Message Board Archive: Thread Number 24

Like the other kudos so far, I just wanted to express what a pleasure it
is going to be to be able to read about which I'm really interested -
Traditional Acoustic Blues.

Seems lots of folks pay us types lip-service but when it comes down to
it we seem to get 'buked and scorned by the electrified hoardes.

I understand most of it has to do with economics - that the general
"blues" public want to hear loud, overdriven guitars and crashing
cymbals. On my more rambunctious days, I like it too. And fortunately or
unfortunately, I have had to comply with the venue's wishes and (in
their usual words) "liven it up a bit" with electricity, drums, horns,
etc. . . I've had to do this by way of economic necessity.

But, to me, there's something to be said for "finesse." As a musician,
I'll take Blind Blake or Willie McTell or acoustic Hammond, et. al.
anyday.

Of course, I love Muddy, the Walters, Wolf, the SonnyBoys but when I
hear someone like Fred McDowell play and sing something like "You Got to
Move" I get moved to the point of tears.

Just seems like (almost) all the festivals and venues which dedicate
themselves to the blues overlook the traditional acoustic acts which, to
me, are spellbinding if performed right. Instead, (at the risk of making
unneeded enemies) they book all of these clone acts - especially on the
West Coast. Its seems like its one Little Walter sounding harp-fronted,
swing/jump band after another. Nothing wrong with those bands - I like
many of them. But come on! There's more to the blues than that. If I was
a person that knew nothing of the blues, I would think it was all fast
dance music that is really loud!!

Is it just me??

Anyway, thanks so much, Ari, for this forum. (Scratching my head)
"wished I'd thought of it along time ago."

C-ya

T

Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 20:13:18 -0400
From: ari@secondmind.com (Ari Eisinger)
Subject: Blues's image
Message Number: 24.1

>> If I was a person that knew nothing of the blues, I would >> think it
was all fast dance
>> music that is really loud!!
In my experience this _is_ what most people think of as the blues. Time
and time again I find myself having the same conversation:
ME: "I'm a musician."
THEM: "Oh, really? What do you play?"
ME: "I play blues from the 1920s and 1930s."
THEM: "Oh, you mean like B.B. King and Muddy Waters? Yeah, I love the
blues."
ME: "No, I play the earlier acoustic stuff."
THEM: "Who are some of those early blues players?"
ME: "People like Blind Blake and Blind Lemon Jefferson, Memphis
Minnie..."
THEM: "Hmm...Don't know them."
Yes, in the sense that the _definition_ of a word is the way that word
is used, the definition of the blues is fast becoming the electric
blues. People don't know what they're missing, but why should they since
they seldom get to hear the old stuff?
Ouch...sorry, but you got me started...Anyway, I'm trying to do
something about this sad situation and have done a bit through my
performing and teaching, but it's not easy.
**********
Thanks so much for being so appreciative. I'm glad you find this message
board the kind of haven that I do myself.

Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 08:43:35 -0700
From: rob@hub.org (Rob Hutten)
Subject: Re: Blues's Image
Message Number: 24.1.1

> ME: "I play blues from the 1920s and 1930s."

> THEM: "Oh, you mean like B.B. King and Muddy Waters? Yeah, I love the
blues."

I've had some funny experiences along these lines. At a party/guitar jam
a couple weeks ago we were going around the circle taking turns playing
a song, and when it came to my turn I got out my slide (actually, my
buddy broke the neck off a beer bottle for me, as I had forgotten (!) my
slide) and played Furry Lewis' "Judge Harsh Blues" and Fred McDowell's
"Going Down South". It went over fairly well, and someone afterwards
told me how much they loved bluegrass and would I be playing at the
bluegrass festival the following week? I gently explained that, while I
love bluegrass, what I had just played wasn't it :-)

A better one: I have a postage-stamp-sized picture of Charlie Patton on
the heel of my guitar neck where it joins the body - invisible to
everyone except me when I'm playing it. Anyway, a friend was over one
time and started playing my guitar. Noticing the picture, she said "Hey,
neat! You've got a picture of Frank Sinatra on your guitar!"

That's what I get for playing Mississippi music in Nova Scotia, I guess
:-)

-Rob

Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 23:38:41 -0400
From: amullins@total.net (Andrew Mullins)
Subject: Feedback: re: Buked and Scorned?
Message Number: 24.2

>Just seems like (almost) all the festivals and venues which 
>dedicate themselves to the blues overlook the traditional
>acoustic acts which, to me, are spellbinding if performed >right.

As someone who is just learning to play acoustic blues,
I was more than pleased to find the Montreal Jazz Festival,
which devotes a lot of stage time to electric blues, started
a free acoustic blues series this year. I got to sit
six feet away from people like Paul Geremia, Alvin
Youngblood Hart, and Guy Davis, night after night, and
didn't spend a dime (unless you count beer). Some
serious guitar lessons. Here's hoping they repeat it
next year. Corey Harris was here this year as well, though
in a paying concert (went to that, too).

(Since this is my first message, I'll chime in as well
to say what a wonderful idea to start this message board).

Andrew Mullins
amullins@total.net

Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 05:13:16 -0400
From: ari@secondmind.com (Ari Eisinger)
Subject: Question: Untitled
Message Number: 24.2.1

Glad to hear acoustic blues got so much exposure at this festival. Were
they charging for the electric blues while giving away the acoustic?

Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 22:30:22 -0400
From: amullins@total.net (Andrew Mullins)
Subject: Feedback: re: Untitled
Message Number: 24.2.1.1

No, the electric blues is mostly free, too. It's
the jazz you pay for: a cause of some complaint among
jazz fans, myself included, is there's little free
jazz (no pun) on the streets during the festival.
The past 2 years, they've also had an acoustic blues
"summit" as one of the big, ticketed shows, Hammond, and
the James Cotton Band last year (with another group whose
name escapes me--acoustic "chamber" blues, whatever that 
is), Corey Harris, ????? Linden, and Colin James this year.

Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 07:57:09 -0400
From: ari@secondmind.com (Ari Eisinger)
Subject: Untitled
Message Number: 24.2.1.1.1

Glad to hear acoustic and electric blues were on the same footing,
anyway.
I assume your "??? Linden" is the magnificent Colin Linden.
Thanks for your reports on this festival.

Date: Wed, 26 Nov 1997 08:41:16 -0500
From: jvtdc@electro-net.com (Doc John)
Subject: hello
Message Number: 24.3

I've posted several replys to various messages hear in the past few
days. I have had to squeeze my 'net time between real work that pays.
Just wanted to say that this site feels like home. I think that it
sounds like "Old Blues Lovers Annonymous."

ME: "Hello, I'm John and I'm an Old Blues Lover."

CROWD: "Hello John."

Any way, I look forward to making internet friends hear. It's so nicve
to find others who love this music.

John

Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 15:50:28 -0400 (EDT)
From: Bhhamilton@aol.com (Brad Hamilton)
Subject: 'buked and scorned - not everywhere
Message Number: 24.4

I just attended the Denver Roots of the Blues Festival last weekend,
which I'll post more on later. It was the second annual weekend long
celebration of the roots of the blues, and although John Mooney and
Honeyboy Edwards both play electric, the soul of the festival is
acoustic, and of course, Honeyboy was playing long before I think
electricity was even invented. His current electric style I think grew
out of commercial necessity, competing for label dollars with Muddy, and
due to his 83 years of life. Anyway, here is a festival dedicated to the
acoustic roots of the blues. Brad Hamilton.