Hello and welcome to Spotlight on Indie Artists, Volume 4. I want to recognize a few indie artists on BlueMusePublishing.com that have uploaded some very interesting blues songs. However, I would like to describe my growing interest in the blues over the years as a preface.
I began a retrospective into the blues in my teens. The interest in this style or these styles of music started out perhaps by accident as BB King opened for ZZ Top at a concert that I attended in the 70's. Surprisingly, I was able to connect the dots during this tumultuous period of my life. It was the beginning of a rather long interest as it continues for me today.
The interest in the better known guys moved into relative obscurity as my collection of blues music started to grow. It was an education for me and the beginning of my interest in musicology. I wasn't aware at the time, but musicology is the historical and cultural study of music that also involves the relationship between various styles.
For me, the early blues breaks music down to the basic elements of rhythm and structure. Like all styles, it progresses toward other styles until the lines are blurred. We find folk blues, jump blues, blues rock, country blues, rhythm and
blues and the very sophisticated blues of jazz artists such as Miles Davis. Once again, it proves that genres are not discrete or clearly bound on all sides. Rather, genres are more like zones in a multidimensional, continuous spectrum of music style that is interconnected to all other styles.
I would like to start with a song by Memphis Kenny P called Trouble Like Water Trickles Down. This song is closer to the traditional blues in the structure and the style of the lyrics. Many of the early songs would repeat the first line and resolve back to the repeated line. Kenny does a great job creating lyrical images in this song. Kenny has a great voice and I love the shuffle rhythm in this song that picks up the "and" from the previous measure.
The next song by Memphis Kenny P, called Always Something, has a very definite Allman Brothers vibe to it. I love the simplicity of the lyrics that should resonate with anyone who has struggled in a relationship. Nice signature guitar lick throughout on this song and again, great vocals.
The next song is called Bluz Get Away by Stephen Monroe. I love the intro to this song with guitar and hand clapping as it grabs me right away. Stephen has a great voice and a great ability to play guitar and sing as he likes to perform solo. I love the lyrics to this song and the scat near the end.
Smitten and Resigned is a slow blues song by Stephen Monroe with great lyrics. I also love Stephen's voice in this song. Again, this is a solo song played and sung by Stephen. This song has a great ending.
I have covered this next song called Sorry I Lost Control by Stephen Monroe before. It is a great song that demonstrates the blurred lines between styles. It is blues, folk blues, and jazz all at the same time. The lyrics and scat are great in this song. Once again, a great ending.
This next group, Pure Grain, came to me through the mail. I love the creative packaging for this cd as it was wrapped in burlap. Very cool. The first song is Truckin' Song. This song has a great Dobro intro. The lyrics and vocals are
fantastic. I love the shuffle rhythm on this song. The bass and drums are locked up tight throughout. The Dobro break is great. Volume can be an issue for guitar players playing Dobro who like to be on top. Dobro sounds great to me when it is even in the mix such as this song.
Kid N Funk Blues by the group Pure Grain is a great rhythm oriented song with prominent drums and wah guitar. Again, I really like the lyrics and the vocals on this song. The guitar break is very well done and I love the tone. The bass and drums are again very tight.
I hope you will have a chance to check out these talented artists on Blue Muse.
Showing posts with label blues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blues. Show all posts
Monday, July 6, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Koko Taylor, The End of an Era
I was deeply saddened to hear that Koko Taylor passed away on June 5th in Chicago. Despite the inevitability of death, survivors feel the loss of those who pass before us.
In Koko's case, we also see the passing of an era. Koko was perhaps the last of a generation of notable women in this culture we call the blues. I do feel fortunate to have seen Koko perform live in the early 90's. She was an aging woman at that time, but she delivered in a way that would be exhausting for the youngest performer. This particular show was at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, a converted theater in Little Five Points. I attended with my friend, Joe. There were several other notable acts on the bill, but I do not recall anything about the others. I only remember Koko.
She came out dressed to the nines with a blond wig and she looked fantastic. Her band was tight, but she was in full command. She sang quite a few blues standards, but gave each one her signature voice. That voice! Powerful, gritty, raspy tones with spot on delivery. The sound of her voice was raw yet an integral part of the band, an instrument unto itself. She moved around on stage, engaged the audience, and put on a great show that left us all screaming for more. In short, she
pitched a Wang Dang Doodle that night.
There are only a few survivors from this era. For each one that passes, we lose part of the rich heritage that transformed music forever. There are a few who try to preserve the memory and the culture of the blues, but this music is not only a
particular sound or a rhythm, it is life itself. This music could only be authentically produced as part of an experience. A way that is no longer possible. It is now a part of history.
