Delta blues is one of the first styles of blues music. It began in the Mississippi Delta and is a type of country blues that is specific to that area. The most commonly used instruments are guitar and harmonica, with slide guitar being a well-known feature of this style. The singing in Delta blues can be thoughtful and emotional or emotional and intense.

Origin

Delta blues existed before the 1900s, but the first recordings happened in the late 1920s when record companies recognized the interest African-American audiences had in "race records." Alan Lomax played an important role in these early recordings. At first, major record companies made the earliest recordings, which usually featured one person singing and playing an instrument. However, live performances often included groups of musicians. Record company scouts made some early recordings during trips to the South, and some performers were invited to northern cities to record. Research suggests Freddie Spruell was the first Delta blues artist recorded; his song "Milk Cow Blues" was recorded in Chicago in June 1926. According to Dixon and Godrich (1981), Tommy Johnson and Ishmon Bracey were recorded by Victor during that company's second trip to Memphis in 1928. Robert Wilkins was first recorded by Victor in Memphis in 1928, and Big Joe Williams and Garfield Akers were recorded by Brunswick/Vocalion in Memphis in 1929.

Charley Patton recorded for Paramount in Grafton in June 1929 and May 1930. He also traveled to New York City for recording sessions in January and February 1934.

Son House first recorded in Grafton, Wisconsin, in 1930 for Paramount Records.

Robert Johnson recorded his only sessions in San Antonio in 1936 and Dallas in 1937 for ARC. Many other artists were recorded during this time.

Later, early Delta blues (and other music styles) were widely recorded by John Lomax and his son Alan Lomax, who traveled across the southern United States to capture music performed by everyday people. Their work helped create the collection of music genres now known as American folk music. These recordings, which number in the thousands, are now kept at the Smithsonian Institution. According to Dixon and Godrich (1981) and Leadbitter and Slaven (1968), Alan Lomax and Library of Congress researchers did not record any Delta blues musicians before 1941. In 1941, Alan Lomax recorded Son House and Willie Brown near Lake Cormorant, Mississippi, and Muddy Waters at Stovall, Mississippi. However, John and Alan Lomax also recorded Lead Belly in 1933 and Bukka White in 1939.

Female performers

In the 1920s, female singers like Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Mamie Smith were the main performers recorded in big-city blues music. Few women were recorded playing Delta blues or other country or folk-style blues, and many performers were not recorded professionally.

Geeshie Wiley was a blues singer and guitarist who recorded six songs for Paramount Records. These songs were released on three records in April 1930. Blues historian Don Kent said Wiley "may well have been the rural South's greatest female blues singer and musician."

L.V. Thomas, also known as Elvie Thomas, was a blues singer and guitarist from Houston, Texas. She recorded music with Geeshie Wiley.

Memphis Minnie was a blues guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. Her recording career lasted over 30 years, and she recorded about 200 songs. Some of her most famous songs include "Bumble Bee," "Nothing in Rambling," and "Me and My Chauffeur Blues."

Bertha Lee was a blues singer who was active in the 1920s and 1930s. She recorded music with Charley Patton and was married to him in a common-law marriage.

Rosa Lee Hill, the daughter of Sid Hemphill, learned to play guitar from her father. By age 10, she was performing at dances with him. Some of her songs, like "Rolled and Tumbled," were recorded by Alan Lomax between 1959 and 1960. In the late 1960s, Jo Ann Kelly (UK) began her recording career. In the 1970s, Bonnie Raitt and Phoebe Snow performed blues music.

Bonnie Raitt, Susan Tedeschi, and Rory Block are modern female blues artists who were influenced by Delta blues. They learned from some of the original artists who were still alive. Sue Foley and Shannon Curfman also performed blues music.

Influence

Many Delta blues musicians, like Big Joe Williams, moved to Detroit and Chicago, where they developed a city blues style influenced by pop music. This style was replaced in the early 1950s by the Chicago blues sound, which was started by Delta blues artists such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Little Walter. This new style returned to sounds similar to Delta blues but used louder instruments.

Delta blues also helped create British skiffle music, which later led to the formation of British invasion bands. At the same time, Delta blues influenced British blues, which helped create early hard rock and heavy metal music.