This program and accompanying booklet will be part of Monroe County Library System’s 37th annual
Black History Month Blues Series. Concerts and related programs are scheduled during February in
libraries throughout Monroe County. A main concert is hosted by Monroe County Community College.
The series pays tribute to the contributions of African American artists covering a wide range of blues
and related styles performed mainly by Michigan artists.
“The Evolution of African American Traditional Music” explores the impact of black music on the
development of America’s musical culture over a period of one hundred years. The presentation also
demonstrates how this traditional music provides a unique perspective on the development of African
American culture. The award-winning , Rev. Robert Jones has a unique talent for blending music and
storytelling in his performances. For this program, he leads participants on a journey revealing how
pre-Civil War Black music still has relevancy for audiences today. Throughout the program, Rev. Jones
will accompany himself on simple instruments used in the folk music tradition including guitar, banjo,
fiddle, and harmonica. Members of the audience will have pportunities to speak with and join Rev. Jones
in song.
The program opens with an examination of the slave spiritual and its use of rhythm for working as well
as a means of secretly communicating information vital for daily survival or making escape
plans. Folktales and stories from the period are discussed as they provided empowerment and
dignity for enslaved people. Rev. Jones examines music produced to recruit black soldiers into the Union
Army with songs like “We Look Like Men of War.” The presentation moves to the 1870s and the
development of the concert spiritual at Fisk University where the choir preserved Black
spirituals while incorporating European church music. Rev. Jones takes participants into the 20th
century with the birth of the blues by W.C. Handy and the early recordings by women like Mamie Smith
in the 1920s. The presentation continues showing how the spirituals evolved into blues, gospel, jazz and
country. Looking at the 1930s, he shows how blues music told the story of the Great Depression from
the perspective of the African American community. The musical journey continues into the 1940s
pointing out how gospel songs like “Roosevelt,” performed by black artists like Josh White and Billie
Holliday, were used as a form of black activism. The program then examines the music of 1950s where
black artists like Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup and Sister Rosetta Tharpe laid the foundations of Rock & Roll
for both black and white artists such as Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Bill Haley. Rev. Jones brings the
presentation into the 1960s demonstrating how Blues music transitioned from being a largely acoustic
musical style to becoming a dynamic and electric through artists like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and
Detroit’s own John Lee Hooker. Wrapping up, he discusses how artists like Sam Cooke built on blues and
gospel traditions to create music that challenged America’s cultural status quo. These “freedom songs”
of the 1950s and ‘60s helped to fuel the protests during the Civil Rights Movement in cities across
America.
Rev. Robert Jones is a 35-year veteran of the Detroit blues scene and a nationally recognized scholar of
American roots music. He hosted a weekly blues program on WDET Detroit Public Radio and taught
music history as an adjunct instructor at Wayne State University. He is published in the music anthology
Heaven Was Detroit edited by M.L. Liebler for Wayne State University Press. He has also produced
programs for The Henry Ford and Greenfield Village. He was presented with a Distinguished
Service Award by the Wayne County Council for Arts, History, and Humanities and was
named a Kresge Fellow for his work and dedication to the Detroit arts community.
The program brings value to the library by reinforcing its goal of providing education as well as
entertainment through its annual celebration of the contributions of African American artists. While
participating artists give background and context to their music performances, the library also aims to
feature programs that more specifically focus on how the music influences America’s culture
and reflects its historical times.
The series has a large and devoted following with many participants attending since the series began in
1988. By featuring a humanities component, participants are reminded of the program’s mission of
expanding our knowledge and appreciation for an art form that has often been appropriated by popular
music and not given its rightful credit. The program format allows audience participation through
discussion and adding their voices in songs led by the artist. It’s our intention that participants are
energized by the program and motivated to continue their own exploration of blues music.
Funding for this program was provided by Michigan Humanities – Arts and Humanities Touring Grant. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Michigan Humanities or the aforementioned entities.
