Blues Legacy: Tradition and Innovation in Chicago

In 45 astute, brief profiles of Chicago blues musicians, Whiteis (Chicago Blues) traces the evolution of the blues in the Windy City. A section titled “Bequeathers” focuses on older artists—including James Cotton, Eddie Shaw, and Eddy Clearwater—who were the forerunners of postwar Chicago blues. A chapter on what he calls the “Council of Elders”—among them Buddy Guy, Mary Lane, Holle Thee Maxwell, and Otis Rush—highlights the artists of the 1950s and ’60s who innovated by weaving in rock and roll and who popularized the blues for mostly white audiences in North Side Chicago clubs. In the “Inheritors” section, Whiteis discusses a diverse group of younger musicians who took the blues to the next level: Nelle “Tiger” Travis infused the blues with soul, fashioning a “soul blues,” while Shemekia Copeland joined the blues with Americana music in the 1990s. In a final “Heirs Apparent” section, Whiteis zeroes in on contemporary artists—including Melody Angel, Toronzo Cannon, Mud Morganfield, and the Original Chicago Blues All Stars—who remain faithful to traditions of Chicago blues and continue to perform in Chicago clubs. Whiteis offers plenty of detail throughout and keeps things moving along at a quick clip. Appealing to serious jazz fans, Whiteis’s history serves as a handy reference to Chicago blues. (Oct.)