Experience a cool splash of music history from the Bayou State!
This intensely personal and entertaining account is a snapshot of Blues from an outsider welcomed into the inner circles of Southern Blues icons. Englishman Julian C. Piper spent a year abroad at Louisiana State University and played blues primarily at the Blues Box in Baton Rouge. There he met many of the musicians with whom he conducted interviews between 1987 and 1988. Those interviews form the basis of this book. Through his close friendship with Blues Box owner Tabby Thomas and his son Chris, Piper collected stories of blues luminaries including Silas Hogan, Robert Pete Williams, Huddie Leadbelly Ledbetter, Lonesome Sundown, Chris Thomas King, Lightening Slim, and many more.
Writer and blues guitarist Julian C. Piper is the reviews editor for Acoustic magazine. Since hearing Muddy Waters as a teenager, he has been passionate about blues music. While pursuing a degree in American and Commonwealth arts at the University of Exeter, he was encouraged to journey to Louisiana. Piper broadcast a series on BBC national radio called Blues on the Bayou based on his experience. He returns frequently to the States to perform and has played at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.