Blues - Philosophy for Everyone

The philosophy of the blues From B.B. King to Billie Holiday, Blues music not only sounds good, but has an almost universal appeal in its reflection of the trials and tribulations of everyday life. Its ability to powerfully touch on a range of social and emotional issues is philosophically inspiring, and here, a diverse range of thinkers and musicians offer illuminating essays that make important connections between the human condition and the Blues that will appeal to music lovers and philosophers alike.

The philosophy of the bluesFrom B.B. King to Billie Holiday, Blues music not only soundsgood, but has an almost universal appeal in its reflection of thetrials and tribulations of everyday life. Its ability to powerfullytouch on a range of social and emotional issues is philosophicallyinspiring, and here, a diverse range of thinkers and musiciansoffer illuminating essays that make important connections betweenthe human condition and the Blues that will appeal to music loversand philosophers alike.

Foreword xBruce IglauerIt Goes a Little Something Like This...: An Introductionto Blues - Philosophy for Everyone xviJesse R. Steinberg and Abrol FairweatherAcknowledgments xxviiiPART 1 HOW BLUE IS BLUE? THE METAPHYSICS OF THE BLUES11 Talkin' To Myself Again: A Dialogue on the Evolution of theBlues 3Joel Rudinow2 Reclaiming the Aura: B. B. King in the Age of MechanicalReproduction 16Ken Ueno3 Twelve-Bar Zombies: Wittgensteinian Reflections on theBlues 25Wade Fox and Richard Greene4 The Blues as Cultural Expression 38Philip JenkinsPART 2 THE SKY IS CRYING: EMOTION, UPHEAVAL, AND THE BLUES495 The Artistic Transformation of Trauma, Loss, and Adversity inthe Blues 51Alan M. Steinberg, Robert S. Pynoos, and RobertAbramovitz6 Sadness as Beauty: Why it Feels So Good to Feel So Blue66David C. Drake7 Anguished Art: Coming Through the Dark to the Light theHard Way 75Ben Flanagan and Owen Flanagan8 Blues and Catharsis 84Roopen MajithiaPART 3 IF IT WEREN'T FOR BAD LUCK, I WOULDN'T HAVE NOLUCK AT ALL: BLUES AND THE HUMAN CONDITION 959 Why Can't We be Satisfied?: Blues is Knowin' How toCope 97Brian Domino10 Doubt and the Human Condition: Nobody Loves Me but myMomma... and She Might be Jivin' Too 111Jesse R. Steinberg11 Blues and Emotional Trauma: Blues as Musical Therapy121Robert D. Stolorow and Benjamin A. Stolorow12 Suffering, Spirituality, and Sensuality: Religion and theBlues 131Joseph J. Lynch13 Worrying the Line: Blues as Story, Song, and Prayer142Kimberly R. ConnorPART 4 THE BLUE LIGHT WAS MY BABY AND THE RED LIGHT WAS MYMIND: RELIGION AND GENDER IN THE BLUES 15314 Lady Sings the Blues: A Woman's Perspective onAuthenticity 155Meghan Winsby15 Even White Folks Get the Blues 167Douglas Langston and Nathaniel Langston16 Distributive History: Did Whites Rip-Off the Blues?176Michael Neumann17 Whose Blues?: Class, Race, and Gender in AmericanVernacular Music 191Ron BombardiPhilosophical Blues Songs 203Notes on Contributors 205