Show 29: The Detroit Blues Tradition

For today's 29th episode of the CC Blues Show, we'll be focusing on the topic of Detroit blues before Motown and Mr. Gordy took over. The Motor City blues we'll hear tonight begin back in the 1920s and, in particular, come from Hastings Street, which was Detroit's center of Black culture for nearly forty years. The song we'll open up today's show with is a two-part talking blues ode by the Detroit Count, who came to the city shortly before World War II and released this song ten years later. "Hastings Street Opera" was recorded at Joe's Record Shop, which was located at 3530 Hastings Street. This landmark record shop and recording service was sadly demolished, along with all of Hastings Street, in the 1960s to create I-375, also known as the Chrysler Freeway. Now here's the Detroit Count's "Hastings Street Opera."