Re: Forum for discussing venues
> BTW, what is the subscription address for the blues-l? Time I joined that
> as well, I suppose. *sigh,* more email ...
Hugh,
Here's a copy of the Blues-L FAQ. The instructions for signing up are in
there. I enjoy your posts to Harp-L and look forward to your Blues-L
posts. ALERT!!! Blues-L is a busy place, so get ready!
-Dan Allen (a happy lurker most of the time)
________________________________________________
Behold - the updated Blues-L FAQ:
THE BLUES-L FAQ LIST
Compiled by David Pimmel (pimmel@xxxxxxxxxxx)
Updated by David Silberberg (davidis@xxxxxxx)
Last modified July 23, 1994
Any additions, suggestions, or corrections should be mailed directly to the
new FAQ maintainer - David Silberberg (davidis@xxxxxxx)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. What is this FAQ list?
2. What is BLUES-L?
3. Administrative Information
4. Newsgroup Mirror
5. List Etiquette
6. Appropriate BLUES-L TOPICS
7. What is the Blues?
8. Subjective / Impossible Questions
Who is the greatest blues artist / what is the greatest recording of all
times?
What is a good first album for someone who is just starting to get into the
blues?
Do black performers play the blues better than white performers;
alternatively, can white people play the blues?
What's with led zeppelin?
9. Definitions of Blues terms Mojo, Killing Floor, Back Door Man, Hoochie
Coochie Man, Hoodoo, C C Rider, Black Cat Bone
10. What magazines cover blues music?
11. Where can I get more information about the blues?
12. What are the blues-l tapes?
13. Related Mail Lists
14. On line sources for purchasing CDs.
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1. What is this FAQ list?
It is a list of Frequently Asked Questions on and to the BLUES-L mailing
list. Its purpose is to avoid having the same topics come up continuously on
the list. Please read this document BEFORE posting any messages to the list.
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2. What is BLUES-L?
BLUES-L is a list for the discussion of blues music and performers, from
Charley Patton and Bessie Smith, to Robert Cray and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
It is a mailing list created by Jake Haller at Brown University. The current
list owner is David Pimmel (pimmel@xxxxxxxxxxx). It grew out of a
dissatisfaction with the quantity and quality of the blues discussion on the
rec.music.bluenote newsgroup. Another blues list, set up at UC-San Diego,
has been joined with BLUES-L.
BLUES-L currently has over 725 subscribers (and is growing daily).
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3. Administrative Information
A. Address for e-mail to the list: BLUES-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
B. To subscribe: send e-mail to LISTSERV@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx with no
subject and the message: SUBSCRIBE BLUES-L your name. To unsubscribe:
send, to the same address, with no subject, the message: UNSUBSCRIBE
BLUES-L. Please address these requests to LISTSERV@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, not to
the entire list.
C. The list can be received in 4 different formats: (1) the default method
of receiving each individual message separately; (2) the digest format (mail
LISTSERV@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, no subject, message SET BLUES-L DIG); (3) the
index format (mail LISTSERV@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, no subject, message SET
BLUES-L INDEX), under which you will receive a daily index containing the
subject line of each message, the poster, and the size of the message. You
send a message to BLUES-L-REQUEST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx asking for specific
messages. When you set this option, the listserv will send you detailed
instructions on how to use it.
The fourth format is the new newsgroup bit.listserv.blues-l, which is
described below in this document.
For all of these administrative functions, please send your messages to
LISTSERV@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, not to the list. For help or questions about the
listserver, please contact the list owner, or send e-mail to
BLUES-L-REQUEST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
D. If you wish to stop mail from the list for a few days, without
"unsubscribing", e-mail to "listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx", no subject, with the
message: SET BLUES-L nomail. To resume receipt of mail, send the message
"SET BLUES-L ack / noack / digest / index".
E. To receive a listing of all of the listserv command options, send e-mail
to "listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx", no subject, with the message: HELP.
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4. Newsgroup Mirror
Due to the high volume on this list, and the convenience for many of reading
newsgroups, after much internal discussion, David Pimmel led the way in
initiating a BLUE-L NEWSGROUP. This newsgroup will mirror the activities of
the Blues-L mail list.
This new newsgroup provides the following options for following the
activities of blues-l:
A. Subscribe to the mail list, and read from, and post to, the mail list.
B. Subscribe to the mail list, set your subscription to "no mail" (see
above), and read from the newsgroup.
