Portraits of the Blues

Portraits of the Blues is an introduction to the music, lives and worldviews of key blues artists from the early twentieth century. The book is conceived as part of a package including a CD (available separately). The book author and recording artist is Darrell Arnold, a Miami-based philosophy professor and performing singer-songwriter. Darrell brings his philosophical background to bear in observations on key features of the artists' lives, considering the artists' views of religion, their impacts on politics, and their understandings of how the blues stirs the human soul. The book illustrations are portraits of the musicians, created by Irena Gapkovska. The album that accompanies the book was recorded together with the Nashville-based guitarist and producer, Jack Shawde. Together, the writing, artwork and music of Portraits of the Blues make for a unique multifaceted presentation of the blues. Read more