Written by BBC R3 Documentary
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Part 1 of 2 'The Room Where The Blues Was Born'
Presented by Marybeth Hamilton
Produced by Tim Dee
Broadcast August 24, 2004

Marybeth Hamilton tells the story of eccentric 78rpm record collector
James McKune. She claims that McKune shaped what is thought of
as 'The Blues'. She overlooks that only the ignorant (which presumably
once included her) ever had such a narrow view of what constituted
'The Blues'.

An interesting tale for all that. And some great guitar work.
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Part 2 of 2 'The Death Of The Blues?'
Presented by Harry Allen
Produced by Miles Ward
Broadcast August 25, 2004

Hip hop writer Harry Allen (AKA The Media Assassin) travels to
Mississippi to meet musicians - like RL Burnside and Willie King -
who started out on the plantations. He concludes that their musical
traditions were defined and confined by mainstream culture.

A better argument than Marybeth's, but not so sure about the first
of his conclusions either.

Burnside says it best. 'When white people treat the niggers bad,
they'd sing about it. That's where the blues come from.'

Yet more great guitar work.
____________________________

Worth also considering that neither Marybeth nor Harry mentions that
musicologists from Central and West Africa now travel to, and record
in, the Delta and Belize, to recover some of their musical traditions.