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Acoustic Blues History
Early blues was essentially an oral tradition. When the African slaves arrived in America they kept their musical tradition alive by singing. When the first slaves arrived in the 1600s the music was purely African in form and feeling. But this music gradually blended with the hymns and ballads of the Europeans.
Early acoustic blues developed in the Mississippi delta during the era after the civil war. Slavery was a very brutal system and one of the only ways that the slaves had to rebel was through the blues.
Blues is primarily a vocal style and developed in the cotton fields where slaves would holler choruses back and forth to lift their spirits.
The early blues style came to be known as Delta Blues or sometimes country blues or acoustic blues.
Early delta blues players:
Charlie Patton (1889- 1934) – The most influential country blues player. He had a strong influence on Son House, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson and Howlin’ Wolf. Patton was well known throughout the Delta, playing at picnics, juke joints and house parties.
Son House (born Eddie James House Jr. 1902 – 1988) – House was one of the creators of the Delta blues sound and had a huge influence of Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson. In fact, House was one of Robert Johnson’s guitar teachers. Son House’s music is very emotional and intense. Watch the Son House video below:
Robert Johnson (1911 – 1938) is popularly considered the “father of the blues”. He’s the guy who went down to the crossroads and sold his soul to the devil in order to become a great musician.
Read about Blues During the 40s and 50s
