Author: Debra Devi

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi shows how “cat” comes from West African griots and gave rise to the term “hepcat.”

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi traces how “the blues” evolved from 17th-century slang for delirium tremens to the rhythmic, emotional, and spiritual language born from African traditions, field hollers, and the will to survive.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi traces the Choctaw roots of “bayou” and how life in the Louisiana wetlands flows right into the music. Featuring a quote from Tab Benoit.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi explores the eerie folklore of the black dog: ghostly hound, silent sentinel, and symbol of doom, danger, or devotion in blues lore.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi explores the origins and evolution of slide guitar—tracing its roots from African and Hawaiian traditions to Depression-era bottleneck slides and modern variations. Drawing on W.C. Handy’s first written account of blues slide guitar, Debra reveals how everyday objects like knives, medicine bottles, and even lipstick covers have shaped the sound and technique of this expressive blues staple.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, Debra Devi breaks down the gritty origins of “axe” as slang for a guitar—tracing it from gangster slang to streetwise blues swagger, and spotlighting fierce players like Frank “Son” Seals who lived up to the name.

In this week’s installment of The Language of the Blues, we dig into the word “Captain”—once a title for plantation overseers, later adopted by white employers and prison wardens in the Jim Crow South. Through blues lyrics from Big Bill Broonzy to Son House, Debra Devi traces how this word carried the weight of control, resistance, and survival.

In this week’s installment of The Language of the Blues, barrelhouse blues fuels dance floors with raw piano rhythms, where the energy of the music stirs passion and sets the pace for the boogie-woogie evolution.

This week’s installment dives into the wild origins of “balling the jack.” From steam trains to juke joints, this phrase went from a railman’s command to crank up the speed to a symbol of living life at full throttle—whether in dance, bed, or the gamble of life itself. Explore how this fiery expression influenced the rhythms of jazz, blues, and swing, and check out how Bessie Smith and others brought it to the spotlight.

This week’s installment delves into the humble origins of the ‘one-strand-on-the-wall’ guitar, crafted from baling wire and ingenuity, and how it shaped legends like Hubert Sumlin, B.B. King, and Big Bill Broonzy.