Bill Abel and the History of the Blues
"The blues is the truthful expression of soulfulness..."
-Bill Abel, blues artist
We had a very special treat on this evening! Bill Abel, blues singer and historian, joined us for an evening of music and learning about the Delta Blues. He is a consummate artist and personable beyond measure. He constructs many of his instruments from cigar boxes, driftwood from the Mississippi River, etc... He even offers workshops for young people, guiding them through the process of making their own cigar guitars.
He also shared the technique of making the traditional Diddly Bo, which is a homemade one-stringed instrument. These were typically built right onto the wall of a house, with the cypress wood providing amazing resonation. He recommended the book "Africa and the Blues, " which expands on the African influence on the Blues and the role of one-string instruments.
Bill also talked about how only 10% of the people who were stolen from Africa and brought to the west came to North America. The other 90% were transported to the Carribean and surrounding areas. He also spoke about how drums were often banned, largely to quell rebellions and communications that drumming can provide. However, drumming survived and even thrived in some areas in the Delta. Further south, in New Orleans, there was Congo Square where freedmen and slaves congregated to play drums and dance.
If you are looking for a good read about the history of the Blues, Bill recommends "Deep Blues" by Robert Palmer, which covers the evolution of the Blues.
"...I rambled all the time. I was just like that, like a rollin' stone..."
-Muddy Waters, Delta bluesman
"Get busy living or get busy dying..."
-Morgan Freeman, owner of Ground Zero
Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi
I wish you a day filled with the desire to "get busy living"... perhaps even accompanied by the "truth" found in the Delta Blues...
Namaste,
Marianne
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