Books on the Blues

Books on the blues are plentiful and can help to convey certain elements of this amazing style of music that aren’t always evident upon listening to recordings. Also, blues books are especially helpful in trying to understand the complex and rich history of this deeply soulful music.

Some of the better books on the blues include, “Deep Blues,” by Robert Palmer, which has been rated very highly by avid blues fans. The “organic” voice of this book tells the history of the blues the way it was. Other definitive books on blues music and the history of the blues include: “Searching for Robert Johnson,” by Peter Guralnick, “Chasin’ That Devil Music,” by Gayle Dean Wardlow, “Martin Scorcese Presents The Blues: A Musical Journey,” by Peter Guralnick, and “Between Midnight and Day: The Last Unpublished Blues Archive,” by Dick Waterman.
Blues music CDs and performances will only help you forge a deep and heartfelt understanding of this type of pure, expressive music.