Part of the series “Blues Journey,” produced for ArtsEdge at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Musicologist Kip Lornell of George Washington University explains that as black slaves toiled in the fields, they often sang to communicate with each other and pass the time. In songs called field hollers and work songs, one person would call out lyrics and the group would respond in unison. This call-and-response pattern was modified by blues musicians — instead of waiting for a response, they answered their own calls.
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