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Blues Books - Recommendations

There are many fine books on the Blues, so I thought I would share with you my recommendations.

The list starts with general books of the blues (essential reading), followed by blues artists (in alphabetical order), interjected with blues books on particular themes. I will also be adding books on Gospel music, Zydeco and R&B. I hope you find the list useful. You may not agree with all my recommendations - if not let me know. If you have any recommendations of your own, again, let me know.

Several of the books listed are now out of print and hence unavailable to buy new. You may be lucky and come across an old copy. If you have any blues books you don't want, please let me know.

Whilst I have taken every care to ensure details are correct, you may spot a mistake.  If you do, please let me know and I will correct it as soon as I can.          Thanks,     Alan White.     
Email:
alan.white@earlyblues.com
 

 General
   
Title: The Story of the Blues
Author: Paul Oliver
Publisher: Pimlico, London (Revised edition published 1997)
Date Published: 1969 (Original publisher Barrie & Rockliff, The Cresset Press)
ISBN: 0-7126-7492-6
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Title: The Land Where the Blues Began
Author: Alan Lomax
Publisher: Delta Trade Paperbacks, New York, USA
Date Published: 1995
ISBN: 0-385-31285-7
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Title: The Country Blues
Author: Samuel B. Charters
Publisher: Da Capo Press, New York (Revised edition published 1975)
Date Published: 1959 (Original publisher Rinehart, New York)
ISBN: 0-306-80014-4
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Title: Blues Fell This Morning : Meaning in the Blues
Author: Paul Oliver
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (Revised edition published 1990)
Date Published: 1960 (Original publisher Cassell & Company, London)
ISBN:  
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Title: Big Road Blues : Tradition & Creativity in the Folk Blues
Author: David Evans
Publisher: Da Capo Press, New York
Date Published: 1982
ISBN: 0-306-80300-3
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Title: Songsters and Saints : Vocal Traditions on Race Records
Author: Paul Oliver
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Date Published: 1984
ISBN: 0 521 26942 3
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Title: Conversation With The Blues
Author: Paul Oliver
Publisher: Horizon Press
Date Published: 1965
ISBN: 0 521 26942 3
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Title: Barrelhouse Blues: Location Recording and the Early Tradition of The Blues
Author: Paul Oliver
Publisher: BasicCivitas Books
Date Published: 2009
ISBN: 978-0-465-00881-0
   
 Catalogues (Blues Reference Bibles)
   
Title: Blues & Gospel Records 1890 - 1943
Author: Dixon, Godrich  and Rye
Publisher: Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK
Date Published: 1997 (Fourth Edition)
ISBN: 0-19-816239-1
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Title: The Blues Discography 1943-1970
Author: Les Fancourt & Bob McGrath
Publisher: Eyeball Productions
Date Published: 2006
ISBN: 0-9686445-7-0
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Title: The Gospel Discography 1943-1970
Author: Cedric Hayes & Robert Laughton
Publisher: Eyeball Productions
Date Published: 2007
ISBN: 0-9686445-7-0
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Title: All Music Guide to The Blues : The Definitive Guide to the Blues
Author: Edited by Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra and Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Publisher: Backbeat Books
Date Published: 2003
ISBN: 0-87930-736-6
   
 African Roots
   
Title: Savannah Syncopators : African Retentions in the Blues
Author: Paul Oliver
Publisher: Studio Vista (November Books Ltd), London (Series edited by Paul Oliver)
Date Published: 1970
ISBN: 289.79828.0
   
  Michael Bloomfield
   
Title: If You Love These Blues
Author: Jan Mark Wolkin and Bill Keenom
Publisher: Backbeat Books
Date Published: 2000
ISBN: 978-0879306175
 
 Big Bill Broonzy
   
Title: Big Bill Blues
Author: Big Bill Broonzy as told to Yannick Bruynoghe
Publisher: Cassell, London
Date Published: 1955
ISBN: pre ISBN
   
Title: I Feel So Good : The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy
Author: Bob Riesman
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
Date Published: 2011
ISBN: 978-0-226-71745-6
   
 Carolina Blues
   
Title: Crying for the Carolinas
Author: Bruce Bastin
Publisher: Studio Vista (November Books Ltd), London (Series edited by Paul Oliver)
Date Published: 1971
ISBN: 289.70210.0
   
  Cincinnati Blues
   
Title: Going to Cincinnati: A History of Blues in the Queen City
Author: Steven C. Tracey
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Date Published: 1993
ISBN: 0-252--01999-7
 
  Classic Female Blues Singers
   
Title: Ma Rainey and The Classic Blues Singers
Author: Derek Stewart-Baxter
Publisher: Studio Vista (November Books Ltd), London (Series edited by Paul Oliver)
Date Published: 1970
ISBN: 289.79826.4
 
 Reverend Gary Davis
   
Title: Oh, What A Beautiful City
A Tribute to The Reverend Gary Davis (1896-1972)
Author: Compiled by Robert Tilling
Publisher: Mel Bay Publications, Inc.
Date Published: 2010
ISBN: 978-078668258-4
 
 Willie Dixon
   
Title: I Am The Blues : The Willie Dixon Story
Author: Willie Dixon with Don Snowden
Publisher: Quartet Books, London
Date Published: 1989
ISBN: 0 7043 2707 4
 
 W. C. Handy
   
Title: Father of the Blues
Author: W. C. Handy
Publisher: Jazz Book Club (Original publisher Sidgwick and Jackson)
Date Published: 1961
ISBN:  
 
