Hangin' Out In 100b

I’ve been meaning to post about this one for a long time, because Michael Gray’s Hand Me My Travelin’ Shoes is not just one of my favorite music books, it’s one of my favorite books in general.

Blind Willie McTell is by far my favorite of those old-time blues men, though I don’t know when and why that happened. Something about his voice and songs just captured my imagination and hasn’t let go. But, just like all the others, there’s very little known about McTell and the casual listener had no where to turn (other than questionable ‘facts’ scattered about the internets) for information.

Until Michael Gray, Bob Dylan scholar, decided to take on this enigmatic man, that is. Hand Me My Travelin’ Shoes goes, exactly as the title says, ‘in search of’ Blind Willie. That means that this is not a biography exactly – it’s also the story of the author’s journey to find what is, essentially, a musical needle in a haystack. He meets some very interesting characters, uncovers some weird stories, travels through and to places tourists don’t usually go, and – along the way – finds out some amazing clues to who Blind Willie McTell really was.

Oddly for a music book, I don’t want to say too much and give anything away. But if you’re interested in the blues, or a side of American life we don’t normally see, or both, this book is one of the best you’ll ever find. Hand Me My Travelin’ Shoes is a beautiful portrait of a time and place – both past and present – as well as a fascinating glimpse into a most mysterious man.