The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to Zuzu - Softcover

Debra Devi

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0823083896 ISBN 13: 9780823083893

Publisher: Billboard Books, 2006

Synopsis

Winner ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for Outstanding Book on Music

Reuters calls it "one of the wittiest, bawdiest, most fascinating dictionaries ever." Bonnie Raitt adds: "What a great resource--as fascinating as it is informative. Debra's passion for the blues shines through."  Wall Street Journal critic Nat Hentoff says it's "invaluable," and producer Hal Willner agrees: "It's an invaluable reference book. And it's also great fun to read."

The Language of the Blues is a must-have for fans of blues, jazz, rock and slang. in it, author. rock musician and Huffington Post blogger Debra Devi explores over 150 terms like buffet flat, killing floor, and mojo with fresh insights from her in-depth interviews with blues legends like Hubert Sumlin, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Henry Gray, Bob Margolin, Robben Ford, Jimmie Vaughan and more. "As a musician myself, not a scholar," Devi explains, "I thought I could best make a contribution by talking directly to blues artists about what the words in blues songs mean to them."

The result is a lively read Blues Revue deems "an essential purchase for scholars and fans."  New York Times columnist Shelton Ivany adds, "If you have any questions about songs, lyrics, musicians or events, chances are you will find your answers in this unparalleled publication."

The Language of the Blues opens with a remarkable foreword by Dr. John, who helped Devi uncover the illegal gambling origins of terms like "gig" and "axe."  This new edition includes over 30 stunning photos of legendary blues artists (17 in color).

About this title

About the Author

Debra Devi is the singer/guitarist for the rock band DEVI and a Fender Girl Rock Nation artist. A former associate editor of Blues Revue, she has also written for The Village Voice, Rolling Stone.com, Guitar World, Vintage Guitar, and Yoga Journal.

From the Back Cover

Winner ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for Outstanding Book on Music

"One of the wittiest, bawdiest, most fascinating dictionaries ever" Reuters
"Invaluable" Nat Hentoff, Wall Street Journal
"Essential for scholars and fans" Blues Revue

"What a great resource...as fascinating as it is informative. Debra's passion for the blues shines through." Bonnie Raitt

"Finally one can understand the mechanics behind the overwhelming viscera of the Blues. Debra Devi's work is a true guide book to the soul." Al Jourgensen

"This book is fascinating! Take it to the bathroom and don't come out until you're done reading it." Jimmy Vivino

"Every blues guitarist needs to know blues history and where the blues are coming from. Debra's book will teach you what you really need to know." Joe Bonamassa

"This is a beautiful book. After hearing 'Hellhound on My Trail' in high school I bought every vintage blues record available. Upon receiving The Language of the Blues I discovered my knowledge only scratched the surface." Hal Willner

"Don't think The Language of the Blues might read like a dictionary. There's no plot, but you can open it up at random and fall into the world of your favorite Blues songs, and find out more about the lyrics than you would be guessing from context. I learned a lot more about the Blues music I already loved." Bob Margolin

"This is a book that lovers of music and just plain old lovers will love to have in their collections. Its candor and witty honesty bring us into the world Debra describes so well with beautiful strength." Ed Sanders

To explore blues terms like "alcorub," "mojo," and "killing floor," Debra Devi pored over academic sources, and interviewed many blues legends, including Little Milton Campbell, Robben Ford, Henry Gray, Dr. John, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Bob Margolin, Bonnie Raitt, Hubert Sumlin and Jimmie Vaughan. The Language of the Blues also includes 30+ photos (17 in color) and a remarkable foreword by Dr. John.

Reviews

There have been several books published recently featuring the rich, colorful lexicon of the blues and its intriguing practitioners, but this volume by music journalist DeSalvo goes them one better with a thoroughly researched dictionary of blues slang. As she writes in the preface, "Blues artists—looking to steal from the best, like all songwriters—nicked words and phrases from the numbers runners, hookers, drag queens, thieves, junkies, pimps, moonshiners, hoodoo doctors, dealers, rounders, and con artists who made up the street set." In explaining the familiar ("cool") and obscure ("honey dripper"), DeSalvo gives not only the phrase's origins but its ongoing history and current applications. Thus readers learn that the term "balling the jack" was originally a conductor's way of saying a train was moving at top speed; by the 1920s, it had come to signify "any wild, all-out-effort"; from there, it turned into a song by Chris Smith and James Henry Burris; then, Judy Garland and Gene Kelly performed "Balling the Jack" in the 1942 film Me and My Gal; etc. The definitions are supported with a lively narrative and interviews with blues stalwarts including Little Milton, Bonnie Raitt, Hubert Sumlin and Jody Williams. (Jan.)
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Edition details

• Publisher: Billboard Books
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0823083896
• ISBN 13: 9780823083893
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 176