Birth Of The Blues (And So Much Else)

It’s amazing how much of American culture is traceable back to the blues. “Without the blues, we wouldn’t have jazz, rock, gospel, soul, R&B, country, or rap music – or even George Gershwin’s masterpiece, ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ (note the word “blue” in the title). The way we dance, dress, and speak, the music used to sell cars on TV – even our very concept of coolness – can be traced to the blues and its African roots.”