Omschrijving
Blues & Civil Rights
Traveling through Mississippi with this guide, you will experience the past, present and future of the blues in museums, at historical sites, at festivals and in juke joints. The deep scars of slavery, racism, segregation and the Black resistance against it can be seen in many places, and is documented in many moving museums.
The guide also leads you to the white sands of the Gulf Coast, along the mighty Mississippi River, to the cotton fields of the Delta and the hills in Northern Mississippi.
New Orleans, Louisiana and Memphis, Tennessee are also
featured — all cities associated with both the blues and
the civil rights movement of Mississippi.
This Odyssee Travel Guide offers:
- Accurate descriptions of known and unknown sights
- Bright, colorful layout that makes it easy to plan
your route
- Nine maps, color photos and a detailed index
- Relevant information about history and society
- Recommendations for live music, festivals, food and
hotels
- References to useful websites and apps Traveling through Mississippi with this guide, you will experience the past, present and future of the blues in museums, at historical sites, at festivals and in juke joints. The deep scars of slavery, racism, segregation and the Black resistance against it can be seen in many places, and is documented in many moving museums. Exploring Mississippi 7
Odyssee's Highlights 11
Mississippi Delta
Exploring the Mississippi Delta 14
Clarksdale and the Northern Mississippi Delta 15
Mid-Delta 33
Southern Mississippi Delta 44
Memphis and North Mississippi
Exploring Memphis and North Mississippi 63
Memphis 64
Hills 78
Pines 96
Jackson and Southwest Mississippi
Exploring Jackson and Southwest Mississippi 105
Jackson 106
Southwest Mississippi 119
New Orleans and Coastal Mississippi
Exploring New Orleans and Coastal Mississippi 135
New Orleans 136
Coastal Mississippi: The Secret Coast 143
Background information
History of Mississippi 150
History of the Delta Blues 157
Practical information
Transportation and accommodation in Mississippi 160
Practical ABC 162
Blues glossary 165
Index 167
Sidebars
Muddy Waters: bought a one-way ticket to Chicago 18
Pinetop Perkins: blues brother up to the age of 97 23
John Lee Hooker: "Democrat Man" until his death 25
Sonny Boy Williamson II: restless and eccentric 28
Son House: passionate bluesman 30
Memphis Minnie: loved and feared 32
Amzie Moore: prolific civil rights organizer 38
Charley Patton: the first star of the Delta Blues 39
Fannie Lou Hamer: powerhouse 40
Big Bill Broonzy: respected in the Netherlands 42
Jimmy Reed: successful with his "easy-listening" blues 47
B.B. King: global icon of the blues 49
Albert King: powerful guitar playing and a velvety voice 50
Emmett Till: "His name will be a legend we all know" 57
George W. Lee: "Pray that you come out of this hell" 60
Martin Luther King Jr.: "The world was all up in flame" 71
R.L. Burnside: searched for the edges of the blues 81
James Meredith: a brave game changer 84
William Faulkner: remained faithful to his homeland 85
Mississippi John Hurt: subtle blues 91
Elmore James: hard-hitting slide guitar 93
Skip James: reluctant blues phenomenon 93
Howlin' Wolf: assertive, powerful bluesman 98
Big Joe Williams: apostle of acoustic blues 100
Freedom Summer murders 101
Otis Spann, blues brother of Muddy Waters 110
Medgar Evers: icon of the civil rights movement 115
Tommy Johnson: sold his soul to the devil first 120
Robert Johnson: shrouded in mystery 122
Willie Dixon: poet of the blues 125
Richard Wright: writer, communist and anti-racist 130
Natchez Trace Parkway: Mississippi’s green trail 133
Buddy Guy: rousing vitality 134
Supremacist resistance 154
Blues as a protest 159