Book Review

This is not only Oliver's finest book on the blues, but is perhaps the finest overall survey of the subject that has yet been written.
FINANCIAL TIMES

The Influence of the Blues

The influence of the blues on popular mainstream music is immense. Its fascinating history reaches back to the end of the nineteenth century, its roots in the work songs of slavery, the ballads and country music of black Americans.

Paul Oliver places singers like Blind Lemon Jefferson, Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters and Lightnin' Hopkins firmly in the context of their surroundings. He considers every facet of the Blues, its themes and subjects, the impact of recording, its far-reaching legacy.

This is not simply the history of a music but a reflection of the tumult within American society.