THE LEGACY OF 1808: DELTA BLUES
SUNDAY, October 26, 2008, 10:00 a.m.
Free. Reservations Required. Please call 215.409.6700 or order online.
Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach
Kirby Auditorium
National Constitution Center
Independence Mall
525 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA
In America, works songs sung by slaves were the foundation for what would eventually become the blues. In his new book, Delta Blues, musician and historian Ted Gioia – author of the critically acclaimed The History of Jazz – traces the history of the blues from field hollers and plantation music of the nineteenth century to the exploits of modern day musicians. As part of its year long series,Legacy of 1808, commemorating the end to the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the National Constitution Center welcomes Ted Gioia for a program featuring recordings from the Mississippi Delta and a discussion of how the Blues helped give shape to contemporary music and culture. Leading this discussion will be Jonny Meister, expert in blues music and host of “The Blues Show,” an award winning radio program on WXPN.
The blues is a vocal and instrumental music form with a rich history, particularly in African American history. Often punished by representatives of the state or by mobs for trivial matters, African Americans developed the blues, in part because the style was an outlet for self-expression. TheLegacy of 1808: Delta Blues will help broaden the conversation about the many ways that slavery has been a part of the fabric of American life in ways both obvious and subtle.
An authority on jazz and blues, Ted Gioia is the founder and editor of jazz.com. He has recorded several CDs as a pianist and composer, and is the author of five highly regarded books on jazz and roots music. He lives in Plano, Texas. Delta Blues is the definitive account of how the rough sounds of the Mississippi Delta changed the course of American popular music.
Moderator Jonny Meister has been playing the blues on WXPN since March 1977. Meister grew up with old blues records in the house. He was one of the consultants for the Wim Wenders film, The Soul Of A Man, in the recent PBS film series, The Blues. He won the "Keeping The Blues Alive" award for work in Public Radio for “The Blues Show” in 2000 and a "Best of Philly" award from Philadelphia magazine in 1996 for "Best Local Radio Show".
The Legacy of 1808 speaker series is a year long dialogue at the National Constitution Center with local and national experts about the history of the slave trade and its contemporary relevance. Legacy of 1808 explores issues of race, segregation, suffrage and individual rights in forums intended for people of all ages and backgrounds, revealing how the issue of slavery cast a dark shadow over the nation’s founding and influenced the evolution of American culture and society. Each program presents a unique panel, including a combination of historians, public officials, authors, journalists and commentators, and provides opportunities for questions from individuals from the Philadelphia region.
A book sale and signing will follow the program, courtesy of Joseph Fox Bookshop. Parking for this event is available for $7.50 at the National Constitution Center garage located at the rear of the building on Race Street between 5th and 6th Streets. Parking availability is subject to change, so please call the Constitution Center on the day of the program or check our web site for more information. Please also see our directions by public transportation.
For reservations, please call 215.409.6700. Programs of the National Constitution Center begin promptly and latecomers may not be admitted to the program. Please note that the program is subject to change.
Related links:
Delta Blues (W.W. Norton)
The Blues Show on WXPN