History of the blues

[Robert]

Here is a nice article for all us blues lovers.

http://thebluehighway.com/history.html

Well written.

[Duff]

Great article Robert, very informative and fairly well covers the basic history of the blues, touching on some of the deep concepts hidden in the lost memories of the past, the undocumented first hand facts and ideas, and the untouchable, oftentimes, nature of the blues muscian and the lack of a need to authoratatively communicate what was going on in their heads, hands, and lyrics. Reading a lot of interviews would be great first hand information but I doubt a lot of these interviews from the eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds exist.

Therefore, I get the feeling that these scholarly attempts to define something like the blues are futile. Sort of like trying to define the music of Hendrix.

The blues is a very dynamic thing that has many forms and may only slightly touch upon the academic patterns and progressions, but is coming straight from the heart and soul and rolls out mysteriously. Songs develop over long periods of time and have their own unique grooves. I have written a few blues songs and they have developed over decades and are not often played the same and are improvised continuously. So, therefore, my blues is probably undefinable except in very shallow explanation by anyone other than me; and even I can not define my own blues, it is so deep and dynamic and rolls out of my heart and soul directly.

For me blues is a loose format that comes from the soul and is not extremely highly organized, like rock and roll is not highly organized oftentimes but just rolls out; you just sort of roll with it in a jam type thing to some extent.

For instance: look at all the different versions of "Saint James Infirmary". Very few versions are even close to each other when you listen closely. Louis Armstrong, Eric Clapton and Dr. John, Joe Cocker, etc.

The blues tradition still moves on and it is probably true that one of the most important aspects of the blues is that "you have to live the blues" to play the blues with any kind of self respect. As noted in the article, the blues comes out of the depths of the soul as it experiences certain aspects of life that some people live and are able to capture the vibe in the blues music form. Country Western music similarly captures some of these vibes, particularly in some of the songs.

So, in my opinion, a really schollarly examination of the blues would consume a great deal of time and require a tremendous ability to understand where these muscians were coming from, what was going on in their heads, and why they sang or played the blues; even question them as to if they even "like" the blues. Do they listen to the blues? Can they define their own music? Every one would be different. I would like to read a lot of interviews by BB King because he can really communicate in conversation and does so at his concerts, sort of gives little mini lectures; it's funny but real and always serious buy spoken with a lightness and tender spirit. Other interviews would also be great and even some autobiographies if any exist.

It was an interesting article that generated some thought and encourages further investigation and further thought.

That movie with the kid and the last surviving member of Robert Johnson's band that was living in a nursing home, was a great movie and generates thoughts that help you understand the meaning of the blues.

The present state and the future of the blues are also of great interest to all blues lovers. They have a blues preservation association here in the town I live in and a couple blues festivals and some great original blues bands, some of them are my friends.

Some would say you can't define the blues, like you can't define the river; it just rolls on.

Duffy
South Williamsport, Pa.
On the Susquehanna River

[bek]

Not quite sure I would agree that Elmore James would be the link between Robert Johnson and the Chicago blues scene; seems like Muddy would have that distinction. The first album of his I know of had some Johnson songs and some Muddy-written lyrics over obvious Johnson melodies and arrangements, just electrified. As in the referenced Crossroads movie, "Muddy Waters invented electricity!" A somewhat lesser-known bluesman, Mississippi Fred McDowell, was a superb example of the moody, often idiosyncratic nature of the blues. I have an album of his on which I am constantly struck by his occasional disregard for the song structure he has already established. He drops whole lines whenever he wants, shifts his arrangement accordingly, and it all falls together seamlessly. Solo, a player can do that as he pleases (if he's good enough). In a group, it's much more difficult.

[Mymindsok]

I've been in thisworld for a while and I've had a chance to own and read most of the "Classic" books concerning The Blues".

Fortunately or unfortunately, most of the books (Or at least the early ones.) were writtenbyscholarly White guys who were attempting to define something that they heard and probably loved but were ill equiped to truly understand in the deepest sense.

Fact is, The Blues is an idium that is best defined and understood on an emotional level. It requires making a deep emotional connection to express the form well and it helps to have had experiences, that serve to provide real understanding of the many aspects of human existance.You have to have these efen before we begin to discuss the musical techniques and the form.

Maybe that explains the failier of so many performances and recordings made by musicians of many different races and colors to get it right. To move an audience. To be recognized as a "Bluesman".

This thread reminds me of a conversation that I had with my Guitar instructor today and BB King's statement after the death of Stevie Ray Vaughn. I can only paraphrase....: It was a real loss when Stevie Ray died. We had real hopes for him as a Blues Player". You see, even though most of us thought that Stevie had made it already, the older generation of players were hoping that he'd grow into taking a place with the greats. They were looking at things fron an entirely different perspective and didnt see him as "there" yet.

I guess that tp really play the blues, you gotta get the blues, live through the blues, get rid of the blues and still hold on to them. It's a kind of Zen and once you master the Zen, you can experss it, teach it and have it, without being distroyed by it.

Thats why the many phenom 10 year old "Blues" players around today,arent playing "The Blues". Mastering the form dosnt cut it. Not once you know what it is anyway...

[mrmudcat]

Well said on all posts!!!:applause

Personally im a fast approaching middle aged white guy,am I a blueman so to speak,I think so ..............but ive had my share of the blues road:thwap

Im teaching my sons the blues but am steadily fallen short to power chords and digital ...............I do think one can express himself in the blues at their age,but to them that girl this girl, school give them the blues...:what ....but they have also lived through my hard times recently and lately chase my 15 y.o. has really found his bluesy side:cool: :crazyguy

The blues survival is going to be lost if there is no one to pass it on:help

[oldguy]

Keep on teachin' those boys, muddy. Joe Bonamassa had the technical stuff down at 13, and he's grown into a monster player, great bluesman.