Blues, jazz and country - according to Robert Crumb

The finest musical gift I received on Monday was a beautifully designed book - R Crumb’s Heroes Of Blues, Jazz & Country (Abrams, New York, £10.95/$19.95).

Counter-cultural cartoonist/illustrator Robert Crumb applied his unique talent to drawing/painting portraits of a couple of hundred pre-rock musicians, originally for a series of collectable cards. The cards have been lovingly collated in the book and the artwork complemented by brief biographies.

An already desirable package is completed by a splendid sampler CD from the Yazoo vaults, with tracks by 21 of the musicians, from Skip James to King Oliver, Dock Boggs to Blind Willie McTell.

A lovely piece of art – it’ll be cherished.



Gerry Smith