"Woke Up This Morning, Had Them Statesboro Blues": Jas Obrecht's Early Blues

Review in No Depression.

Obrecht_Early coverIn Early Blues: The First Stars of Blues Guitar(University of Minnesota Press), author Jas Obrecht offers an elegantly tuneful glimpse into a chapter of American music history. Drawing deeply on archives — and enhancing each chapter of the book with images of record company ads, photos of the musicians, and complete discographies — Obrecht provides appealing introductory profiles of nine early blues guitarists: Sylvester Weaver, Papa Charlie Jackson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Blake, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Willie Johnson, Lonnie Johnson, Mississippi John Hurt, and Tampa Red. Each helped define blues guitar, having made enduring recordings during the 1920s.

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Published in: No Depression
By: Henry Carrigan