Customer Reviews

Blues Traveling: The Holy Sites of Delta Blues, Third Edition

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In his 1991 masterpiece, Blue Highways, William Least Heat Moon takes the reader on a journey of American discovery, scrupulously avoiding the interstates in favor of the nation's rural back roads.

With Blues Traveling: The Holy Sites of Delta Blues, blues guitarist and writer Steve Cheseborough takes us on a similar odyssey; only this one is regional, leading us along the "blue highways" of the Mississippi Delta.

Rich with hallowed Blues place names -- Clarksdale, Greenwood, Tutwiler, Dockery Plantation, Helena, Parchman Farm, Leland, Bentonia and Meridian are only a few of the places named - Blues Traveling is only partly a guide book. But it's a good one, according to those who have ridden the circuit, following the author's detailed travel instructions.

The trip begins and ends in Memphis. Scheduled destinations in Mississippi and Arkansas include birthplaces, graves, jook joints, museums, hotels, historic venues, famed highways, notorious streets, historic record shops and other bluesiana many of us have read about our favorite performers but could never quite locate on a map. Where telephone numbers, names and other travel information are available, Cheseborough helpfully includes them.

The writer conveys his considerable knowledge of Delta history with every entry. Each site - there must be 500 listed -- has at least a short biography of the blues performer associated with the site, along with a discussion of his or her work and significance as a performer. Cheseborough also delves into the subsequent history and mythology of the place and its importance to the reader.

The historically richest locations -- towns like Greenville and Clarksdale -- have entire chapters dedicated to the treasures within their borders. Along the way, the author's concern for traveler comfort expresses itself in safety and etiquette tips.

Cheseborough has no doubt created a perennial by crafting three books in one: guide book, pocket history and paean to the early Delta performers who left us their musical legacy.

The book is also a feast for trivia hounds. Even so-called minor luminaries - including a former "Ikette" -- are represented fully and with dignity. To his credit throughout, Cheseborough keeps a close eye on history and has possibly made some original contributions in this regard.

Guide books have a way of going out of style as soon as another becomes available. The author has anticipated that. This book, with its solid writing, easy directions, fine thumbnail history, excellent maps, good photos and helpful tips is destined, like the blues itself, to stick around a while. - originally published in Blues Revue Magazine, 2003

This book is very thorough and hits all the highlights that I want to see when I make my trip down to the Delta. I can't wait to pull this book out when I'm down there so I can hit all the "must see" spots! Great job on this book and it is very easy to follow.

I just got back from my 10-day trip to the Delta which culminated in the Sunflower River Blues Festival. I did months of research on Google and through reading books. I created my own google map with many of the places that I was going to go mapped out. I then got this book, and ended up using this almost exclusively for the entire trip. Not because of a lack of spots on my map (it had more than in the book), but because for all of the spots that I could realistically get to, this book already had them all.

There are some areas that could use better directions. To give you an idea, a made up example: "Heading west on main street, go to the second light and make a left on Elm" - well what happens if I am starting out on some different part of main street? We found in all our stops, only a few were like this, and they seemed like the first sentence or two might have been left out of the directions. Weird.

Despite this, this is still an invaluable book, and none of the others like it can touch it. With this and google maps/GPS on my iphone, that was all I needed to get everywhere and see everything that I was able to given the time constraints. The book gives great background information on all of the areas that you'd be interested in, as well as the sites. Steve has done the research for you. No need to search the web for months and gather information. It's all here.

A couple of sites are missing, but you still aren't going to find a better book on the subject. Just remember to go to 305 S. State St in Clarksdale for Hot Tamales at Hicks. They are the best anywhere, and while Hicks Superette is mentioned in the book, the Hicks on S. State Street is not. Also no mention really of the cemetary in Haqzlehurst where Ike Zimmerman and likely Robert Johnson practiced guitar late at night, nor any of the possible crossroads locations other than the commercial and incorrect 49 & 61 intersection.

Heading to Mississippi in acouple of months - already have a strong blues interest and have mates who have been there and it all seems spot on - Planning my trip around the info in this book

I have done a college radio blues show for years but never wound up taking a trip to the Mississippi Delta--till now. As I write this I'm in Clarksdale, halfway through my trip, and all has gone smoothly thanks to this book which I bought through amazon. Cheseborough's latest edition has proven useful in terms of
what to see and do and where to stay, shop and eat. His method of starting in Memphis and doing a circular route (just what I'm doing) is a good way to go about it, and his information on blues history and trivia makes it a fun read.

Enjoy some of this culture while we still have it. The classic stars of blues have been dying off (though, some new voices take their place) and everything from the current economy to the casinos knocks off some blues places, but a lot is still out there and this is a great guidebook for the blues traveler.