“This double CD set is subtitled “Political and Social Blues against Racism at the Origin Of The Civil Rights Movement” and contains plenty of relatively hard-hitting numbers, mainly from commercially released 78s, by many of the major figures in the blues scene during those years: Big Bill Broonzy, Josh White, Brownie McGhee, Tampa Red, Lonnie Johnson, Bessie Smith, Big Joe Williams, Lowell Fulson, Champion Jack Dupree, John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson, John Lee Hooker, Charles Brown, Memphis Slim and others. Some – though for obvious reasons not many - deal with racism overtly, others with the pernicious effects of discrimination and poverty. All have something to say, and for those who wonder about the inclusion of songs on natural disasters, just think about how New Orleans was treated in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The booklet too outlines the route from supposed “separate but equal facilities” to Barack Obama in The White House, focusing on topical events and relating them to the lyrics of these songs. As I write this, Baltimore is burning, a reminder that although it may seem that a lot has been achieved, there is still a lot more to be done. “
By Norman DARWEN – BLUES IN THE SOUTH
By Norman DARWEN – BLUES IN THE SOUTH
