Palmer treads the fine line between scholarship and readability and makes the book both informative and interesting. This musical and cultural history traces the blues from its roots in west africa to the mississippi delta to urban chicago and beyond. What a treat to finally get a chance to meet the guy. Renowned director robert mugge and music scholar robert palmer went deep in the mississippi delta to seek out the best blues acts in the country. Robert palmers humid narrative deep blues is a perfect introduction. Deep blues thus triumphs as a testament to the blues deep roots and an unintentional eulogy for palmer, who would pass away in the mid90s just as. Robert palmers humid narrative deep blues is a perfect introduction and primer to the blues. The story line, as such, is simply blues authorhistorian robert palmer who is the author of a book called deep blues which may be the inspiration for the movie but is not a script for it and executive producer david stewart lead guitarist with the eurythmics whose presence is probably best explained by the fact he financed the project. A musical and cultural history of the mississippi delta by robert palmer and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Mar 09, 2001 blues is the cornerstone of american popular music, the bedrock of rock and roll. To imagine the beginnings of popular music in america as humblehatched in shacks across the deep southseems a trip too far. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include previous owner inscriptions. Palmer spins a tale from the share cropping mississippi delta to the world and its music at large. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study.
Lost and found in the mississippi delta hidden history of mississippi blues 48 razorsharp 12bar blues. Get your mojo working with these essential delta resources. A musical pilgrimage to the crossroads is a british documentary film, released in 1991, and made by music critic and author robert palmer and documentary film maker robert mugge, in collaboration with david a. Robert palmer was born in little rock, arkansas in 1945, and graduated from the university of arkansas at little rock in 1964. By greg cahill from the november 2016 issue of acoustic guitar. Get it today with same day delivery, order pickup or drive up. In our section about blues history youll find a quote from the prologue of the book talking about why its so hard to play delta blues in the right way. This 1983 book by robert palmer is one of the best books i have read so far on the history and development of the the delta blues, the places it started and the leading figures involved. Robert palmer his book deep blues traced the deltatochicago blues route in informative, readable fashion, and he followed that up by writing and hosting a deep blues documentary film. My coblogger and i are both tremendous consumers of books as well as of music. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Deep blues download free pdf and ebook by robert palmer.
His powerful, haunting music, shadowy life and mysterious. From 1981 until 1988, he was the chief pop music critic at the new york times, the first person to hold that title, and he continued to write. Yet robert palmers voyage of musical nonfiction deep blues asks us to take this trip, across the atlantic as slave ships docked on american shores, through the plantations as drums were banned for their political. A musical and cultural history of the mississippi delta dispatches from pluto. Wardlow and paul oliver and i really think deep blues holds up. Deep blues by palmer, robert and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. A musical and cultural history of the mississippi delta by robert palmer at indigo.
He travelled the length of the united states, visiting the farms and plantations where the blues was born, interviewing those who were there or their immediate successors, travelled the migration routes on which african americans fled northwards, and. May 23, 2019 open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. Naturally, we also read books about music, and youve seen. American musicologist and social historian robert palmer hit the road during the 1970s to research a book on the music he loved. Written in an awesomely engaging style, the late mr. Blues is the cornerstone of american popular music, the bedrock of rock and roll. Robert palmer s humid narrative deep blues is a perfect introduction and primer to the blues. Robert palmer books list of books by author robert palmer. About deep blues blues is the cornerstone of american popular music, the bedrock of rock and roll. A musical and cultural history of the mississippi delta by robert palmer. A musical and cultural history of the mississippi delta by palmer robert 19820729 paperback unknown binding july 29, 1982. Robert palmer weaves not only the raw history of the delta blues the who, what, when, where and why of the blues but more importantly, the human story behind the music.
In this extraordinary musical and social history, robert palmer traces the odyssey of the blues from its rural beginnings, to the steamy bars of chicagos south side, to international popularity, recognition, and imitation. Deep blues is a history of delta blues written by robert palmer one of the great music writers of the last half of the twentieth century. Ive been a big fan of the work of the late great blues historianfolklorist, robert palmer, for sometime now. Robert palmer traces the odyssey of the blues from its rural beginnings, to the. In this extraordinary musical and social history, robert palmer. Part ii of the book returns to muddy waters and robert johnson with. The human condition and the music it brings forth, the deep blues. Most of the book is the result of interviews with blues musicians and others who worked with them. Since producing the latter films soundtrack cd for atlantic records, he has produced a number of raw jukejoint blues cds for the fat possum label, winning a number of polls and awards. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Viking press, 1981 in one of the most widely read books on blues ever published, robert palmer delineates the deep blues stream that flowed from the delta up through memphis to chicago. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. A musical and cultural history of the mississippi delta palmers immensely readable exploration of the blues as it flowed from the sharecropping world of the mississippi delta into the urban centers of the u. A musical pilgrimage to the crossroads is a british documentary film.
His book, deep blues, is generally regarded as the definitive reference on the delta tradition. Jul 05, 2012 deep blues thus triumphs as a testament to the blues deep roots and an unintentional eulogy for palmer, who would pass away in the mid90s just as the gutbucket music of burnside and kimbrough. June 19, 1945 november 20, 1997 was an american writer, musicologist, clarinetist, saxophonist, and blues producer. As robert palmer did in deep blues 1981 a slimmer, more mysterious, more urgent book gioia fills an early chapter with the findings of charles peabody, the harvard archaeologist. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Stewart initiated and financed the project, inspired by palmers 1981 book of. A musical and cultural history of the mississippi delta by palmer, robert and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
Yet palmer emphasizes the persistence of the basic deltablues features, despite the blues seeming decline in the rock era. His book deep blues traced the deltatochicago blues route in informative, readable fashion, and he followed that up by writing and hosting a deep blues documentary film. Although he was little known while he was alive, johnsons posthumous impact was so pervasive he is sometimes called the grandfather of rock and roll. Published in 1981, this book put palmer in the esteemed company of g. A musical and cultural history of the mississippi delta palmer, robert on. If youre a blues fan, this book is well worth your attention. Robert palmer is best known for books he authored such as deep blues, his music journalism articles for the new york times and rolling stone magazine, his work producing blues recordings and the soundtrack to the film deep blues, and his clarinet work in the 1960s band the. Deep blues by palmer, robert, 1982, penguin books edition, in english deep blues 1982 edition open library. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. In this extraordinary musical and social history, robert palmer traces the odyssey of the blues from its rural beginnings, to the steamy bars of chicagos south side, to.
Surregional press, 1999 owes its birth to robert palmers own magnum opus. A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. A musical and cultural history of the mississippi delta by robert palmer online at alibris. He represents the pinnacle of acoustic delta blues, which he opened up to outside influences. Missing robert palmer a critical tribute photo of robert palmer by cherie nutting ten years ago today november 20, the music critic robert palmer died at the age of 52 from complications due to liver disease. In this extraordinary musical and social history, robert palmer traces the odyssey of the. Palmer is less interested in those influences, however, than in the development and survival of the blues themselves as a distinct, refined. In deep blues, robert palmer traces the musical and cultural history of the blues from the mississippi delta to its influence around the world. A resident of new orleans for the last few years of his life, he was a close neighbor and friend of john sinclair, poet, d. Brown covers with pictorials of blues singers, band on the front cover one guy wearing a blue suit.
Aug 11, 2014 to imagine the beginnings of popular music in america as humblehatched in shacks across the deep southseems a trip too far. From the chief popmusic critic for the new york times. He began writing for rolling stone in the early 70s and continued to do so as a contributing editor throughout his life. With delta blues great muddy waters as his protagonist, palmer breathes new life to the delta blues story.