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| Bob Riesman Celebrates Legacy Of Big Bill Broonzy Bob Riesman, author of the "illuminating" (NY Times) biography 'I Feel So Good: The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy' (University of Chicago Press), celebrates the life of the Chicago blues pioneer at the Library of Congress' Thomas Jefferson Building on November 16. The free event is part of Benjamin A. Botkin's Folklife Lectures Series presented by the American Folklife Center, which honors the best of current research and practice in Folklore. Recent events have commemorated new books on Pete Seeger, Alan Lomax, and Woody Guthrie. Riesman will talk about Big Bill's remarkable life and influential career, his impact on the Chicago blues world of the 1940s and 1950s, and how Broonzy's guitar playing was a crucial early inspiration to Eric Clapton ("he became like a role model for me"), Pete Townshend ("he was my first blues crush"), and Ray Davies ("Without this man, I don't think I would have done what I did"), each of whom Riesman interviewed for the book. Out in paperback in October, the initial hardback release of Riesman's "definitive" (Boston Globe) biography received wide recognition for its extensive research and compelling insights, including praise from The New York Times, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, LA Times, and many others. In a five-star review, MOJO called 'I Feel So Good' "one of the great blues biographies." WHAT: 'I Feel So Good: The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy, ' a book talk by Bob Riesman. WHERE: Library of Congress's Thomas Jefferson Building. write your comments about the article :: © 2012 Jazz News :: home page |