The Memphis Blues Again: Six Decades of Memphis Music Photographs [Hardcover]

Daniel Wolff (Author), Ernest C. Withers (Author, Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2001

Memphis, the legendary birthplace of the blues, has throbbed with the sounds of some of the greatest American popular music in the twentieth century: from ragtime and jazz, through the blues, r&b, and rock and roll, to gospel, soul, and funk. And for over fifty years Ernest Withers has documented the Memphis music scene in and around Beale Street. So many of the great musicians and performers are included: W. C. Handy, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Ike and Tina Turner, Al Green, Isaac Hayes, and many more. And Withers photographed them in situ: in the dancehalls, recording studios, auditoriums, churches, and streets of Memphis. These photographs are a fundamental visual archive of the musical legacy of Memphis—and one powerful aspect of the photographic legacy of Ernest Withers.

The photographs are reproduced in stunning duotone plates and were selected by award-winning author Daniel Wolff who also wrote the introduction and the extended captions. See Ray Charles playing piano at the WDIA Goodwill Revue, Elvis Presley bumping and grinding at the Club Paradise in 1960, Aretha Franklin and Coretta Scott King at the SCLC Convention in 1968, and Count Basie jamming with Billy Eckstine at the Hippodrome in 1953, and many more. No serious fan of blues, rock and roll, or soul can afford to be without this handsome photographic portrait of a whole world of American music.

Text by Daniel Wolff.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ernest Withers has photographed the African American community there for more than fifty years. His photographs document the struggle for civil rights, the black social world, and the Negro Leagues.

Daniel Wolff has published poetry, short stories, and critical writing on photography. His biography of Sam Cooke, You Send Me, won the Ralph J. Gleason Award for best music book of 1995.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 175 pages
• Publisher: Viking Studio (October 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670030317
• ISBN-13: 978-0670030316
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 10.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #265,769 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars extraordinary insight into 20th century america, April 11, 2002

By 

as davis (chicago,il usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Memphis Blues Again: Six Decades of Memphis Music Photographs (Hardcover)

aretha,elvis,bb king,jerry lee lewis,duke ellington sam cooke, al green,ray charles,helen humes,james brown, tina turner,the snearly ranch boys.. they all lived in or came to memphis to perform and record. this collection of images which spans four decades provides rare insight into the talent that was atrracted to and lived in this city which was the gateway from the oppression of mississippi.withers' photographs seem alive with the youth and exuberance of these young, legends in the making. the subjects seem oblivious to the camera and withers must have had carte blanche to capture the enegy and private moments of these american icons. any serious student of this country and the roots of its traditions should have this volume.daniel wolff has done all of us a favor in publishing the work of withers. it appears he has just scratched the surface

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Accept No Substitute, June 21, 2006

By 

Russell Johnson "Russ" (Memphis, TN, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Memphis Blues Again: Six Decades of Memphis Music Photographs (Hardcover)

Ernest Withers possessed an artist's eye. In this great volume of oversized black and white photos Withers captures much more than the Memphis Blues. Many of the photos are of acts that played the chitlin' circuit of the 40's, 50's and 60's.

Acts such as Ike and Tina Turner at the Paradise capture the full power of those early, energetic and soulful performances.