Delta Blues
Delta Blues by Ted Gioia
W.W. Norton 2008
Selected by The New York Times as one of the 100 Notable
Books of 2008
Selected by The Economist as one of the best books of 2008
"Destined to be viewed as a classic of blues scholarship."
Blues Revue
“Meticulously researched and reported by music historian Ted
Gioia, Delta Blues demythologizes the blues and its makers
without squeezing the blood out of the subject. . . .Author of the
exhaustive 1997 The History of Jazz, Gioia writes about the blues
in active, colorful prose.”
Mark Kemp, Rolling Stone
"Throughout, the author’s skill and stylish writing is evident, his
enthusiasm abundant. . . . Gioia walks the thin blues line with skill
and conviction."
The Atlantic Monthly
“No matter how much you may think you know about the blues,
you will learn much more from this authoritative and insightful
work.”
Dan Morgenstern, Director, Institute of Jazz Studies
“[W]e have the best volume of all: Ted Gioia’s exemplary Delta
Blues, an expertly researched, elegantly written, dispassionate
yet thoughtful history that brings a fresh perspective to much-
trammeled ground. Having absorbed the music and literature of
the Delta blues, Gioia companionably and persuasively
adjudicates various controversies by presenting all sides with
journalistic rigor and common sense. . . . If Delta Blues is not the
last word on the subject . . . it is likely to remain the best word on
the subject for years to come.”
Gary Giddins, Jazz Times
"[Gioia's] prose moves with enough velocity and packs enough
insight to keep even jaded readers interested.”
Billboard
“Gioia uses original research, interviews with reliable sources,
and his own calm, argument-closing incantations to draw a line
through a century of Delta blues. . . tremendously useful.”
Ben Ratliff, The New York Times
"Now Ted Gioia gives us Delta Blues, a book we've needed for a
long time. [Gioia] is one of the outstanding music historians in
America. His 1997 The History of Jazz is as near definitive as a
one-volume work can be. In Delta Blues he has written an equally
excellent work as meticulously researched and lucidly written as
its predecessor."
Bryan Woolley, Dallas Morning News
"Ted Gioia’s 400-plus page volume is an essential —- actually,
the essential —- history of this distinctly American genre. . . .
Gioia does a masterful job of capturing the dramatics."
David Fulmer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Ted comprehends with outstanding aesthetic sympathy and
compassionate awe the human qualities that make these men
and what they produced so important to us all. In that sense, this
book is something almost as imperishable as its subjects.”
Stanley Crouch
“Bringing the same clear-eyed musical analysis and
commonsense empathy to bear on the subject as he’s long
brought to bear on jazz, Ted Gioia has given us one of the best
books we have on the Delta blues.”
Francis Davis, author of The History of the Blues
"Unlike recent books on the blues where writers revel in spinning
controversy, Gioia delivers the straight goods without a polemic
agenda. Throughout the 400 plus pages of Delta Blues, he tells
the blues story with clarity and depth."
Downbeat
“This book is a contemporary classic in its field . . . This is a
remarkable book, full of insights, and full of intriguing data. It is a
book that any reader who enjoys the blues will savor and enjoy
reading often.“
Jazz Review
“Comprehensive and smart—a solid text for blues aficionados.”
Kirkus Reviews
“This is an excellent introduction to Delta blues for the novice and
the general reader.”
Library Journal
“Gioia's depth of research is breathtaking. . . The author's sheer
passion for the music comes through on every page, and you can
almost hear those old shellac 78s as you read his descriptions."
The Bookbag
"Gioia breathes new life into the world of music with his
impeccable study entitled Delta Blues . . . Gioia provides an
element of authenticity sorely needed in any undertaking
concerning the magical world of soulful music. . . . a fascinating
excavation of Delta Blues history."
Living Blues
W.W. Norton 2008
Selected by The New York Times as one of the 100 Notable
Books of 2008
Selected by The Economist as one of the best books of 2008
"Destined to be viewed as a classic of blues scholarship."
Blues Revue
“Meticulously researched and reported by music historian Ted
Gioia, Delta Blues demythologizes the blues and its makers
without squeezing the blood out of the subject. . . .Author of the
exhaustive 1997 The History of Jazz, Gioia writes about the blues
in active, colorful prose.”
Mark Kemp, Rolling Stone
"Throughout, the author’s skill and stylish writing is evident, his
enthusiasm abundant. . . . Gioia walks the thin blues line with skill
and conviction."
The Atlantic Monthly
“No matter how much you may think you know about the blues,
you will learn much more from this authoritative and insightful
work.”
Dan Morgenstern, Director, Institute of Jazz Studies
“[W]e have the best volume of all: Ted Gioia’s exemplary Delta
Blues, an expertly researched, elegantly written, dispassionate
yet thoughtful history that brings a fresh perspective to much-
trammeled ground. Having absorbed the music and literature of
the Delta blues, Gioia companionably and persuasively
adjudicates various controversies by presenting all sides with
journalistic rigor and common sense. . . . If Delta Blues is not the
last word on the subject . . . it is likely to remain the best word on
the subject for years to come.”
Gary Giddins, Jazz Times
"[Gioia's] prose moves with enough velocity and packs enough
insight to keep even jaded readers interested.”
Billboard
“Gioia uses original research, interviews with reliable sources,
and his own calm, argument-closing incantations to draw a line
through a century of Delta blues. . . tremendously useful.”
Ben Ratliff, The New York Times
"Now Ted Gioia gives us Delta Blues, a book we've needed for a
long time. [Gioia] is one of the outstanding music historians in
America. His 1997 The History of Jazz is as near definitive as a
one-volume work can be. In Delta Blues he has written an equally
excellent work as meticulously researched and lucidly written as
its predecessor."
Bryan Woolley, Dallas Morning News
"Ted Gioia’s 400-plus page volume is an essential —- actually,
the essential —- history of this distinctly American genre. . . .
Gioia does a masterful job of capturing the dramatics."
David Fulmer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Ted comprehends with outstanding aesthetic sympathy and
compassionate awe the human qualities that make these men
and what they produced so important to us all. In that sense, this
book is something almost as imperishable as its subjects.”
Stanley Crouch
“Bringing the same clear-eyed musical analysis and
commonsense empathy to bear on the subject as he’s long
brought to bear on jazz, Ted Gioia has given us one of the best
books we have on the Delta blues.”
Francis Davis, author of The History of the Blues
"Unlike recent books on the blues where writers revel in spinning
controversy, Gioia delivers the straight goods without a polemic
agenda. Throughout the 400 plus pages of Delta Blues, he tells
the blues story with clarity and depth."
Downbeat
“This book is a contemporary classic in its field . . . This is a
remarkable book, full of insights, and full of intriguing data. It is a
book that any reader who enjoys the blues will savor and enjoy
reading often.“
Jazz Review
“Comprehensive and smart—a solid text for blues aficionados.”
Kirkus Reviews
“This is an excellent introduction to Delta blues for the novice and
the general reader.”
Library Journal
“Gioia's depth of research is breathtaking. . . The author's sheer
passion for the music comes through on every page, and you can
almost hear those old shellac 78s as you read his descriptions."
The Bookbag
"Gioia breathes new life into the world of music with his
impeccable study entitled Delta Blues . . . Gioia provides an
element of authenticity sorely needed in any undertaking
concerning the magical world of soulful music. . . . a fascinating
excavation of Delta Blues history."
Living Blues
| Ted Gioia's books and recordings are available at Amazon.com. Click on the image to purchase |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