C. Read from the newsgroup, without subscribing to the mail list.
Currently, for options (B) and (C), any postings you wish to make will have
to be by e-mail to the mail list (blues-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx), as posting
directly to the newsgroup will not be working until some time in August,
1994. At this time, the mail list is "public", meaning that you do not have
to subscribe to post to it. At some point, the mail list may become private,
meaning only subscribers (including "nomail" subscribers) will be able to
post messages to the list. The blues-l community thus urges you to subscribe
to the mail list, and set the option to "nomail", even if you wish to read
blues-l by the newsgroup.
The address of the newsgroup is "bit.listserv.blues-l"
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5. Etiquette for Blues-L:
Blues-L has an amazingly high folume of traffic, often over 100
messages per day. To help make reading the list more manageable, please keep
the following guidelines in mind:
A. Remember that PEOPLE are reading your post. Often people forget that
PEOPLE are using the internet. And while you don't know the person, assaults
on their character hurt just as much. Base arguments on what is said, not on
who you think they are.
B. Avoid posting messages of the form "I agree", or " Great Post", or " Me
Too", especially if you include the entire original post. This is simply a
waste of resources. If you want the person to know how great you think they
are, send them direct mail.
C. Avoid posting messages without any useful contents. This includes snide
little remarks and such. It also includes messages wherein you find yourself
typing "No Blues Content." This is a blues list, if there is no blues
content why are you sending it here?
D. BLUES-L is not a commercial interprise and commerical messages should not
be posted to the list.
E. If you do not think a topic is appropriate for the list, posting a saying
it is inappropriate means that the topics stays around longer. Ignore the
topic and it will go away faster.
F. If a message is better handled via private e-mail to the original sender,
then do not post to the entire list. The list is now set up to make that
easier by setting reply-to to the sender. Using resend and forward to reply
to messages messes this feature up, so try and use reply or simple sends.
G. If some topic has been discussed in detail recently, hold off on bringing
it up again. The blues is a very wide arena of discussion. Let another
artist or another style get some time on the list as well.
H. Make sure that your subject line accurately reflects the contents of you
message. If you have changed the subject during your response to a previous
post, please change your subject line.
I. When responding to a previous post, it is acceptable - and often
necessary - to quote from the previous post. But quote only as much as
necessary to make clear what you are responding to.
J. And above all, treat others as you wish to be treated yourself. [I know
it sounds like church, but it is pretty good advice].
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6. Appropriate BLUES-L Topics
Basically, any topic relating to the blues - the music, the performers, the
books, cultural aspects, technical music discussions. This is a terrific
list - a wide variety of subjects on the blues discussed by knowledgeable
people, many who have some kind of professional relationship the music -
musicians, writers, "disk jockeys", etc.
This is an unmoderated list - no formal censorship of topics, although
sometimes some of us will get tired of a topic - on an individual performer,
for instance - that seems to go on too long. So if a long discussion of
Stevie Ray Vaughan, or BB King, Muddy Waters, or any other artist has just
concluded, please wait a few weeks before bringing that artist up again.
If you don't like a topic, ignore it, and it will go away. Respond that you
don't think this topic is appropriate, and the subject of its appropriateness
will stay around much longer.
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7. What is the Blues?
>From Websters 1973 edition (thanks to Daniel Neil Allen
<danallen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>)
blues \ 'blooz \ n pl but sing or pl in constr 1: low spirits : melancholy
2: a song often of lamentation characterized by usu. 12 bar phrases, 3 line
stanzas in which the words of the second line usually repeat those of the
first, and continual occurance of blue notes in melody and harmony.
Beyond Websters, the definition of the blues is subjective: the blues is
many things to many people.
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8. Subjective / Impossible Questions
WHO IS THE GREATEST BLUES ARTIST / WHAT IS THE GREATEST RECORDING OF ALL
TIME?
This is an unsolvable problem. Everyone has different views. No one minds
hearing your opinions, as long as you give supporting evidence. You should
realize, however, that you will never convince everyone that you are right.
WHAT IS A GOOD FIRST ALBUM FOR SOMEONE WHO IS JUST STARTING TO GET INTO THE
BLUES?
