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Lead Belly: A Life In Pictures

A New Lead Belly Book Hits The Streets
12/29/07

A new 250 page book on blues great Lead Belly includes photographs, news clippings, concert programs, letters, albums and other memorabilia. This collection proves an essential tome for the bookshelf. Tom Waits wrote the Introduction.

In the Intro, Waits writes: "There is something in Lead Belly’s voice so urgent, 'Come here right now and listen. Drop what ever you’re doing…' he’s hollering to you from the next hill over. It carried bold and impatient. He broke microphones, they weren’t prepared for his impolite delivery. When I first heard his voice, I knew it already. In mole communities they reward the brave ones. The ones known for tunneling beneath great rivers who faced the dangers involved in pulling off such an incredible feat of engineering, the ones responsible for taking other moles safely to the other side. Lead Belly is as much a part of the natural world as crows are, as dogs are, children playing in the yard are, trains are, jails are, second floor apartments are, and his songs are safe on the other side. And they’re all a part of you now.”

 James Calemine
JCalemine@swampland.com

related tags

Mystery and Manners,
Lore,
Music,

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