The Mississippi River Sings the Blues
From Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, the mighty Mississippi River travels over 2,000 miles from its original source, meandering through 10 states. At its narrowest, it measures a mere 30 feet wide but stretches to a mammoth 11 miles at one point. It weaves through communities and towns, offering its backbone as a source of transportation, of recreation, and a habitat for a multitude of species.
It not only became representative of what one could see but also man’s vision for which it stood. Its fluid strength symbolizes man’s character, one of faithful adaptability and nonstop movement. Many see it as hope personified, but it also is a reminder of destruction and loss. It is a course to move toward something as well as a means of escape.
Literary circles first opened the world’s eyes to the power of the river. Huckleberry Finn proved that you’re never too young to take on the river (even though you might lose) while William Faulkner revealed the transformative Delta and the domination of the river.
However, when Charley Patton’s family moved to Dockery Plantation in Cleveland, Mississippi, in 1900 to work the farm as sharecroppers, it would be young Patton that would redefine the Delta’s gift with a voice that would be as mighty as the river. In 1905, the youngster picked up a guitar, and as B. B. King lauded, “you might say it all started right here.”
Dockery Plantation near Cleveland, Mississippi
Patton’s gruff, loud voice—ambiguous at times— established the grouse tone of the iconic cathartic blues sound. The river carried him away from the working plantation life directing him toward joot joints (now called juke joints) along the river’s cities, where drinking, dancing and relaxing were key. The blues were as individual as the performer and became a soundtrack of expression, where lyrics and melodies captured the suffering, anguish and hopes of the sharecroppers. For Patton, songs mirrored life and the brutal everyday existence in the South.
His most popular song “High Water Everywhere” mourned the Mississippi River flood of 1927. “The water at Greenville and Leland, it done rose everywhere,” he sang. “I would go down to Rosedale, but they tell me it’s water there.”
Many consider Patton the Father of the Delta Blues and Robert Johnson, the King of the Delta Blues. Like Patton, Johnson made rounds at juke joints to less than stellar reviews of his guitar skills. According to legend, that all changed when he took his guitar to the crossroads of Highways 49 and 61 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and made a deal with the devil. Afterwards, he brought the strings to life and played until his mysterious death at the age of 27. Patton and Johnson are considered the bookends to the original Delta blues artists.
The Delta Blues, much like the river, move to its own rhythm and showcased by fierce vocals and razor-sharp cadences of the guitar and harmonica. A trademark blues song is highly personal, often linked to the local history and climate.
The Mississippi River near Clarksdale, Mississippi
Like many that followed —Sam Cooke, Bessie Smith, Ike Turner, Jimmy Reed, B.B. King, Muddy Waters—their music was deeply rooted in the soil of the Delta and the mud of the river. Often considered the precursor to rock and roll, the blues helped to shape American music culture. Artists like Conway Twitty and Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead and the Rolling Stones all confess to the power of the blues. Says Keith Richards, “If you don’t know the blues, there’s no point in picking up the guitar and playing rock’n’roll.”
The Mississippi Blues Trail, travels down Highway 61 (the blues highway) and beyond, exploring multiple beginnings. Spend time in Clarksdale and stop in at Red’s, an unassuming hole-in-the-wall, authentic juke joint that still pumps out live music and cold beer most nights. For a more modern feel with just as much sound, visit Ground Zero Blues Club, co-owner Morgan Freeman’s celebration of where it all began.
Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi
The fastest rising young name in blues is Clarksdale native Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. Seems only fitting he should hail from Clarksdale.
If the river itself was music, I suspect it would move like the soulful, rich sound of the Delta blues. Like the waters, the melody and lyrics never fitting a certain form but overflowing its origins with visceral sounds. In the words of Muddy Waters, “There ain’t no escape from the blues.”
Kingfish headlines Club Ebony, BB King’s club in Indianola, Mississippi
