Oak Anthology of Blues Guitar: Delta Blues

Book excerpt: There are many intellectual curiosities about the blues. It has always seemed a phenomenon that the guitar styles that came out of the South during the twenties and thirties could be differentiated by their regional characteristics. On hearing a strange new artist, one can almost pinpoint his city of origin through his guitar technique. The Mississippi Delta produced a sound distinct from that of Texas. Atlanta had a very popular style that seems to have been confined to that city. The music of Louisiana has a weird voodoo texture, while the Carolinas produced another totally different sound. Music is quite a powerful tool. Words of explanation can never express the impact of a musical experience. I am going to attempt to teach the music of some great guitar bluesmen. It is not going to be isolated and picked apart, but presented with its historical value as well as personal and emotional value. Words will not be my tools for this venture; instead I will incorporate photographs and interview to describe these feelings.