Artist:     Timorthy Duffy

Album:     Blue Muse

Label:     Music Maker Relief/UNC Press-NO Museum

Release Date:     3.23.2019

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BUY DIGITAL

BUY PHYSICAL

Blue Muse/Southern Photographs is a pairing of two very special projects: a beautiful 12”X12” photo book (a perfect size for a photo book), and a CD. Timothy Duffy’s project is much like the works of legendary music historian Alan Lomax, both of which include words, photographs and music.

Let’s start with the photography: the process is called tintype, where a photograph is printed by creating a direct positive on a thin sheet of metal—as opposed to paper—as the support for the photographic emulsion. Duffy used this method, a technology invented in 1850s, essentially to bring back history, and even when reprinted on paper, as in this book, the photographs have a very different feel from our modern process. Most readers will recognize the impression from Civil War-era photos. Unlike archival photography, however, these photos are enhanced by digital technology first, and have a real texture to them. Personally, I would like to get a chance to see the actual photos on a metal print.

Duffy, the Director of the Music Makers Relief Fund, an organization which helps promote and finance many blues musicians in the South, has been photographing Southern blues musicians for more than 30 years. Most of the musicians photographed are not famous; they are Southern blues musicians with a small regional followings.

The CD that goes along with this great book includes recordings of all the artists that Duffy photographed. The tracks are similar to folklorist Alan Lomax’s field recordings, and the artists are mostly unknown, like Eddie Tigner. though there is one from Eric Clapton with Tim Duffy.

As a bonus, there is a fine booklet in the package with more great photos and rundown on the origins of all the recordings, 21 in all.

To get the most out of this meaningful work, I would strongly recommend listening to the CD while looking through the photography book. Like the seminal works of Alan Lomax, in Blue Muse Tim Duffy has done his job of bringing you back to yesteryear, and saving American Music.

—Arnie Goodman