Mississippi Delta | The Musicians Knew Something
The Delta blues emerged from the Mississippi River delta's plantation communities in the late 19th century. This is documented. What a musicologist at Tulane University found in 2022: three Robert Johnson recordings — made in 1936, widely believed to be all that exists — reference a specific geographic location in the lyrics. Not metaphorically. Specifically. A crossroads, a ridge, a creek name. The creek name doesn't appear in any 1936 Mississippi survey. It appears in an 1847 survey. The 1847 survey notes 'substantial prior earthwork.' The earthwork has never been investigated.
About Mississippi Delta | The Musicians Knew Something
The Delta blues emerged from the Mississippi River delta's plantation communities in the late 19th century. This is documented. What a musicologist at Tulane University found in 2022: three Robert Johnson recordings — made in 1936, widely believed to be all that exists — reference a specific geographic location in the lyrics. Not metaphorically....Read more