Film expert discussed ‘blues in the trenches’ on BBC Radio 4

University of Southampton's Dr Mike Hammond, Associate Professor in Film, featured on the BBC Radio 4 programme ‘Making History’ today Tuesday 23 August at 15:00. Accompanied by presenter Helen Castor, Dr Hammond discussing blues in the trenches of the Great War.

It is Dr Hammond’s view that African-American soldiers from across the United States shared different performance styles and traditions of ‘the blues’ during the War. He also believes that this music at the front line laid an important base for the profound impact which jazz and blues would later have on both US and European popular music and culture.

Click here to view a lecture by Dr Hammond delivered as part of a University series in Humanities titled ‘Unknown War’.

If you missed today’s broadcast of ‘Making History’, you can catch up via the BBC Radio 4 website.