This presentation begins with a performance of Delta blues songs from legendary Delta bluesmen and is followed by an overview of Delta blues and how it spread from the 1920s to the 1960s, influencing the blues in Chicago and, eventually, rock-n-roll. The presentation also includes a demonstration and discussion of various styles of blues and artists such as Skip James (Bentonia style), Tommy Johnson (Jackson style), Paul Jones (modern juke joint), R.L. Burnside (Mississippi hill country blues), Blind Boy Fuller and Blind Blake (Piedmont blues), B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and many others. Abel’s program also discusses the current state of the blues, as well as the future of the blues. The program includes performances by Abel on several of the instruments discussed during the talk, including the diddley bow and the cigar box guitar.
Growing up in the Delta, Bill Abel had the opportunity to study firsthand the blues and its culture and history. Abel has also played with blues figures in juke joints, yard, and festivals around the Delta. As a professional blues musician, Abel has traveled and performed with legendary blues figures and can discuss the way the blues are received in other parts of the world. He has also spoken in dozens of programs about blues, the most notable being the second annual International Blues Today Symposium held at the University of Mississippi.