This is a very difficult question, and depends in large part on the
listener's background and previous listening habits. Perhaps the best way to
start is to pick up sampler CDs and tapes from various labels. These have a
cut or two from several different artists, and are often priced lower than
regular albums. Also, many compilations of older music are available.
Another place to start is with a "greatest hits" album or a live recording by
one of the recognized "greats" of the genre: Albert King, B. B. King,
Freddie King, T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker,
Robert Johnson, etc.
DO BLACK PERFORMERS PLAY THE BLUES BETTER THAN WHITE PERFORMERS;
ALTERNATIVELY, CAN WHITE PEOPLE PLAY THE BLUES?
This is a VERY touchy subject. Generally, the feeling seems to be that the
most important thing is the quality of the sound, not the color of a person's
skin. Many feel that because most of the great blues performers are black,
and the music came out of the black experience, the particular cultural
background of the musician is an important fact. If you have something
informative and well argumented, please feel free to comment.
WHAT'S WITH LED ZEPPELIN?
This topic touches off small brushfires whenever it comes up.
Against: a lot of people on the list have a strong bile taste in their
mouths over Zep's inability to credit the artist whose music they borrowed.
For: While Led Zeppelin may not have been the most ethical band in history,
their music is deeply rooted in the blues tradition, and was a starting point
for the journey of many people into the blues world. The band was very
talented and expanded the blues vocabulary into new arenas.
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9. Definitions of Blues Terms
MOJO - a mojo is a charm for luck in gambling or love. Generally, it is a
red cloth bag; we do not know the exact contents of the bag.
>From Robert Palmer's book "Deep Blues": "He been down to New Orleans," Muddy
heard somebody say, "Got himself a mojo, a gamblin' hand". Muddy had seen
plenty of mojo hands. They were little red flannel bags that smelled of oils
and perfumes; some were pierced by a needle or two. You bought them from a
"doctor", a specialist in charms and magic. "We all believed in mojo hands"
Muddy says. "You get you a mojo, and if you're gamblin', it'll take care of
that; you win. If you're after the girls, you can work that on the woman
you want and win. Black people really believed in this hoodoo (sic), and the
black people in Louisiana was a little more up into that thing than the
peoples in the Delta part, as afar as makin' things that would work."
KILLING FLOOR - simply, where they kill animals at a slaughterhouse. The
phrase "on the killing floor" was probably slang for being in deep trouble.
BACKDOOR MAN - someone who sneaks in the back door of a house, generally used
to mean an illicit lover.
HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN - synonym for witch doctor.
HOODOO - synonym for voodoo.
C C RIDER - most likely, a reference to a person with whom the singer is
having a sexual relationship. That person, however, is doing him or her
wrong, thus, "See See, Rider, see what you have done", meaning the rider is a
slang word for the "villainous SOB" in question.
BLACK CAT BONE - possibly, a good luck charm.
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10. What magazines cover blues music?
Exclusively blues oriented:
Living Blues Magazine (mostly traditional blues)
Center for the Study of Southern Culture
The University of Mississippi
University, MS 38677-9836
Phone 1-601-232-5742
1 year @ $18.00; 2 yrs. @ $35.00; 3 yrs. @ $50.00
Canadian subscriptions - add $4.00 per year
Overseas subscriptions - add $10.00 per year
Blues Review Quarterly (all types of blues)
Rt. 2, Box 118
West Union, WV 26456
Phone 1-304-782-1671
US - $16 / yr; Canada - $20 /yr; Overseas - $24 / yr
Blues Access
1455 Chestnut Place
Boulder, CO 80304
Phone - Voice: 1-303-443-7245; Fax: 1-303-939-9729
Editor - Carey Wolfson
$12 / yrs., 4 issues per year
Mississippi Saxophone - the Amplified Harmonica Players Magazine
Delta Publications
P. O. Box 12185
Eugene, OR 97440
Phone - 1-503-726-5992
Editor - Tim Moody
US Price: $12 / yr, 6 issues
Blues & Rhythm - blues and R & B
16 Bank Street
Cheadle, Cheshire sk8 2aZ
UK
Fax: 0274 835398 att: Byron Foulger
Airmail - 21 pounds (5 issues); 41 pounds (10 issues)
Blue Suede News (House organ - Church of Rock and Roll)
Box 25
Duvall, WA 98019
$12 / yr; $15 Canada; $20 outside US; 4 issues
There are also some very good local blues periodicals, such as:
Marlee Walker's Blues To Do's
Music - Media Northwest
P. O. Box 22950
Seattle, WA 98122-0950
Phone: 206-328-0662, Fax: 206-328-0439
$15 / year; Seniors and students $12 / year
This is not a complete list. If you know of other magazines which be on the
list, and any corrections, to me (davidis@xxxxxxx).
