Memphis & St. Louis: When the River Learned to Scale
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Memphis & St. Louis: When the River Learned to Scale
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About this listen
In this episode, the Mississippi River reaches a turning point. Traveling from Memphis to St. Louis, the stream of Black musical tradition moves from spiritual expression into systems of scale and structure. Memphis emerges as the transfer station where blues, gospel, and folk traditions plug into railways, Beale Street, and early recording studios—amplifying sound without erasing its soul. Just upriver, St. Louis becomes a pause point where improvisation meets composition, and music gains form through ragtime, sheet music, and early distribution networks. Together, these cities mark the moment when the river learns how to carry music farther, faster, and more deliberately—laying the groundwork for modern American song.
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