Roots of the Blues

Explore the origins of the blues in post-reconstruction times and discuss such seminal musicians and songwriters as W. C. Handy, Mamie Smith, Bessie Smith, "Ma" Rainey, Alberta Hunter, Ethel Waters, Robert Johnson, Sonny Boy Williamson, T-Bone Walker, and others. We'll also trace the history of this music from its origins in the antebellum south, the brief blues craze of the 1920s, and the northward migration of African Americans to Chicago, culminating in the electrified blues of McKinley Morganfield, a.k.a. Muddy Waters (1950s). Audio recordings, video excerpts, and live performances from the instructor will keep these lectures as lively and interesting as the music itself.