This,my friends, is theAmericana
MusicTriangle.Youhave justentered
oneof the lastplaces in thisgreatcountry
whereyoucanhaveanauthenticexperi-
ence;whereyoucandipyoursoul in the
uniquestewofpeople, geography,history
andweather thatbubblesoutof itspotand
bringsusmusic— theculturalcurrencyof
theSouth.
Jazz,blues, country, rock ’n’ roll,
bluegrass—all thedistinctlyAmerican
musicthat’sbeensenttoeverycornerof
theworld, seasonedwithnew ingredi-
entsandsentback—theywereallborn
intheTriangle. Ifyou listen,youcan
hearCajunmelodies,Africanrhythms,a
Latinbeat, theepicpoetryof theCeltsand
Anglo-Saxons.Whateverthe form, it’sall
cooked intheSouthernheatandhumidity,
informedbythe lessonsofsurvival—
tornadoesandhurricanes, slavery,poverty,
angerandpride—andalwaysmoving, like
themightyMississippi justoveryonder.
Outof thisbrewrosegiantsof
20th-centuryAmericanmusic:JellyRoll
Morton,LouisArmstrong,W.C.Handy,
RobertJohnson,JohnLeeHooker,Muddy
Waters,JimmieRodgers,FatsDomino,
JerryLeeLewis,ElvisPresley.The list
goeson, time linesofmostlyshort lives
PHOTOS
COURTESY THE PEABODY MEMPHI S ( 2) ; RAY LASKOWITZ/GETTY IMAGES
CLOCKWISE
FROM
TOP
LEFT
:
Memphis’
famousPeabody
Hotel and its
resident ducks; a
Memphisbluesman
playingatB.B.
King’sBluesClubon
BealeStreet
AMERICANWAY
DECEMBER2015
73
