Francis Davis' _History of the Blues_

[chris]

Tangential, but related in that it talks about the origin of jazz...

have any of you read Francis Davis' _History of the Blues_? Thoughts? Seems a bit controversial to me

[John L]

I read it a long time ago. I don't remember everything about it, but I remember that I wasn't too pleased. One thing that stands out in my mind is Francis Davis preaching from his high horse about how white fans like blues for all the wrong reasons and just don't understand the music. I guess that he is unique in that regard.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I don't know; this is a difficult point. Clearly, Davis was generalising.

Some time in the early '60s, it came to me that people like Howlin' Wolf and Sonny Boy Williamson weren't making their music FOR ME; a white teenager in Britain. Nor, for that matter were Soul groups like the Falcons and the Jive Five; Gospel groups such as the Dixie Hummingbirds; jazz musicians such as Jimmy McGriff and Willis Jackson; Ska bands from Jamaica; or Highlife bands from Nigeria and Ghana. It was clear to me that they were making music to satisfy their own various audiences, all of which were very different from me and the people I knew and our life experiences, such as they were at that age.

It was also clear to me that, notwithstanding this, I could very easily pay no attention to the issue and regard the recordings I was buying as SIMPLY PRODUCTS which were available to me to enjoy in any way I liked, without regard to what the musicians and singers were actually trying to do for their respective audiences. I decided that this approach was not for me because to ignore the human relationships between performer and audience was to miss something quite important. But I know that it was an approach that satisfied rather a lot of people's way of consumerist life.

In essence, the problem is one of "World Music". That's a category designed by people who, it seems to me, don't care that the hundreds of different kinds of music in the world are quite different but are happy to lump them all together as one product - perhaps because they know that most people don't care either. (It also assumes an Americo-centric position, forgetting that, for most of the world, every kind of American music is "World Music".)

And yet, who am I to say that they're wrong?

MG

[Christiern]

Francis has written much that I like, but this is one book I cannot take seriously.

[medjuck]

I read it several years ago. It's idosynchratic and personal. In fact about all I remember from it are some of his personal anecdotes.

[Chuck Nessa]

I have never seen the book but I look to Davis for a personal take on things. I like what I have read a great deal.

[John L]

Yes. The reason that I read the book was that I often find Francis Davis interesting and insightful. But I agree with Chris. I didn't like this one.

On the subject of white ignorance of the blues, I recall that Francis Davis was generalizing in both directions. He broke down white fans into ignorant frat boy types and equally ignorant "serious" white blues listeners.

Edited October 25, 2006 by John L

[chris]

Francis has written much that I like, but this is one book I cannot take seriously.

I was particularly interested in your thoughts given what he has to say about Bessie Smith and other early blues and jazz singers...

My take is that a lot of the book feels like provocation for provocation's sake, much of it defended simply because things "could" be that way, without much evidence as to why we should think they are.

Apparently the only good white listener is Davis Though I suppose there is some truth to his contention that historical distortions and assumptions are just as rampant amongst "serious" listeners as frat boys...

[AllenLowe]

I like the book, but will disclose that Francis is a friend, and thanked me in the acknowledgments - can you quote the passages you are referring to?

[John L]

Allen: There is an ocean that separates me from the book right now. There is also a few years of time since I read it that separates me as well. When I get back to the States in December, I will take a look.

John

[John L]

Actually, here is something that I wrote a while back on another Francis Davis thread here when the book was fresher in my mind. It seems that my concern then was mostly with a lot of simple factual errors that should have been caught by a good blues editor.

"I read Francis Davis' blues history book not long ago. It bears out Clem's complaints about factual errors, which taint what is otherwise an interesting text, at least in parts. Some of the errors are so simple that any editors with some blues knowledge should have caught them. For example, Davis writes that Tommy Johnson was a part of Lester Melrose's Bluebird stable in the 1930s, and that Earl Hooker was one of many "musical children" of Muddy Waters that came out of his bands. Not even close. He comes a bit closer when he tries to make the case that Robert Johnson based "Love in Vain" on Leroy Carr's "How Long, How Long Blues." But still no cigar. Musically, the song clearly comes from Carr's "In the Evening (When the Sun Goes Down)."

[BruceH]

I like Francis Davis's writing, and have read most of his books. But I've never gotten around to this one.

[Kalo]

I got around to it a few years ago... and then got rid of it. I think you can safely skip this one.

I like Davis, think he's generally a fine writer, and own most of his books, too, but this one just didn't do it for me.