This fascinating compendium explains the most unusual, obscure, and curious words and expressions from vintage blues music. Utilizing both documentary evidence and invaluable interviews with a number of now-deceased musicians from the 1920s and '30s, blues scholar Stephen Calt unravels the nuances of more than twelve hundred idioms and proper or place names found on oft-overlooked 'race records' recorded between 1923 and 1949. From 'aggravatin' papa' to 'yas-yas-yas' and everything in between, this truly unique, racy, and compelling resource decodes a neglected speech for general readers and researchers alike, offering invaluable information about black language and American slang.
Barrelhouse Words: A Blues Dialect Dictionary
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"A valuable, unique work. No other book explains as many new, often subtle aspects of the blues language that Stephen Calt has lived with for over forty years." --Kip Lornell, author of The NPR Curious Listener's Guide To American Folk Music
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I'm surprised how often I turn to this book now I have it. First saw it on holiday in the States at the Delta Blues Museum and regretted not buying it then. Couldn't remember the full title but eventually found it here. Great for checking out those unfathomable lyrics or strange words that appear in so many of the old Blues tunes.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By D. J. Thomas
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Very entertaining if somewhat flaky in parts, this tome will fill you in on so many of those head-scratching blues lyric moments. The odd brow-furrowing redefining of terms in commonplace British usage coupled with the occasional "just-don't-sound-right" don't really detract from the fun.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By SH_
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Speaking as someone who has loved pre war rural blues for 45 years, someone who once had a complete collection of Yazoo records on vinyl including the long-deleted Yazoo 1001... I found this book utterly banal and simplistic. The biggest thrill to be had from it was reading the quotes from songs of my heroes but when I started looking up key blues phrases such as "Mojo" I found Calt's vision sterile to say the least. This happens a lot with books coming from the USA, this sterility of content, total lack of flair and the ability to conjure up something that looks like scholarship but is neither that not a poetic response to the material.
If you are interested in the blues in a human way there are many better books than this, much better, Deep Blues by Robert Palmer for a start.The Lomax and Davis books are also both great. Don't bother with this one unless you are so naive you can't understand basic slang.
If you are interested in the blues in a human way there are many better books than this, much better, Deep Blues by Robert Palmer for a start.The Lomax and Davis books are also both great. Don't bother with this one unless you are so naive you can't understand basic slang.
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