No genre has more feeling behind it than the blues! In fact, one of my favorite unknown blues bands, The Two Toothless Brothers once cried, “Even my happy place had a dark closet!”. Every genre this writer ever heard had a bluesy side to it somewhere! Fredrick Deluis said, “Music is an outburst of the soul”, and it’s obvious what feeling the blues represents! I don’t know that there is an artist in the world that hasn’t drawn some sort of musical inspiration from feeling low, but the truly best ones really make you feel ok with it! We all feel bad at one point or another, and the blues remind us that it’s ok, human, natural and necessary to release those emotions completely and freely. Nothing says all this better than the underground, unheard of, and independent artist featured on Our City Radio’s Blue Town!
I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues!
Whether or not you agree with the things the legendary Elton John said before he used that sentence, the fact remains, we can all relate to the statement itself! We all know the blues and in my opinion, if there isn’t at least a little part that likes the music, your in denial about something! Guilt, rage, depression, fear, anger, holy cow this is a long list of emotions that get sucked up into the blues! It’s amazing how much feeling can get expressed in 12 bars! And that’s just one simple 12 bar, my baby done left me…well you get the picture! Here’s some cool facts, quotes and sometimes useless tid bits about the blues!
From a Deep South slave call to a Musical Revolution!
According to our best guess, the blues is a direct descendant of the field hollers and call-and-response that slaves in the United States used in pre-Civil War America. After the Civil War, many African-American men worked in minstrel and vaudeville shows. Many blues styles were also developed in New Orleans, Kansas City and in Memphis where Composer W.C. Hardy played a major role in the formation of the blues form. Hardy is credited with publishing the first blues song in 1912, a piece called “Memphis Blues.”
The following come Ehow.com with a link to read more.
Early Blues Singers
During the 1920s, a number of blues musicians recorded songs. One of the first popular blues songs was Mamie Smith’s “Crazy Blues.” Other prominent blues singers were Bessie Smith and Gertrude “Ma” Rainey.
Chicago Blues
During the Great Depression, many African-Americans moved from the South to cities in the North, especially to Chicago. Some popular Chicago blues musicians were Big Bill Bronzy, Houston “Tampa Red” Woodbridge,” Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf.
Decline and Revival of the Blues
In the 1950s, other styles of music eclipsed blues, including rhythm and blues and rock ‘n’ roll. Some popular blues artists did exist, such as B.B. King. A revival of blues music began in the 1970s with bands such as Led Zeppelin.
Read more: History of Blues Music | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_5427544_history-blues-music.html#ixzz1fadTJxWB
Tell Us Your Blues!
Know any talent artists we should be playing in Blue Town? Want to stay up to date with the latest independent blues? Well cry on over to the right and sign up for the newsletter, sadly click the like us on Facebook, or tweet us with a tear! Get involved, help us promote the independent blues artists and be apart of the family!
As they say on website, “The third annual Heineken City Arts Fest returns to Seattle Oct. 17–20, 2012. A curated collection of music and arts events turn downtown Seattle into your playground for 4 days and nights. Wristbands give you access to dozens of concerts at iconic venues, secret arts shows and unexpected experiences. Or if you just want to see a couple shows, you can opt to buy tickets to any individual event. Do it any way you want. The city is yours.”
To hit the City Arts Festival Seattle you have to get your wristbands, so get them now.
Barbara Christensen is the owner of Bija Coaching, a holistic coach and certified personal trainer. She has a passion for art and music.
How about a music and arts filled October weekend in Seattle?