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TELL 'EM 'BOUT THE BLUES

INTERVIEWS & STORIES BY FRED REIF

(Available from Amazon U.K.)

What do you do when told to 'stay
home'.... watch a bit of telly, pick up the
guitar and have a strum, spend time on

the internet looking at all manner of
pointless things, or purchase a new

book and read? Me, I did all of the above.
The book was self published last year
(2019) by Fred Reif and, as the title

suggests, it contains interviews and
stories that he had accumulated since
the late 1960's.

These include Lightnin' Slim, Lazy
Lester, Arthur Gunter, Bobo Jenkins,

Eddie Burns, Baby Boy Warren,
Boogie Woogie Red, Dr. Isaiah Ross,

Washboard Willie and many more.
None of these artists were ever
major stars in the world of blues,
but they were incredibly important

to people like myself, who in the
early sixties discovered their

music.

What makes this book well worth the cost, is the fact that Fred didn't just meet

up and chat with these people, he played gigs with them and he toured with them. They were
friends, and, as such, inclined to be relaxed enough to 'open up' more. There are of course
the usual label shots and promotional photos, but many pictures I've not seen before.

Obviously some taken by Fred, others provided by the artists (or their families).

Having been privileged myself to have worked with four or five of the artists featured, some

wonderful memories were being re-lived as I read of Fred's encounters and vividly recalled
some of my own!

I can highly recommend this book to anybody interested in learning more about the blues and
the people who played and sang 'em.

Bob Pearce