boogie Woogie, Too Depression hits and the US recording industry suffers
in its wake. As the 1930s progress, the blues emanates from the cities,
and country music begins to show its roots.
Blues Legends: Tampa Red ~ Leroy Carr ~ Big Bill
Broonzy ~ Pinetop Smith ~ Fats Waller ~ Governor Jimmie Davis ~ Jimmie
Rodgers ~ The Carter Family ~ Bob Wills ~ Emmett Miller ~ Hank Williams
Classic Songs: How Long, How Long Blues
~ It's Tight Like That ~ The Duck's Yas-Yas-Yas ~ It Hurts Me Too ~ Let
Me Play With Your Poodle ~ Blues Before Sunrise ~ Mean Mistreater Mama
~ You Are My Sunshine ~ Hill Billie Blues ~ Columbus Stockade Blues ~ Mule
Skinner Blues ~ Corrine Corrina ~ Lovesick Blues ~ Pinetop's Boogie Woogie
~ Ain't Misbehavin'
8. At the Crossroads . . . God
and the Devil The Delta makes its last great statement of intent as
the cradle of the blues. Fascinating myths and legends pervade the music,
giving it a special quality.
Blues Legends: Robert Johnson ~ Peetie Wheatstraw
~ Memphis Minnie ~ Joe Williams ~ Josh White ~ Sonny Terry & Brownie
McGhee ~ Blind Boy Fuller ~ Bukka White ~ Bo Carter ~ Blind Willie Johnson
~ Thomas A. Dorsey ~ Sister Rosetta Tharpe ~ Les Paul
Classic Songs: Baby Please Don't Go ~ My Pencil
Don't Write No More ~ Banana In Your Fruit Basket ~ Please Warm My Weiner
~ I Believe I'll Dust My Broom ~ Sweet Home Chicago ~ Terraplane Blues
~ Cross Road Blues
9. Big Bands, Strikes and Mr.
Hitler (Wartime Blues) The effects of World War II are felt throughout the US,
and the blues takes a rest.
Blues Legends: T-Bone Walker ~ Billie Holiday
~ The Delta Rhythm Boys ~ Glenn Miller et al
Classic Songs: Good Morning Schoolgirl ~ Call
It Stormy Monday ~ In The Mood
10. Let the Good Times Roll! Postwar US takes heart and the blues takes on a new,
more vibrant feeling.
Blues Legends: Louis Jordan ~ Wynonie Harris ~
Joe Turner ~ James Cotton ~ Sonny Boy Williamson ~ John Lee Hooker ~
~ Ella Fitzgerald ~ Nat King Cole ~ Roy Brown ~ Clarence "Gatemouth"
Brown ~ Memphis Slim ~ Muddy Waters ~ The Honeydrippers ~ Arthur "Big Boy"
Crudup
Classic Songs:That's All Right ~ Good
Rockin' Tonight ~ Flip Flop and Fly ~ Shake Rattle and Roll
~ Caldonia ~ Let the Good Times Roll ~ Got My Mojo Working ~ Route
66 ~ Straighen Up and Fly Right ~ Eyesight to the Blind ~ Boom Boom
~ Hoochie Coochie Man
11. The Fabulous Fifties Chicago dominates the sound of the blues, and a new breed
of blues musicians move from their Southern homes. Britain discovers the
blues through skiffle. Blues gives birth to Rock 'n' Roll.
Blues Legends: Etta James ~ Howlin' Wolf ~ Bo
Diddley ~ Chuck Berry ~ Willie Dixon ~ Jimmy Reed ~ Lightnin' Hopkins ~
Lonnie Donegan ~ Elvis ~ Muddy Waters ~ Little Walter ~ Sun Records Artists
~ BB King ~ Fats Domino ~ Slim Harpo ~ Ray Charles ~ Little Richard ~ Lonnie
Mack
Classic Songs: Boogie Chillen ~ Mystery Train
~ Boogie Chillen ~ At Last ~ Spoonful ~ Little Red Rooster ~ Killing Floor
~ Hey Bo Diddley ~ I'm A Man ~ Johnny B. Goode ~ Sweet Little Sixteen ~
Backdoor Man ~ Bring It On Home ~ Big Boss Man ~ Baby What You Want
Me To Do ~ Mojo Hand ~ I'm A King Bee ~ What'd I Say
12. By the Time We Got to
Woodstock The Sixties are a time of great social change. While
the blues inspires many young white musicians, black American blues is
at a crossroads. Britain becomes the catalyst for musical change, and the
blues is a newfound inspiration. Rebirth of the blues legends.
Blues Legends: Big Bill Broonzy ~ Elmore James
~ Mississippi John Hurt ~ Albert King ~ Albert Collins ~ Otis Rush ~ Beatles,
Stones, Animals, Yardbirds, et al ~ Long John Baldry ~ John Mayall ~ Bob
Dylan ~ John Hammond, Jr. ~ Mike Bloomfield ~ Jimi Hendrix ~ Janis
Joplin ~ Grateful Dead
Classic Songs: (I Believe I'll) Dust My Broom
~ The Sky is Crying ~ Shake Your Moneymaker ~ Key to the Highway ~ Southbound
Train ~ Born Under A Bad Sign ~ Freeze ~ Double Trouble ~ Wang Dang
Doodle
13. Long Live the Blues . . .
and Rock 'n' Roll Too The blues is everywhere -- even though it has been diluted
in a modern melee of musical styles -- and it's here to stay!
Blues Legends: B.B. King ~ Buddy Guy ~ Eric Clapton
~ Bonnie Raitt ~ Taj Mahal ~ Allman Brothers ~ Johnny Winter ~ ZZ
Top ~ Stevie Ray Vaughn ~ J. Geils Band ~ Rory Gallagher ~ Layla ~ Santana
~ Led Zeppelin ~ Ike and Tina Turner
Classic Songs: The Thrill is Gone ~ Three O'Clock
Blues ~ Stone Crazy . . .