In this week’s installment of The Language of the Blues, barrelhouse blues fuels dance floors with raw piano rhythms, where the energy of the music stirs passion and sets the pace for the boogie-woogie evolution.
Browsing: The Language of the Blues
This week’s installment dives into the wild origins of “balling the jack.” From steam trains to juke joints, this phrase went from a railman’s command to crank up the speed to a symbol of living life at full throttle—whether in dance, bed, or the gamble of life itself. Explore how this fiery expression influenced the rhythms of jazz, blues, and swing, and check out how Bessie Smith and others brought it to the spotlight.
From the desperate measures of alcoholics during Prohibition to the blues singers who chronicled their struggles, this installment delves into the dark reality of survival, addiction, and the raw spirit of the era. Discover the story of “Canned Heat” and how alcorub became the last resort for those fighting the demons of the drink.
Discover the real meaning behind “Black Cat Bone,” which is prominently featured in a number of blues songs, from Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, and more!
Author/rocker Debra Devi focuses on the meaning and significance of a unique word used in blues song.
To conjure, one of the African cultural survivals very early noted in the New World, was mystical and required religious rituals. Discover it’s meaning in the blues!
So one of my favorite music books is called the Language of the Blues. Written by a badass blues rock musician named Debra Devi…
This is the latest installment of our weekly series The Language of the Blues, in…
This is the latest installment of our weekly series The Language of the Blues, in…
I’m a CRAWILN KINGSNAKE…. John Lee Hooker used to say. But this word’s meaning digs DEEP — back to Africa. Uncover the mysterious and fascinating origins of “Kingsnake”