Browsing: Column

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi examines Jamaica Ginger (“Jake”), a Prohibition-era patent medicine whose history appears in early blues song and Southern storytelling.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi turns to Dr. John to uncover the surprising origins of the word “gig.”

In the wake of Dave Mason’s passing, “We Just Disagree” resurfaces as a reminder that not every divide needs a verdict—just the recognition that some differences don’t find closure.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi traces the slang term “gatemouth” from early jazz and blues vernacular to the larger-than-life musicians who carried the name.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi connects the gallinipper, a Southern mosquito, to its appearance in early Delta blues songs

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi considers foot track magic, where hoodoo belief and blues expression intersect in the Delta.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi considers how “dig” traveled from Wolof speech into the language of blues understanding and appreciation.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi explores the many faces of the devil in blues culture, from African trickster deities to the legends that inform its most enduring myths.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi identifies the Mississippi Delta as the cradle of the blues, defined by labor, migration, and a shared musical culture.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi considers the crossroads as a spiritual and cultural symbol, and how it became inseparable from the legend of Robert Johnson.