"I think Of Bloodlines and Blue Notes has a broad appeal but would specifically resonate with readers interested in music or in the blues specifically, as well as those interested in history, and cultural identity."
A striking concept. This companion book to three albums gives insight into the origins of the Blues and the craft of storytelling through music. Of Bloodlines and Blue Notes by Terry Blade is a piercing work that focuses not only on his own experience and music, but also digs deep into the blues, the identities, culture and history connected to the genre that can get missed by someone coming across the music. This insightful companion is also a study in musical craft. As Blade takes us through his artistic decisions, the context and deeper meaning behind them, he’s demonstrating the storytelling within the lyrics. Giving the reading greater insight into how messages can be transformed into verse and song, how themes can be threaded through an entire album. Any music fan will find this a fascinating read. I thought this companion text was a really interesting and unique idea, and I loved how it helps readers to connect more deeply with the songs in each of the three albums. As Blade shares, “Ethnomusicology is the study of music as a cultural practice.” and I feel that Of Bloodlines and Blue Notes really helps to reinforce the awareness of the history, culture and lives that have shaped the familiar blues sound. Although the lyrics are shared throughout the book when needed it definitely enhances the experience to listen to Blade’s three albums alongside the book. Both the book and the music are enjoyable and enlightening on their own, but each is enhanced by the other. Reading, learning and understanding about the Juke Joints for example is enhanced by the voices of history being brought to life. Hearing Theresa Needham and Jimmy Walker with the hypnotic blues rhythm behind is extra special after your attention has been focused on the whole picture. I think Of Bloodlines and Blue Notes has a broad appeal but would specifically resonate with readers interested in music or in the blues specifically, as well as those interested in history, and cultural identity.
Charlotte Walker, A LoveReading Ambassador
| Primary Genre | Indie Author Books |
| Recommendations: |
Of Bloodlines and Blue Notes is a work of music and cultural criticism that digs deeply into blues, ancestry, cultural history, and urgent issues of racial and sexual identity, creating “a call-and-response between generations.” Organized as a repeating framework of artistic intention, cultural context, production reflection, and track-by-track commentary, it traces how lineage, place, and memory move through blues tradition, family stories, and archival voices. Across the sections, Blade links the afterlives of slavery and sharecropping to present-day identity and ethics, using close reflection to ask what inheritance demands, what it distorts, and what it can redeem. Read as a standalone work, the book functions as cultural criticism and personal testimony at once, returning to a central question about who is allowed full humanity in grief, desire, joy, and ordinary life.
Of Bloodlines and Blue Notes features in the following genres: Indie Author Books, Indie Books We Love
Of Bloodlines and Blue Notes is available in Paperback
Of Bloodlines and Blue Notes was written by Terry Blade and published by Blade Arthouse Media