 Son House
   
Title: Preachin' The Blues : The Life & Times of Son House
Author: Daniel Beaumont
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Date Published: 2011
ISBN: 978-0-19-539557-0
 
 Alberta Hunter
   
Title: Alberta : A Celebration In Blues
Author: Frank C. Taylor with Gerald Cook
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Date Published: 1987
ISBN: 0-07-063171-9
   
 Mississippi John Hurt
   
Title: Mississippi John Hurt : His Life, His Times, His Blues
Author: Philip R. Ratcliffe
Publisher: The University Press of Mississippi
Date Published: 2011
ISBN: 978-1-61703-008-6
   
 Skip James
   
Title: I'd Rather be the Devil : Skip James and the Blues
Author: Stephan Calt
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Date Published: 1994
ISBN: 0-306-80579-0
   
 Tommy Johnson
   
Title: Tommy Johnson
Author: David Evans
Publisher: Studio Vista (November Books Ltd), London (Series edited by Paul Oliver)
Date Published: 1971
ISBN: 289.70151.1
   
 Robert Johnson
   
Title: Love in Vain : A Vision of Robert Johnson
Author: Alan Greenberg
Publisher: Da Capo Press (Revised edition published 1994)
Date Published: 1983 (Original publisher Doubleday, New York)
ISBN: 0-306-80557-X
   
 Leadbelly
   
Title: The Life and Legend of Leadbelly
Author: Charles Wolfe and Kip Lornell
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Date Published: 1999
ISBN: 0-306-80896-X
 
 Blind Willie McTell
   
Title: Hand Me My Travellin' Shoes : In Search of Blind Willie McTell
Author: Michael Gray
Publisher: Bloomsbury, London
Date Published: 2007
ISBN: 9780747565604
   
 Little Brother Montgomery
   
Title: Deep South Piano : The Story of Little Brother Montgomery
Author: Karl Gert zur Heide
Publisher: Studio Vista (November Books Ltd), London (Series edited by Paul Oliver)
Date Published: 1970
ISBN: 289.70028.0
   
 Charlie Patton
   
Title: King of the Delta Blues : The Life and Music of Charlie Patton
Authors: Stephen Calt and Gayle Wardlow
Publisher: Rock Chapel Press, New Jersey, USA
Date Published: 1988
ISBN: 0-9618610-0-2
   
 Poetry and The Blues
   
Title: Blues and the Poetic Spirit
Authors: Paul Garon
Publisher: Eddison Press
Date Published: 1975
ISBN: 0 85649 018 0
   
 Railroads and the Blues
   
Title: Railroadin' Some : Railroads in the Early Blues
Authors: Max Haymes
Publisher: Music Mentor Books
Date Published: 2006
ISBN: 0-9547068-3-8   Click here for more details
   
 Ma Rainey
   
Title: Mother of the Blues : A Study of Ma Rainey
Authors: Sandra Lieb
Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press
Date Published: 1981
ISBN: 0-87023-334-3
   
 Bessie Smith
   
Title: Bessie : Empress of the Blues
Author: Chris Albertson
Publisher: Abacus
Date Published: 1975
ISBN: 0 349 10054 3
   
 Blues in the Southeast
   
Title: Red River Blues : The Blues Tradition in the Southeast
Author: Bruce Bastin
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Date Published: 1986
ISBN: 978-0-252-06521-7
   
 Sister Rosetta Tharpe
   
Title: Shout, Sister, Shout!
The Untold Story of Rock-And-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Author: Gayle F. Ward
Publisher: Beacon Press
Date Published: 2007
ISBN: 978-0-8070-0985-7
   
 Muddy Waters
   
Title: Can't Be Satisfied : The Life and Times of Muddy Waters
Author: Robert Gordon
Publisher: Pimlico, London
Date Published: 2002
ISBN: 0-7126-3999-3
   
 Peetie Wheatstraw
   
Title: The Devil's Son-in-Law : The Story of Peetie Wheatstraw and his Songs
Author: Paul Garon
Publisher: Studio Vista (November Books Ltd), London (Series edited by Paul Oliver)
Date Published: 1971
ISBN: 289.70212.7
   
 Howlin' Wolf
   
Title: Moaning at Midnight : The Life & Times of Howlin' Wolf
Author: James Segrest and Mark Hoffman
Publisher: Thunder's Mouth Press, New York (Revised edition published 2005)
Date Published: 2004 (Original Publisher Pantheon Books)
ISBN: 289.70212.7
   
 Zydeco Music
   
Title: The Kingdom of Zydeco
Author: Michael Tisserand
Publisher: Avon Books
Date Published: 1998
ISBN: 0-380-73238-6
   
Fictional Blues Related Books
   
Title:

Lil' Choo-Choo Johnson, Bluesman

Author: Bryan Krull  www.bryankrull.com
Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing  www.dogearpublishing.net
Date Published: 2010
ISBN: 978-160844-355-0
Review:

Bryan’s Krull’s first novel is an imaginative journey through the world of the legendary bluesmen in the heyday of the 1920s to 1960s.  Drawing on facts that are well-documented and some well established traditional legends he adds his own spin through the invention of Lil Choo-Choo Johnson who was forced to leave home at the age of 10 armed only with a guitar and a formidable natural talent.  Working through the Delta Blues he plays with all the names you’d expect, Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Muddy Waters et al.   At times it’s a slightly uncomfortable read as it’s not always clear how much is fact and how much is fiction but it’s entertainingly written and brings the world and characters of the Delta bluesmen alive.

Christine White, October 2010
 

  

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