1

Week 5: Mid-Century Blues

Student's Name

University

Course

Professor

Date
 2

Week 5: Mid-Century Blues

I listened to four songs that were inspired by the Delta Blues. They reminded me of an

early blues record called "Matchbox Blues" by Blind Lemon Jefferson, which I compared them

to.

Musicians adapted their singing and playing as the blues genre extended from its origins

in rural agricultural regions to metropolitan settings. In addition, it evolved to represent the many

regional settings in which they were engaged at the time (Strait, 2020). Recent research suggests

that the blues may be subdivided into a number of separate subgenres. First to be captured on

wax was the Delta blues style. Country blues is the second genre we'll discuss. After that, we'll

go on to some good ol' fashioned country blues. There will then be a segment of blues played on

the harmonica, and so on. Some of these labels may be synonymous with one another; for

example, "country blues" and "down-home blues" may refer to the same thing. Other examples

of the wide variety of singing and playing styles employed in blues music are provided. The

music of Blind Lemon Jefferson, for instance, was classified as "down-home" music (Spinks,

2018). Sonny Boy Williamson spent all of his professional life working in the bustling city of

Chicago. When learning about music, it's essential to differentiate between the many styles,

genres, and traditions that exist within the field. Many different types of music may all be

considered part of the same musical lineage.

Jefferson is the major force behind the rhythms, and he uses his guitar to lend emphasis

to his vocal lines. The singer's voice serves as the only musical instrument in this song. It's clear

that the musicians are making an attempt to replicate the singers' sounds as they play. As an

added bonus, they develop call-and-response patterns, which include musical interludes between

syllables of the spoken words. Sonny Boy Williamson is widely credited with popularizing
 3

"harmonica blues," a kind of music distinguished by the use of mournful harmonica tunes. In

several of his songs, he alternates between singing and playing the harmonica, and when he does

the latter, he uses his breath to produce bends and slides on the instrument. Adding drums, piano,

and guitar creates a more intricate sound with a palpable sense of rhythm and meter.

References

Spinks, C. (2018). “Hand Clappin'Foot Stompin'Funky-Butt… Live!”: Growing up with the

sound of Rhythm and Blues, and Soul and their impact upon Norwich 1963-1968,”. BA

diss., UEA Norwich.

Strait, J. B. (2020). The Voice of the Southern Diaspora: Muddy Waters and the Multi-layered

Influences Associated with the Diffusion of Blues Culture. SOCIAL REVIEW.

International Social Sciences Review/Revista Internacional de Ciencias Sociales, 9(2),

133-146.