The Mississippi Delta was known for its fertile environment, perfect for growing the nation's bounty of cotton crops. Not only was the Delta known for its thriving cotton supply, but also for its budding music scene. Derived from native African music, blues blends together the use of the ancient African language, tonal singing methods, and the personal trials and tribulations of life in the South. Delta blues musicians used their talents to escape the tumultuous life of sharecropping and head north. The blues was a perfect way for musicians like Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and countless others, to escape the racism and injustice that plagued the South after the Civil War. The success of the blues would never have reached global dimensions if it were not for this “Great Migration” to the North and the willingness of open-minded record executives to give some black musicians from the South a chance. If it weren't for these musicians, who knows who might have inspired groups like the Rolling Stones, the Band or even the Beatles. The form of Rock and Roll today derives from the music cultivated from the Mississippi Delta. Blues music carries with it generations of African history and culture through the simplest guitar riffs and shortest lines of lyrics. Palmer's book details how the ever-evolving genre that is the blues influenced decades of music by teaching people from all walks of life what it meant to live a life of hardship in the post-Civil War Mississippi Delta. Body: Palmer argues that to understand the blues, the listener must learn where the music comes from. Leo Smith, stepson of Delta bluesman Alec Wallace, describes the blues as “...... middle of paper ......Deep Blues details the blues that changed the American music scene forever. Delta blues has so much history behind its music that it becomes almost impossible to imitate. The genre is constantly evolving. Whether it's rock and roll or any other American music, hints of the blues come through. Reading Palmer's book, there is only so much musical terminology one can understand. To truly know the blues, you would have to experience some of the music firsthand simply by listening to it. Deep Blues would be a great read for all those music enthusiasts who would like to know the true roots of the blues. After reading Palmer's book, the reader will have a greater knowledge and appreciation for the blues and all of its historical complexities involving African culture. Works Cited Palmer, Robert. Deep blues. New York: Viking, 1981. Print.