It is not that anyone really wants to live in such deplorable conditions. Most people do not. However, it is a way in which we remember what this generation endured. We honor them by preserving this authentic art form.
Like many others, I have attempted to play many of the great blues songs from these artists. But, I cannot truly understand the essence of this music and it will always be, at the very best, a form of tribute. Besides, today's blues is more likely to sound like jazz or rock at times, with amazing guitar licks and digital effects. Yes, there are some who do a good job of reproducing the original sounds, but a part of the culture is lost with the younger generations. It is the experience.
Unfortunately, almost all attempts to reproduce this music is still only a tribute and not to be mistaken for authentic blues from authentic blues artists. I think it is ok to be played as a tribute, but I think it is respectful to understand it as a tribute rather than the real deal. In the meantime, some blues purists need to lighten up a little bit, take a deep breath and enjoy the evolution of music rather than attempt to apply unrealistic standards on those who may give an occasional nod to the past.
While this era will soon be gone forever, some blues organizations help to preserve the culture of the blues. Some groups are also doing a great job of capturing at least a part of the blues, but with more refined sounds to please a different
audience. For example, The North Mississippi All Stars help to capture some elements of this passing era, but it remains influenced by rock and success. I like their music very much, but it is also a tribute.
At least from my perspective, we should honor this music by recognizing the impact that it had on our own culture. At the same time, I think it is ok to recognize and embrace the inevitable influence of later music styles that helped define our own lives. That is, I think that music culture is evolving and not a circle that can or will return to pure roots music as a means of coping with unimaginable conditions. Let's honor Koko by preserving her history while integrating her style into our own. In the meantime, we can also have some fun while singing and playing from our own experience.
In Koko's case, we also see the passing of an era. Koko was perhaps the last of a generation of notable women in this culture we call the blues. I do feel fortunate to have seen Koko perform live in the early 90's. She was an aging woman at that time, but she delivered in a way that would be exhausting for the youngest performer. This particular show was at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, a converted theater in Little Five Points. I attended with my friend, Joe. There were several other notable acts on the bill, but I do not recall anything about the others. I only remember Koko.
She came out dressed to the nines with a blond wig and she looked fantastic. Her band was tight, but she was in full command. She sang quite a few blues standards, but gave each one her signature voice. That voice! Powerful, gritty, raspy tones with spot on delivery. The sound of her voice was raw yet an integral part of the band, an instrument unto itself. She moved around on stage, engaged the audience, and put on a great show that left us all screaming for more. In short, she
pitched a Wang Dang Doodle that night.
There are only a few survivors from this era. For each one that passes, we lose part of the rich heritage that transformed music forever. There are a few who try to preserve the memory and the culture of the blues, but this music is not only a
particular sound or a rhythm, it is life itself. This music could only be authentically produced as part of an experience. A way that is no longer possible. It is now a part of history.
It is not that anyone really wants to live in such deplorable conditions. Most people do not. However, it is a way in which we remember what this generation endured. We honor them by preserving this authentic art form.
Like many others, I have attempted to play many of the great blues songs from these artists. But, I cannot truly understand the essence of this music and it will always be, at the very best, a form of tribute. Besides, today's blues is more likely to sound like jazz or rock at times, with amazing guitar licks and digital effects. Yes, there are some who do a good job of reproducing the original sounds, but a part of the culture is lost with the younger generations. It is the experience.
Unfortunately, almost all attempts to reproduce this music is still only a tribute and not to be mistaken for authentic blues from authentic blues artists. I think it is ok to be played as a tribute, but I think it is respectful to understand it as a tribute rather than the real deal. In the meantime, some blues purists need to lighten up a little bit, take a deep breath and enjoy the evolution of music rather than attempt to apply unrealistic standards on those who may give an occasional nod to the past.
While this era will soon be gone forever, some blues organizations help to preserve the culture of the blues. Some groups are also doing a great job of capturing at least a part of the blues, but with more refined sounds to please a different
audience. For example, The North Mississippi All Stars help to capture some elements of this passing era, but it remains influenced by rock and success. I like their music very much, but it is also a tribute.
At least from my perspective, we should honor this music by recognizing the impact that it had on our own culture. At the same time, I think it is ok to recognize and embrace the inevitable influence of later music styles that helped define our own lives. That is, I think that music culture is evolving and not a circle that can or will return to pure roots music as a means of coping with unimaginable conditions. Let's honor Koko by preserving her history while integrating her style into our own. In the meantime, we can also have some fun while singing and playing from our own experience.
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