Blues for Dummies by Lonnie Brooks, Cub Koda, Wayne Baker Brooks Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Blues for Dummies
Book Review: A great start for all Blues newbies.
Summary: 5 Stars
Lonnie Brooks, along with son Wayne and Cub Koda have created the best primer for Blues music newbies and the not so new. The authors cover all the essential blues artists, give hints on how all to start a blues band, how to play the blues and even how to throw a "juke" party, all this, along with the enclosed CD, makes this book a must for all blues lovers.Book Review: All in all a very good book and CD
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is pretty much exactly what a for dummies book should be. It's an enjoyable light read about the blues. The coverage is extensive and written in an entertaining fashion. The knowledge of the authors is indisputable. I only have a couple of complaints:
This book was written in 1998 and not updated since so the contemporary blues section is missing some obvious important new comers (Eric Bibb for example) and online resources are hopelessly out of date ([...]).
I expected the Playing the Blues section to have a little bit of theory and perhaps some tips for each instrument but its about putting together a band that could play the blues. Given the authors experience I don't doubt the value of this information but I just wasn't expecting that information and question what percentage of readers need that versus some getting started tips on playing.
Book Review: An Introduction to thr Blues
Summary: 4 Stars
Four and a half stars. If you are new to the blues, or if you want a quick reference to your favorite music, this is the book for you. It gives you background on both legendary artists and and current musicians. You will also find lists of blues clubs, web sites and albums. I docked it one half star because of the limited mention of David "Honeyboy" Edwards. The only mention of "Honeyboy" is in regard to the death of Robert Johnson. "Honeyboy" is still alive and preforming, including him would have certainly added to this reference.Book Review: An extremely uneven and biased picture of blues guitar
Summary: 2 Stars
First of all my credentials: I've played blues guitar professionally. This book only covers the tiny fraction of the total picture of blues guitar; that fraction that is best known to the mass public. I would think the purpose of a book like this would be to educate people in the things they DON'T know about.
The biggest problem is the extremely poor coverage given to pre-war country blues. The only such player discussed in any depth is Robert Johnson (who is so well known because Clapton won't shut up about him, NOT because he is better than anyone else) and the men who pretty much created the genre (Charlie Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, etc.) get almost no coverage at all. Post-war Chicago blues (which is the only blues the authors seem to think matters) would not exist if it wasn't for these men. Modern blues is equally glossed over.
I should also point out an out-and-out falsehood: the authors claim that is you want to make money playing the blues you should get an electric guitar and join a blues band. I've made far more money playing fingerstyle country blues than I ever have playing electric blues. There are a LOT more electric blues players out there; hence the available gigs are a lot thinner on the ground. What the authors really ought to say is that the demands aren't as high; you can be a relatively mediocre player and be successful in a band, but you won't make money as a fingerstyle blues player unless you have a dynamite technique.
I've generally been very impressed with the "for dummies" books, but this one leaves me cold. Next time try covering all aspects of blues guitar.
Book Review: An indespensible guide for blues lovers
Summary: 5 Stars
I have found this an indespensible guide for promoting my novel, "Forever Retro Blues." I've been on 8 radio programs as a guest and with a title like "Forever Retro Blues," I'm expected to know something. Conveying the Blues through fiction when I had plenty of time to research was one thing. But now I may only get a few hours to buff up on someone the host mentions when they schedule the interview. I grab this book along with "All Music Guide to the Blues" and throw the CD on. The CD is great additon to any collection. I love that this book even has suggestions for introducing blues to kids. Unfortunately, the website are out-of-date.