"I went down to the crossroads, fell down on my knees..."

...but other than that, it was a pretty good weekend.

It included listening to an interview on public radio, produced by AARP. Just what the world cries out for right now, you say to yourself; another book about legendary bluesman Robert Johnson. But this one is sure to find a place on my bulging music library shelves. His entire body of works are contained on one small set of CDs, but the impact of Robert Johnson’s music extends to an immeasurable number of singers and songs. On Prime Time Radio, host Mike Cuthbert joins author Elijah Wald to discuss Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues (RealPlayer required to hear interview). Johnson only released 29 recordings in his short and angst-ridden life. But his impact on popular music in the middle and late 20th century can never be underestimated. Wald takes on the magnitude of this contribution, and dispells a few misconceptions on the way. After all, if I had to convince you that the great bluesmen could dig Lawrence Welk... well, I think I've made my point. (Note to son Paul: Been looking for a way to connect the dots between your blues harp playing and your urban street poetry -- aka "hip-hop," for the rest of you? Check this out.)