Quiz on 'Back-Water Blues' and the 1927 Mississippi River Flood

How many states were inundated by the flood of the Mississippi River in 1927?

• Five

• Seven

• Ten

• Twelve

Approximately how many people became refugees due to the 1927 Mississippi River flood?

• 100,000

• 200,000

• 600,000

• 1,000,000

What was one of the consequences of the 1927 flood mentioned in the text?

• An increase in agricultural production

• An outpouring of topical songs and other expressions

• A decrease in industrial growth

• A rise in population in the affected areas

Which of the following songs was NOT listed as a response to the 1927 flood?

• 'South Bound Water'

• 'High Water Blues'

• 'The Flood Blues'

• 'Dust Bowl Blues'

Which pianist provided the accompaniment for 'Back-Water Blues'?

• James P. Johnson

• Tommy Johnson

• Kansas Joe

• Memphis Minnie

Which of the following is NOT a song by Bessie Smith mentioned in the text?

• Homeless Blues

• Muddy Stream Blues

• Broken Levee Blues

• High Water Everywhere

What line opens the song "Back-Water Blues"?

• "Wake up this morning"

• "Mississippi River, what a fix you left me in"

• "Ma and Pa got drowned"

• "Mississippi, you to blame"

In what year did Big Bill Broonzy introduce his concert performance of "Back-Water Blues"?

• 1927

• 1936

• 1945

• 1956

What does the term 'backwater' refer to in the context of Bessie Smith's 'Back-Water Blues'?

• A type of music genre

• Flooding that occurs naturally when water overflows or breaches a river bank or levee

• A type of plantation

• A type of boat used in the Mississippi River

What did Keith Briggs note about the February recording date of Bessie Smith's song?

• It was recorded during a drought

• It was recorded in February of 1927 while the flood was still in its early stages

• It was recorded in a different year

• It was recorded in a different month