It is hard to say that one place or time is the true home of the blues. From the Delta to Texas, the blues seeped into American culture. The music helped create and define a generation of people. But what is the difference between two different regions of blues music? And how did different artist fit into the genre itself? All these questions can be answered by taking a simple look into the past.
The Delta blues is one of the earliest styles of blues music. The term Delta refers to the Mississippi Delta region, an alluvial plain which stretches from near Memphis, Tennessee south to Vicksburg, Mississippi, and whose east-west boundaries are the Mississippi River to the west and the Yazoo River to the east (Answers.com, 1). The first recordings of the Delta blues took place in the late 1920s. The Delta blues had a fairly simple set-up: slide guitars and harmonicas with a passionate combination of vocals.
Robert Johnson's studio portrait, circa 1935—one...
Paramount Records label, 1926, "Black Horse Blues"...
Photograph of Blind Lemon JeffersonRecorded Delta blues consists mostly of one person singing and playing instruments, though the use of a band was more common during live performances. Delta blues spread out across the country, giving rise to a host of regional variations, including Chicago and Detroit blues. The defining characteristic of Delta blues would seem to be instrumentation and an emphasis on rhythm; the basic harmonic structure is not substantially different from that of blues performed elsewhere (Answers.com, 1).
Texas blues is a subgenera of the blues. This type of blues music is known for being played more like swing music. Obviously, the Texas blues are from the Texas area. Beginning to appear is the early 1900s, the Texas blues were commonly sung as a work songs. African American laborers would occupy themselves by singing these songs. In 1960, however, record companies began to...