The History of Blues Music: Part 2
The Blues sub-genre sometimes referred to as Country Blues was a reflection of the lives of the people in the rural South. The ex-slaves were no longer under the legal ownership of the rich farm owners but they were just as much under their control. Sharecroppers found it hard to break even and rarely made enough money to get ahead financially. The music they developed in the Mississippi Delta is often referred to as “Delta Blues.” Many people who were fortunate to have been trained on musical instruments found life to be better traveling from community to community performing songs that focused on a better life, sex, love, and life’s trials. Most of the early musicians were men.
Highlights in the History of Chicago Blues
There is much dispute about where the blues music originated because regions in which African-American communities reside have been weaving their own brand of the musical genre simultaneously in the beginning. For people in Chicago, the blues scene came about during the 1920s as a result of a period known as “Great Migration”. During this time, black workers and musicians from the south aspired to find economic stability in urban areas like Chicago and Detroit. As the black communities grew, opportunities for showcasing and introducing music forms increased as well. This gave way to the establishment of the Chicago’s version of blues. Chicago blues is essentially an amplified version of the Delta blues. Instruments such as the drums, bass, piano, sometimes the saxophone are added to the electric guitar and amplified harmonica to create a livelier version.
Blues Music, Blues Attitude
When it come to music, blues seem so touch many of us in a way that other music does not. the exception to this would probably be the various folk music from the different cultures. Of course, the early blues was a folk music and it has evolved into a much more general music that people of many different cultures can enjoy.
The Sunflower River Blues Festival: Part 2
The second Sunflower River Blues Festival I attended went much better weather-wise. I remembe Charlie Musslewhite playing in the acoustic stage and provided a great performance. I believe this was one of my favorite concerts of all time. There were lots of local musicians that played sets and there was a local guy named Mr. Tater that – well I guess you just have to hear Mr. Tater to understand his music. I don’t know how to begin to describe it. I do know that he has been recorded. I don’t know if the recording is still available.
Highlights of Piedmont Blues History
Piedmont blues also known as East Coast blues resulted from a blend of influences that included ragtime music, country string bands and traveling medicine shows. Geographically speaking, its origins began in the regions between the Appalachian Mountains to the west and the coastal plains to the east. Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia were some of the places where Piedmont musicians reside. At the beginning of the 20th century, ragtime music was a popular genre. A composer named Scott Joplin published “The Maple Leaf Rag” around this time and it sold a million copies out of a population of close to seventy-five million. The integration of this style to the emerging blues style gave birth to the Piedmont blues.
Blues Festivals: Part 3
The last Blues Festival I atteded in St. Louis was a major disappointment, in my opinion. I thought is was poorly organized and poorly planned. To start, the main stage was set up in an vacant area across from the new football stadium. They were using the area for parking and there was a football game going on. The ball game lasted well past the time the festival was scheduled to start. People with paid tickets were required to stand around and wait for the people at the game to just sort of amble out and move their vehicles as they felt like it.
