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Meaning In The Blues |
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Resume by Max Haymes ...... The reason I am writing this short resume on the forthcoming 4-CD set, on JSP Records, Meaning In The Blues, is because this was the sub-title of the very first book published in the UK concentrating solely on the Blues and for the most part the early or ‘pre-war’ blues (1890-1943) at that. 2010 marks the 50th. anniversary of this truly seminal publication. Of course Paul’s output has continued right up to the present day and includes equally essential titles such as Conversation With The Blues, Screening The Blues, Songsters & Saints, Blues Off The Record,-to mention just a few. As well as countless essays, dissertations, L.P. & CD sleeve notes, Paul Oliver has given a vast series of lectures and talks on the Blues, worldwide. Indeed, I had the great honour of sharing the podium with him at Oxford University taking part in a day-long symposium on the Blues. This was about 8 years ago and I count that day as one of the highlights in my life. I have subsequently visited his fascinating home (parts going back to the 17th. century) and I am proud to call my literary mentor also as a friend. Paul has interviewed and recorded scores of Blues singers from the early 1960s onwards, and he is basically an essential corner stone in the understanding of the Blues; certainly from an outsider’s viewpoint. Paul Oliver’s iconic Blues Fell This Morning (Meaning in the Blues) changed my life forever. This JSP release (in early 2011) is my way of paying tribute not only to this book but also to the great man who wrote it. I have chosen a few selected themes from it and only a handful of the recorded examples used by Paul. The unprecedented and burgeoning Blues scene across the planet in the early 21st. century owes much to Paul Oliver’s awesome dedication and contributions to Blues writings and knowledge. Before going on to a short ‘trailer’ from JSP’s Meaning In The Blues, I’d like to dwell briefly on the booklet which accompanies this CD set. Containing some 21,000 words (!) it is greatly enhanced by the many illustrations provided by the record company’s graphic designer, Andrew Aitken (as well as a few of my own). On receiving the proofs for these notes I was totally overwhelmed by the 100-page layout, and I have to say that JSP has pulled all the stops out in response to my initial suggestion for this project. Thank you John Steadman (bossman at JSP). Now, Alan has asked me to include a short excerpt from this booklet, or as we called it in the world of movies, a ‘trailer’. So without further ado here it is...
Many thanks to Max for the resume.
"Remember 1960 when you went out and bought
that copy of Phillips BBL7369 - Paul Oliver’s compilation of pre-war
gems Blues Fell This Morning? What a revelation it was, virtually no
blues was available here in the UK at that time, the blues boom of the
sixties hadn’t started yet and it was thanks to enthusiasts like Oliver
that it did. The album was a companion to his book of the same name and
young blues loonies like yours truly devoured any word the great man
wrote. Here’s a great idea by blues writer Max Haymes: dedicate a 102
track anthology (and 80 page book!) to Paul Oliver to celebrate both the
wonderful music and the career of our greatest blues writer.
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