Browsing: Language of the Blues

Debra Devi commands beautiful blues-rock originals and spellbinding classic covers, enriching them with stories, history, and insight drawn from her book, ‘The Language of the Blues.’

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.

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.

Exploring the meaning of ‘bag’ in the blues world: from musical influences to street slang, Debra Devi unpacks the layers of this iconic term in this week’s installment of The Language of the Blues.

“With this record, I’d like to kick that door down, and encourage women in particular to express themselves and stay in touch with that part of themselves.”