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11. Where can I get more information about the blues?
1. The library. There have been large numbers of books written about blues
music and musicians - biographies, cultural topics, technical manuals, how-to
guides, and more. Paul Fenton (pfenton@xxxxxxxxxx) has compiled a list of
books covering the topic, which is available on-line in the SHED (described
below).
2. On-line data repositories.
A. ALLMUSIC gopher, a collection of biographical and discography
information on a large number of popular music artists, including blues
artists. Internet address - allmusic.ferris.edu.
B. Commercial on-line services. America On-Line has a blues forum as a
subset of the blues-jazz area (keyword ROCKLINK). Prodigy and compuserv also
have blues forums.
C. Most importantly, post your question to BLUES-L. There are a lot of
knowledgeable people on this list. Most questions, no matter how obscure,
seem to get answered on about one day. The "hit ratio" of questions
successfully answered may be the highest of any discussion group on internet
- our community includes professional and amateur musicians, radio hosts,
authors, etc.
D. The Blues-L Shed, an internet repository for the FAQ, record label
addresses, reviews, book lists, travel guide, magazines, societies, etc.
To get to the shed, and get a list of available files, send an e-mail message
to:
almanac@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, with the message "send blues catalog".
You can also get these files by anonymous ftp at:
ftp.acenet.auburn.edu, directory pub/misc/entertainment/blues
E. Blues Web Site, set up by Rob Hutten, a depository for various blues
information. The address is:
http://dragon.acadiau.ca:1667/-rob/blues/blues.html
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12. What are the Blues-L Tapes?
The Blues-L tapes are compilations featuring the musical skills of various
subscribers to the Blues-L mailing list. Michael S. Heidenberg
<msh6@xxxxxxxxxxxx> has completed one, which is currently being circulated to
tape contributors only; in the near future, Mike will begin to take orders
from other members of our community.
Leonard Watkins (istso24%uabdpo.bitnet) has completed a second volume. Send
Leonard a blank tape, and a return address.
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13. Related Mail Lists
A. Harp-L (for harmonica lovers)
To subscribe, send e-mail to mxserver@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, with a message:
SUBSCRIBER HARP-L (your real name). The posting address is
harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
By the way, substitute YOUR name for (your real name).
B. Jazz-L (the jazz list)
The subscription address is listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
C. NW-BLUES, a source for local information about the blues in the Pacific
Northwest (anything within one days drive of Seattle).
To subscribe, send e-mail to "nw-blues-request@xxxxxxxxxxx", with the
message "subscribe".
D. There are also mailing lists covering certain blues related or
influenced bands and individuals.
Slowhand, for Eric Clapton. To subscribe, e-mail to
"slowhand-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx", with the message "subscribe".
The John Hiatt list. Send listserver requests to
"shot-of-rhythm-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
Hey-Joe list, for Jimi Hendrix. To subscribe, e-mail to
"hey-joe-request@xxxxxxxxxx", with the message "subscribe hey-joe".
There are also mail lists for Allman Brothers, Santana, Led Zepellin, etc.
Many large internet sites maintain a List of Mailing Lists, which are more
or less complete, where you may search to see if any mailing list exists for
your favorite artist / topic.
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14. On line sources for purchasing CDs
A. CDC (Compact Disc Connection): telnet to "zen.holonet.net", or
"cdconnection.com" (199.35.15.2), type "cdc" at user prompt. This is a very
busy connection, and is often very difficult to reach.
B. CD Europe: Modem-only access. Phone Number: (408) 730-8138. The modem
setting is: 8-N-1 up to 14.4 kb.
C. Roundup Records: e-mail inquiry "rupinfo@xxxxxxxxxxx", orders
"ruporder@xxxxxxxxxxx".
This archive was generated by a fusion of
Pipermail 0.09 (Mailman edition) and
MHonArc 2.6.8.