Wondering about the Nature of the Music (Page 3 of 4)

New just in. KWS is playing the Boat. I don't think he is getting 50,000 for that. Maybe so. Ten Days Out might of got him a ticket to the boat. I do applaud his return to the blues and there acceptance of him to the community. Those of you who don't know what the Boat is. The Legendary Blues Cruise.

I almost followed that convoluted scenario.  In fact I'm sure it has happened that way at least once.  But that is not a true fan.

And these artists(?) playing whatever are not bluesmen.  Here we go again...

Your theory rests upon some fairly large assumptions.  They might prove to be true with a little more research.  I know for myself that most guitar players who know 3 chords and a pentatonic scale will call themselves blues...It's horrifying.  They are not rock or blues or even musicians.

Whether it's an act of fearfulness by a band might be a stretch.  It might be that they want to be blues.  Then again they might just not be good enough to play any where else.  I really don't know, anymore.

Sometimes the labels are not accurate.  Van Zandt didn't really set out to be "Southern Rock"  It just happened and they rolled with it.  It sold albums and concerts.

You might have something.  More research will be crucial to apply it to the whole country IMO.

BJJ

I call them Blues Hacks.

I have alienated the blues society crowd in this town because of my opinion that bad blues musicians don't equate to good blues. You don't win over new converts to the blues by putting an inferior product on the stage and call it blues.

There were three blues jams going on here. The established blues bar with professional musicians. The original blues society with average to tolerable talent participating and the new blues society that had the leftovers. I was involved in the latter. Nice group of people trying to do something to positive for the blues. Unfortunately the jams were held at a wanabe blues bar with an owner that was the house band. The guy was so bad he had to own the place to play at it. So in come the bands/jammers. Fingernails on the the chalk board bad. I can't stand to listen. I make a motion that at the jams somebody has to protect the public and get the hook out for some of these people.

Oh no we can't do that. They are members so they get to jam. Well could we just pull them off early or put them with another group of people. Why do they have to get 15 minutes to torture us. You want to expose people to the blues and they see that the next time they hear the word blues they are gonna run and hide. Well we are doing our part to keep blues alive and support the local musicians. I said they ain't musicians and I would rather see the blues die than put that crap on a public stage. There are garages for that.

Needles to say I'm no longer associated with them. I was involved with a club for a year and did the bookings. The local blues scene or wanabe's thought I was doing a disservice to the local blues community because I booked national and regional acts. We are blues bands and we are right here. Why don't you book us. You don't support the local scene so why should we support you. I support good music and good bands if they happen to play blues than great. But to get a variety of good blues bands I had to go outside this town.

I have no problem with people having fun playing the blues. It is an easy form of music to communicate with. That is why I insited on my son Colin learning blues when he took up the guitar. His first public performance was at a blues soiety jam. I played drums my brother on bass and Colin and his young guitar teacher who were both fourteen at the time. The kids had fun, I had fun, My brother and I are hacks but we had fun. I would never dream of getting paid to play. I think the people there enjoyed seeing kids play the blues but we got a pass becausse they fronted the band. There are too many people willing to play out in front of God and everybody else that give blues a bad name.

A disclaimer: Sorry if my opinions upset someone or cause any ill will towards me or this forum.

Yes it bothers me!!!

I'm infamous for being outspoken.  The president of one of the Blues Societies that I've been involved in has zero artistic integrity.  When I first met him I thought he was good.  He has not progressed a bit in 3 years.

When i offered to work with him, he got his **** on his shoulders so bad even his baby's mama told him, "The man is trying to help you, sweetie."  HARRUMPH!  My buddy said give him time...you intimidated him.  I don't think so, said I.

Local hacks, some of them quite good, monopolize the jams and play the exact same three tunes and the crowds don't come back.  The rock cover bands say "NO BLUES! WE HATE BLUES!"  They don't know cause they never heard the real deal.

