PRESS CONTACT: Patrice Fehlen, September Gurl PR (patriceATseptembergurl.com)
“One of the wittiest, bawdiest, most fascinating dictionaries ever.”– Reuters
“What a great resource, as fascinating as it is informative. Debra’s passion for the blues shines through.” – Bonnie Raitt
“Every guitarist needs to know blues history and where the blues are coming from. Debra’s book will teach you what you really need to know.” – Joe Bonamassa
$9.99 on Amazon Kindle. Includes 40 photos, free Devi album download. No Kindle? No problem with free Amazon reading apps for any tablet, phone, eReader or computer.
“Invaluable” – Nat Hentoff, Wall Street Journal
Read Excerpts on Debra Devi’s Huffington Post Blog
“This book is fascinating! Take it to the bathroom and don’t come out until you’re done reading it.” – Jimmy Vivino
“Finally one can understand the mechanics behind the overwhelming viscera of the Blues. Debra Devi’s work is a true guide book to the soul.” – Al Jourgensen (Ministry)
“This is a beautiful book. After hearing ‘Hellhound on My Trail’ in high school I bought every vintage blues record available at the time. Upon receiving The Language of the Blues I discovered my knowledge only scratched the surface. Debra Devi has written an invaluable reference book. And it’s also great fun to read.” – Hal Willner
“Don’t think that The Language of the Blues might read like a dictionary or reference book. There’s no plot, but you can open it up at random and fall into the world of your favorite Blues songs, and find out more about the lyrics than you would be guessing from context. I learned a lot more about the Blues music I already loved.” – Bob Margolin
“Congratulations to Debra Devi for The Language of the Blues. Its candor and witty honesty bring us into the world she describes so well with beautiful strength. This is a book that lovers of music and just plain old lovers will love to have in their collections.” – Ed Sanders
The Language of the Blues is packed with stories from Devi’s in-depth interviews with blues legends Milton Campbell, Robben Ford, Henry Gray, Dr. John, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Bonnie Raitt, Smiley Ricks, Hubert Sumlin, Jimmie Vaughan and more. It also includes a remarkable foreword from Dr. John and 40 photos from top blues chroniclers like Joseph A. Rosen and Mike Shea. The book opens with “alcorub”, the drink of last resort for desperate alcoholics (remember Kitty Dukakis?), and closes with “zuzu”, slang for a cookie, and “perhaps the most wholesome word in the entire book,” according to Reuters.
The Language of the Blues was initially published by Billboard Books and won the 2008 ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for Outstanding Book on Popular Music. Nat Hentoff declared The Language of the Blues “invaluable” in the Wall Street Journal, and Blues Revue deemed it “an essential purchase for scholars and fans.” New York Times columnist Shelton Ivany added, “If you have any questions about songs, lyrics, musicians or events, chances are you will find your answers in this unparalleled publication.”
For review copies/interviews, please contact [email protected].
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[...] eBook [...]
[...] If you guessed “Courtney Love,” you’ve watched too much VH1 Behind the Music. I’m talking about 1920s blues singer Bessie Smith, and the hot dish I uncovered about her X-rated, rockstar exploits while researching the term “buffet flat” for The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to Zuzu. [...]
[...] If you guessed “Courtney Love,” you’ve watched too much VH1 Behind the Music. I’m talking about 1920s blues singer Bessie Smith, and the hot dish I uncovered about her X-rated, rockstar exploits while researching the term “buffet flat” for The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to Zuzu. [...]
[...] to get there when I’m jamming with my band — but I didn’t realize until I wrote The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to Zuzu how much this longing relates to Voodoo, and the concept of [...]