» The Blues

African-American Modernity, the Decision to Travel, and the Travels of the Delta Blues Train Song

musiqology — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 02:32:25 +0000

What exactly is it about the Great Migration of black southerners to Chicago (1910-1940) that spells modernity? Often the answer to this question gets bundled up with the notion of ‘modernism’—a word that serves as an irksome shorthand for the common traits of cultural and artistic phenomena of the first half (or quarter, or three quarters) of the twentieth century. The urban destinations of black travels, with their alienating rhythms, factories and anonymous crowds, are thus seen—and rightly so—as the breeding ground for a black modernist consciousness.

But before modernism there was modernity, and modernity—a word ubiquitously used in reference to the most disparate historical moments—is fundamentally characterized by one trait: an intensified self-consciousness. A large group of people bound by a particular combination ethnicity, class, geography, gender or artistic agenda becomes modern the moment they take a deliberate group action. For Afro-Americans the migration embodies such an action. No wonder, either, that their modern moment should take the form of deliberate mass travel: the cradle of Afro-American history was the single most horrifying mass deportation in world history. One can hardly think of a group to who planned and deliberate re-location could hold greater significance.

Of course, it is not the case that the millions of migrants thought of themselves as re-claiming control over their geographical location; part of the significance of the migration has been attributed to it with hindsight. Yet the imagery of the move to a better place—not the longing for the peaceful afterlife that haunts the spirituals, but the actual fantasy of travel itself—haunts countless of the songs of the genre that marks the seam between the southern peasant labour and the first beginnings of the urban struggle: the Delta Blues.

Delta Blues has a special link to Chicago as many of its foremost artists migrated there as well as to Detroit. Among the migrants headed to the Windy City stand, most famously, Big Joe Williams, Robert Johnson, Bukka White and the legendary Muddy Waters. Talking about the attribution of historical significance in hindsight, the Delta Blues has the narrative of origin—as the rural beginnings of the blues tradition, but also of country music, bluegrass and as the matrix idiom of the brit rock of the 60s—pinned all over it. It is thus almost ironic that the Delta Blues should be a genre about transition.

Indeed one of the themes that haunt Delta Blues songs is travel, and particularly the train. A gentleman by the name of Wes Modes has compiled a list of train songs, which is fascinating to peruse and is available on Wikipedia. Many of these songs are from Delta Blues artists—a few samples are “All Aboard,” by Muddy Waters and “Black Train Blues“ of Bukka White and Lonnie Johnson’s “Long Black Train.” One of the most famous and widely covered train songs ever written, “Love in Vain,” most famously by the Rolling Stones in 1972 was written and sung by Delta Bluesman Robert Johnson.

The imagery of the train becomes, in a song like ‘Love in Vain’, the very image of distance, as both the imminent geographical distance of the departing beloved woman, and also the sentimental distance of the lover who chooses to leave. A potent image to migrants such as the train became the way to sing about love, women, and loss, and through this allegory it travelled through the guitars and voices of musicians that are continents and generations apart from its original impulse. Sung by these southern bluesmen, the great migration and the stories of those who lived it leave their trace as they keep, well, migrating.

Pulling Blues Out of the Attic – John Mayer and The Blues

musiqology — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:08:01 +0000

To me, there is always something special about musicians who can use traditional instruments (voice, guitar, piano, for example) in ways that leave an audience stunned. Better yet are the musicians who can use tried and true musical concepts while adding their own flair. A fine example of this musical craftsmanship is John Mayer, who illustrates that traditionally-influenced blues indeed has its place in today’s musical culture.

Known originally for his standard, yet catchy pop tunes, John Mayer took a significant risk when he decided to shift his focus toward blues and electric guitar. He departed, although not completely, from his already successful love/relationship brand of pop:

John Mayer – Clarity

to play his own modern blend of blues, which includes colorful covers of greats like Jimi Hendrix.

John Mayer Trio – Wait Until Tomorrow “Live”

While most guitar playing heard on contemporary radio consists largely of power chords or repeated samples in a basic verse and chorus:

Miley Cyrus – Party In the USA

John Mayer’s raw and lyrical guitar riffs, especially live, push back on the sometimes confining walls of popular music.

John Mayer – Come When I Call

His playing has evoked comparisons to names like Clapton, Hendrix and Vaughan, yet he seems unfazed by the pressure associated with this as shown in this Rolling Stone review of his album Where the Light is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles. The ease with which with which he collaborates with Buddy Guy on “Feels Like Rain”, illustrates this seamless blend of old school blues with Mayer’s modern twist.

John Mayer & Buddy Guy – Feels Like Rain

Overall, Mayer seems to be paying tribute to the artists that inspired him; he also provides a successful meshing of blues with his own take to create something fresh and appealing to a variety of audiences. It is no overstatement to say that Mayer brought back to the spotlight a genre and instrumental style thirty plus years past its golden age.

Alex Ryu

Backlash Blues – Nina Simone and the Civil Rights Blues Movement

musiqology — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:51:02 +0000

Blues music was born in the African American communities in the United States in the late 19^thcentury as an outlet for the downtrodden and oppressed, an escape valve for the sad or disheartened. Blues music, originally ignored by recording studios and the white American public, was a raw, soulful cry that rose from African American communities and quickly influenced musicians of all backgrounds. The Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s impelled a stronger interest in American roots music, and specifically the post-war sound of the blues, with the added inclusion of the electric guitar. African American artists used soul and blues music to voice the injustice of inequality, and to cry out for a long-needed change.

Nina Simone – Backlash Blues

One example is Nina Simone’s Backlash Blues. This 12-bar blues piece opens with an instrumental introduction and includes Nina posing questions to “Mr. Backlash.” This exchange is characterized by a call and response between her and a guitar. In addition to the steady rhythm provided by a guitar, drum, harmonica, and piano, the song has an instrumental solo in the third verse. By returning to the 12-bar blue style, Nina is appealing to the entire African American community to create a united front. She is also implicitly suggesting that the community should draw strength from its rich heritage.

Nina passionately uses blues elements to paint a frustrating picture of racism: “You give me second class houses,/ And second class schools/ Do you think all colored folks/ Are just second class fools?” Yet while she describes her lack of opportunity and her victimization, she raises a civil rights warning: “But the World is Big/ Big and Bright and Round/ And it’s full of folks like me/ Who are Black, Yellow, Beige and Brown,” and ends the song with resonating hope for Civil Rights: “Mr. Backlash, Mr. Backlash,/ Just What do you think I got to lose/ I’m gonna leave you/ With the backlash blues. You’re the one will have the blues not me/ Just wait and see.”

This song is an example of the Civil Rights blues movement that fought against the hegemony of a white, segregated America. The bluesy feel of the song captures the sadness and the pain of inequality, while the African American roots of the genre further empower the message. To this day, there is a struggle to create a more egalitarian world and the work of Nina Simone, as well as other blues and soul artists, has continued to serve as a source of inspiration for modern artists everywhere.

For more examples of the blues, check out the following videos by some blues greats from Sam Cooke to Curtis Mayfield.

Zach Zwarenstein

Nina Simone – Why

Sam Cooke – A Change is Gonna Come

Langston Hughes – The Weary Blues

Curtis Mayfield – Movin’ On Up