Living Blues #293 November/December 2024

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Sharde Thomas-Mallory

The Evolution of Fife and Drum Music

By Margo Cooper

Sharde Thomas-Mallory is the granddaughter of legendary fife master Otha Turner. Under his tutelage since childhood, she now carries the legacy of this fascinating musical style. 

Steve Washington

A Song Maker’s Story

By Roger Wood

The son of songwriter Ferdinand “Fats” Washington, Steve Washington has evolved into a powerful performer and songwriter in his own right. 

Debunking Robert Johnson Mythology

By Bruce Conforth

The legacy of Robert Johnson has been clouded in myth and falsehoods from the beginning. Johnson scholar Bruce Conforth tackles the mythology and separates truth from fiction.

Let It Roll!

Blind Lemon Jefferson, OKeh Records, Atlanta, March 14–15, 1927

By Jas Obrecht

Texan Blind Lemon Jefferson was one of the most popular blues artists of the 1920s. His idiosyncratic guitar style and booming voice influenced generations of blues players, and his March 1927 session for OKeh yielded some of his biggest hits.

Record Reviews:

• New Releases: Benny Turner, Ronnie Baker Brooks, and Eric Bibb
• Reissues: The Legacy of Gospel Music in Louisville, Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan, and T-Bone Walker

Editorial

Blues News

LB Talks to Mitch Woods

Book Reviews

Radio Charts

Cover photo by Margo Cooper

Caption – Sharde Thomas-Mallory, Waterford, Mississippi, 2024.