The Blues

Hearing Our Sacred Book: A Blues Note: August Wilson found a strong influence in the Blues. Here, production dramaturg Faedra Chatard Carpenter traces the Blues from 19^th-century roots in the American South and discusses their comprehensive expression of human experience, as well as the range of subject matter and style.
Classic Blues: The classic blues, largely promoted by female singers (including Ma Rainey), grew during the early 20^th Century, adding a professional polish to the blues. Excerpted from LeRoi Jones’ Blues People.
“Ma” Rainey: The Symbol of an Era: Although obscured over the passage of time, Gertrude “Ma” Rainey was a popular blues songstress and recording artist during the 1920s. production dramaturg Faedra Chatard Carpenter offers a biography of Rainey against the backdrop of a time during which swing and jazz were beginning to overtake the blues’ popularity.
Race Records: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Truths: Production dramaturg Faedra Chatard Carpenter discusses the industry of race records—here, early recordings of African American singers—touching on the variety of music genres and styles and the shabby treatment of the artists
Musings on a Metaphoric Stammer: Production dramaturg Faedra Chatard Carpenter takes a look at the stammering in blues songs, and ponders the meaning of Sylvester’s stammer in Ma Rainey.
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