The Bottom Line
A lively, energetic collection of color and B&W photographs - many from Beale Street - Memphis In The Meantime is a "must have" addition to the library of any blues music, soul, or rock music fan. You can't beat the book's reasonable $20 cover price ($25.99 with shipping in the U.S.), and yes, Memphis In The Meantime will look pretty cool on your coffee table.
Pros
- Great looking photos – Billings has an eye for the soul of his subjects.
- Kinetic layout, with several photos on each page, jumping out at the reader.
Cons
- No captions – can't tell who the photos are of if you don't already know.
- A few more pages of photos would have been even better!
Description
- Glossy 9x12, linen case-bound book
- Attractive die-cut front cover
- Printed on heavy 100-lb. glossy paper stock
- Over 100 color and B&W photos on 32 pages
Guide Review - Blake Billings - Memphis In The Meantime book review (2008)
Memphis has a lengthy and impressive history as a musical mecca, from the Mississippi Delta musicians that travelled up-river to perform on Beale Street in the 1920s and '30s, to the Stax soul of the '60s, and a thriving rock music scene that continues today. Photographer Blake Billings has captured the heart and soul of Memphis music in his new "coffee table" book, Memphis In The Meantime.
Blues artists like B.B. King and Taj Mahal sit alongside rockers like Jim Dandy (Black Oak Arkansas) and noted producer Jim Dickinson in these pages, their photos accompanied by narrative from Billings or the lyrics from blues songs. Billings eschews digital cameras, preferring to use a traditional film camera to provide greater warmth and authenticity to his photos.
This approach works quite well, Billings managing to capture the heat and sweat of the blues musicians that he's photographing. The rare shots of street scenes and bar crowds that Billings includes in the book - even a photo of the famous Stax Records marquee - provide an interesting juxtaposition with the musicians, providing a sort of "still life" of Beale Street's blues clubs.
Copies of the limited edition first printing of 250 copies of Memphis In The Meantime are hand-signed and numbered by Billings. Memphis In The Meantime is available from the Memphis Blues Society's website, or if you're in the Bluff City, drop by Tater Red's Lucky Mojos on Beale Street - one of the Reverend's favorite Memphis joints - and buy your copy!
