The Blues is awesome.
There are two things that are "blues". There is "Blues" music, and then there is the "Blues" form. Most "Blues" music follows the form (more or less) but not all music that follows the "Blues" form is "Blues" (in the tradition of Muddy Waters, BB King, Buddy Guy, and all the other Blues players).
The Beatles "Can't Buy me Love" verses (not Chorus or other parts) are in a Blues form. Michael Jackson "Black or White" is in a blues form (at least the main theme). And if you look at a lot of the blues based rock, most of that is blues form but not "Blues' in the sense above. (None of this is a criticism).
That is the cool thing about the "Blues". It really has influenced all sorts of music and is found everywhere, even those places you don't think of as "blues."
"Blues" forms are one of my favorite to play (I attempt to play Bass). Until recently there was a monthly "Blues Jam" about an hour south of me and I would take my kids down in the summer months and have them participate (as well as myself) and I would sometimes go down outside of the summer. It is always great fun. After 20 years the jams are unfortunately on hiatus. (In the Jam, they had a "host band", a local band that was asked to host that month -- that band would play 20-40 minutes, and then they would open it up. If you brought your band, you could get up and do a couple songs, otherwise they would create bands on the fly from those who brought their instruments -- sign the list and they would call up a drummer, bass player, a few guitarists, and other instruments as they would show up -- and that impromptu band would get to play a couple blues based songs. )
Joe Bonamassa had a drummer for many years named Bogie Bowles. If you watch the Albert Hall video from Joe (his first time at the Albert Hall), there were two drummers -- his normal drummer, Bogie, the young short haired one, and guest drummer Anton Fig. Bogie eventually tired of being on tour constantly and left Joes band. He ended up here in this area for a few years, left to get a masters degree in the South, and is now back and has been living in this area for a while. He sometimes shows up at the Blues Jam and I've gotten the opportunity to play with him a few times.
Anyway, the blues is awesome to listen to, and awesome to play. (Though I struggle with the Jazz Blues format still, which is a bit different in the last bit, being a 251 instead of a 541).
Sorry for the rambling. This topic just got me excited.
Last edited by chadbag; 05-23-20 at 18:26.
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