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A review by sam_k_
Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday by Angela Y. Davis
5.0
Two five star books in a row… unheard of.
This book was a really nice insight into a time period I really enjoy and a great introduction to Angela Davis’s writing style.
What I really appreciate about this book is that Angela Davis tackles both the historical context of the songs and artists she talks about while also talking about the specific lyrical content of certain songs. Given that this was written in the 90s and music wasn’t accessible in the same way, her dedication was impressive and I appreciated her attention to detail.
Unfortunately the blues as a genre is very overlooked and I liked how Angela Davis gave it credit where it was due: it emerged as one of the first genres out of slave spirituals and work songs, and although the lyrics seem innocuous at first glance, the artists (specifically Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey) layered their music with undertones that were not understandable to the white ruling class and even the emerging black middle class and elites. Davis argues that it served as a way to form an emerging Black consciousness post slavery and a way for women to see themselves in music and grapple with both racism and the patriarchy.
Although Billie Holiday is not a blues musician, her style of jazz has blues roots in the way she interprets the (on the surface) shitty Tim Alley lyrics she was forced to sing, and Davis also dedicates a chapter to Strange Fruit to explore the moment that activism went from being subtle undertones in music to acceptability in calling out injustices, especially in the 30s with the rise of communism, working class-led movements, and a growing distaste (in the dominant white sphere) of lynching.
All in all, really thoughtful research and in-depth explanations that made me appreciate these three artists even more than I already did.
This book was a really nice insight into a time period I really enjoy and a great introduction to Angela Davis’s writing style.
What I really appreciate about this book is that Angela Davis tackles both the historical context of the songs and artists she talks about while also talking about the specific lyrical content of certain songs. Given that this was written in the 90s and music wasn’t accessible in the same way, her dedication was impressive and I appreciated her attention to detail.
Unfortunately the blues as a genre is very overlooked and I liked how Angela Davis gave it credit where it was due: it emerged as one of the first genres out of slave spirituals and work songs, and although the lyrics seem innocuous at first glance, the artists (specifically Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey) layered their music with undertones that were not understandable to the white ruling class and even the emerging black middle class and elites. Davis argues that it served as a way to form an emerging Black consciousness post slavery and a way for women to see themselves in music and grapple with both racism and the patriarchy.
Although Billie Holiday is not a blues musician, her style of jazz has blues roots in the way she interprets the (on the surface) shitty Tim Alley lyrics she was forced to sing, and Davis also dedicates a chapter to Strange Fruit to explore the moment that activism went from being subtle undertones in music to acceptability in calling out injustices, especially in the 30s with the rise of communism, working class-led movements, and a growing distaste (in the dominant white sphere) of lynching.
All in all, really thoughtful research and in-depth explanations that made me appreciate these three artists even more than I already did.