First published 1998
The bold voices of blues icons Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday shatter middle-class respectability. Their candid lyrics and defiant performances lay the groundwork for an alternative black working-class consciousness at odds with mainstream America. Davis' meticulous analysis reveals how these artists' music serves as a consciousness-raising vehicle, preserving a collective social memory that celebrates non-heterosexual, non-middle-class values.
Genres: gender-studies, feminism, african-american, non-fiction, biography-memoir, music, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: consciousness-raising, social-commentary
Setting: United States
464 pages · Paperback · Vintage