This incomparable anthology collects articles, interviews, fiction, and poetry from the Original Chicago Blues Annual, one of music history's most significant periodical blues publications. Founded and operated from 1989 to 1995 by African American musician and entrepreneur Lincoln T. Beauchamp Jr., OCBA gave voice to the blues community and often frankly addressed contentious issues within the blues such as race, identity, prejudice, wealth, gender, and inequity.

OCBA often expressed an explicitly black perspective, but its contributors were a mix of black and white, American and international. Likewise, although OCBA's roots and main focus were in Chicago, Beauchamp's vision for the publication (and his own activities as a blues performer and promoter) embraced an international dimension, reflecting a broad diversity of blues audiences and activities in locations as farflung as Iceland, Poland, France, Italy, and South Africa.

This volume includes key selections from OCBA's seven issues and features candid interviews with blues luminaries such as Koko Taylor, Eddie Boyd, Famoudou Don Moye, Big Daddy Kinsey, Lester Bowie, Junior Wells, Billy Boy Arnold, Herb Kent, Barry Dolins, and many more. Also featured are heartfelt memorials to bygone blues artists, insightful observations on the state of the blues in Chicago and beyond, and dozens of photographs of performers, promoters, and other participants in the worldwide blues scene.

| Cover Title Copyright Contents Acknowledgments Introduction FROM THE ORIGINAL CHICAGO BLUES ANNUAL, ISSUE NUMBER 1 Interview with Koko Taylor Guy "Doc" Lerner Interview with Eddie Boyd L. "Chicago Beau" Beauchamp Interview with Famoudou Don Moye L. "Chicago Beau" Beauchamp Interview with Big Daddy Kinsey Jacques Lacava The Blues Reality of Maxwell Street David Whiteis Southern Sound: A Brooding under Blood Eugene B. Redmond FROM THE ORIGINAL CHICAGO BLUES ANNUAL, ISSUE NUMBER 2 Interview with Pinetop Perkins L. "Chicago Beau" Beauchamp Welcome Home Luther Jacques Lacava The Bean and The Newk Hart Leroy Bibbs A Gun in the Hand Is Worth . . .Kalamu Ya Salaam They Say the Hoochiecoochie Man Done Up an Gone Quincy Troupe Funky-Grace (From the Hero Series) Eugene B. Redmond FROM THE ORIGINAL CHICAGO BLUES ANNUAL, ISSUE NUMBER 3 Interview with Lester Bowie L. "Chicago Beau" Beauchamp Interview with Bruce Iglauer L. "Chicago Beau" Beauchamp A Few Words from a Chicago Blues Mama Deitra Farr The Blues Aesthetic Kalamu Ya Salaam I, the Blues L. "Chicago Beau" Beauchamp FROM THE ORIGINAL CHICAGO BLUES ANNUAL, ISSUE NUMBER 4 Interview with Junior Wells L. "Chicago Beau" Beauchamp J. B. Hutto and Lil' Ed Williams David Witter The Blue Bayou Julio Finn Bebop Blues James Otis Williams Blues Bar Poem Julie Parson Nesbitt A Photo Salute to Blues Greats Barbara Barefield FROM THE ORIGINAL CHICAGO BLUES ANNUAL, ISSUE NUMBER 5 Interview with Billy Boy Arnold L. "Chicago Beau" Beauchamp Interview with Herb Kent L. "Chicago Beau" Beauchamp The Blues Are a People Who Are Finally Going to Take Care of Business David Whiteis FROM THE ORIGINAL CHICAGO BLUES ANNUAL, ISSUE NUMBER 6 Interview with Chicago Beau Julio Finn Interview with E. Parker McDougal L. "Chicago Beau" Beauchamp Blues for Zazen Joseph Jarman FROM THE ORIGINAL CHICAGO BLUES ANNUAL, ISSUE NUMBER 7 Interview with Johnny Shines L. "Chicago Beau" Beauchamp Interview with Barry Dolins L. "Chicago Beau" Beauchamp Juke Joint Voices James Otis Williams Art Ensemble of Chicago Mike Hennessey Now Mother of Time Hart Leroy Bibbs Afterword Contributors Index Back cover | "An invaluable resource for the blues historian, and an entertaining read for the Chicago blues...