Beale Street
A view of Beale Street in the 1940s. The business and musical heart of the black community of Memphis from 1860 to 1970. Also the home of WC Handy, Frank Stokes, The Memphis Jug Band, Gus Cannon and a magnet for Howling Wolf, Muddy Waters, Rufus Thomas and the young Elvis Presley.
Williams Jubilee singers
The Williams Jubilee Singers was one of the choirs inspired by the performance traditions of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. They were formed by Charles P. Williams and his wife in 1904 in Chicago and toured the United States and Europe until the early 1930s.
Roustabouts
The temporary labour crew of a Mississippi riverboat performing a buck and wing dance. Roustabouts played an essential part in conveying ragtime and early blues songs between St Louis, Memphis and New Orleans between 1880 and 1920.
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Welcome To

EUROPEAN BLUES ASSOCIATION

Incorporating the Paul Oliver Collection of African American Music and Related Traditions

Welcome to the European Blues Association Archive of African American Music, incorporating The Paul Oliver Collection of African American Music and Related Traditions.

The European Blues Association aims to advance the education of the general public in the history and appreciation of African American music and culture through the protection and preservation of an archive of material related to the music of peoples of African descent, including African American music and culture in general and Blues in particular. We work with performers, young people, academics, the music industry, and local communities to make this archive accessible for the public benefit through an online resource centre, and the presentation of public recitals and lectures featuring African American music.

About

A brief history of the European Blues Association

Throughout Europe and the United Kingdom, there is a healthy interest in the performance of African American music. Monthly magazines are published in France, Italy, Germany, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. National and international performers and a European audience travel widely to celebrate the common ground they share in their love of the music.