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soymilkcarton's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
adamcarrico91's review against another edition
4.0
If you’re interested in the intersection of black working class feminism and music, you’ll probably enjoy this book. It’s very academic, which leads to a thorough analysis of the lyrics and performances of these artists in a socio-political context. Most of the book focuses on the early blues singers, but the final couple chapters deal with Billie Holiday.
azure_mood's review against another edition
4.0
In this text, Davis exams the many facets in which Rainey, Smith, and Holiday are still relevant in any discourse involving Black American music, history, and feminism. These women and their artistry transformed the sociocultural way in which we examine and experience music, sexuality, love, and on a massive scale cross-cultural communication and issues of social justice. To get a crash course in post-slavery America at the turn of the century and many of the social justice issues that terrorized us then, and still plague us today, this is one of the texts you want to grab.
macbethgonzalez's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
tangleroot_eli's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Although I sometimes found Davis’s arguments frustratingly circular (“I propose that Smith’s lyrics say A, B, and C, which I will prove by quoting X, Y, and Z lyrics”), this is a powerful book. A must-read for anyone passionate about the blues, Black feminism, or the importance of the arts in discussions of race, gender, class, and sexuality.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Slavery and Religious bigotry
Minor: Drug use, Homophobia, and Alcoholism