Yes it bothers me!!  They got no soul.  They got no WORK ETHIC!  It takes work to be good at this shtuff.  They got no customers.  They got no members.  They bring LIL ED to town and we don't sell out.

They bring Kenny Neal to town and they don't sell out.  Tinsley Ellis?  The Razorbacks?  Joey Gilmore comes and says, "I see the Funky Dr is in the house."  One of the locals who was in the middle of telling anyone who would listen, that BJJ don't know the first thing about Blues, picked his jaw up off the floor and snuck out the back door.

One night I'm sitting upstairs in one of the clubs that bought in Tommy Talton.  I bought a ticket BTW.  He walks upstairs on his way to the Green Room surrounded by Klingons from the local yokel society and stops short in front of my table..."Where do I know you from?"  says he to me.  Sheffield, AL, says me.  When they came looking for him later he was sitting at the table with me and Jungle Jim, talking it out.  So now it doesn't bother me so much.

I one day said "I have a gig, I'm hiring musicians and we will rehearse at my place."

Rehearse?  WTF is that? 
Boys this is a Big Jeff gig.  It's $2500 not $250...we need to have a show. 
Oh we can do that we don't need to practice or learn anything new...
YOU'RE FIRED
...so I bring in talent from someplace else and now I can't work in this town in the pick up gig circle, cause I demand some professionalism.

Now it don't bother me at all.  So I have invited most of them do do something impossible.  and when the money people come to do shows they call me.  But it ain't often enough.

I will start over with my own band and do what I want.  WHEW!  Thanks.

I'm not sure Jane that the discussion is about whether blues is played in a traditional form or not, but rather whether it is played well or not. It is true that there are many so called blues players who play it very badly,

Incidently my argument to blues tradiionalists is this, if Robert Johnson was born 40 years later, would he still have sounded the same way as he did in 1930, I really doubt it. Who's to suggest he would not have set up a power trio!

Jane dear,
Just one answer from me about being non-traditional not being a dis-service, in their case.  It is because they don't suck.  That's my opinion.  That may not be what El Dino is talking about.

Dey gots chops...Plus Joe sings his **** off.  So even on his rock stuff his soul and his roots show through.  tis good methinks.

MuchLove
BigJeff

Tough Question. Not everybody is a critic. Blues society jams are a place for that to happen of course. People don't always listen to critisizms unfortunatley. The regular blues jam usually relies on somebody to vouch for the unknown player or they get the hook early. Yes it can be embarrassing but you don't want to clear the house because you don't want to hurt somebodies feelings.

All blues societies are different with jams. When ours was at an all ages venue we used to get kids come and get their feet wet on stage all the time. We don't have that anymore The new jam locations are over 21. We get the guy or band that has been practicing and they come out to get their feet wet too. Then the following rules should apply.

1.If your friends and family are the only following you have and even they think of excuses to not come to your gigs. Then you probably are a hack

2. You can't get any gigs paying or otherwise. Then you probably are a hack.

3. It doesn't mater how much you practice you still forget the changes and muff the endings.  You probably are a hack.

4. You can only solo in one key. Exception. If your singer can only sing in that key and therfore you must play in it. If you however show up at a jam and can only play in that key. You are probably a hack.

5. If you come to a jam and somebody calls out a I IV V with a quick change in E and we're starting on the IV and you are lost. Then you are probably a hack. Unless you are a drummer than it doesn't really matter.

     For Drummers

6.  If everybody keeps looking back and telling you to speed it up more than once. You probably are a hack.

7. If you still haven't got the changes after once through the chord progression. You probably are a hack.

8. If every song ends up the same beat and speed no matter where it started. Then you probably are a hack. I have been acused of that one by my son.

I'm a hack but I have fun with it in the privacy of my own garage.

Please feel free to add your own

sorry I dont agree ive met many good friends and band members with "total strangers jamming to find a common ground" to me its part of the fun it either works or doesnt.

I dont like seeing people make fools of themselves however thats part of it how would you ever improve.. Some peeps do however commit suicide on stage and are totally unprepared for it