Maybe so, in some way—blues has meant so many different things to so many different people that it is a bit pointless to argue over origins. If I were feeling contrary, I might suggest that the state’s reputation is largely founded on the modern revivalists’ passion for later Chicago styles, and that if the West Coast sound of T-Bone Walker, Lowell Fulson, and Charles Brown were valued alongside that of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, “down home” could as easily mean Texas and Oklahoma. I could add that, in the 1920s and 1930s, none of the blues advertisements took any note of Mississippi roots, while Texas and Georgia birthplaces were cited as selling points. Looking at my list of top prewar blues stars, they were pretty evenly distributed across the South: Georgia accounted for eight names; Tennessee for six; Mississippi for five; Louisiana, Texas and Kentucky for three each; Arkansas and South Carolina for two each; and there are lone artists from North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Missouri, and Pennsylvania.
What do You think about Escaping The Delta (2004)?
