Re: Lee Oskars?

[rocket@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Rick Barker)]

>Billy Branch of the Sons of Blues...had some interesting things to
>say about white people playing the blues.  He claimed that if he moved to
>Russia and starting playing Russian folk music he'd never be the best at
>it because it isn't his music.  Not his culture.  He wouldn't have grown
>up steeped in it.  A few people left after he said this.  The audience
>was all white.  An intersting phenomena if you ask me.  Billy also railed
>against the racist practices of the music industry.  He mentioned the
>success of SRV in particular as a good example of this kind of
>unfairness.  Albert King gets next to nothing while SRV flies around in
>helicopters.  The Elvis pPresley syndrome is what he called it.  FJM

Sounds like he's carrying around some baggage to me. Although there may be
prejudice in the recording industry, IMO, his assessment that non-blacks
can't play the blues is totally erroneous. I mean, what exactly is the
blues? I have recordings of Benny Goodman playing 3-chord, 12-bar swing in
the 30's with a small combo(not a big band). And believe me, BG could hold
his own with the best of 'em. Whites have been playing that kind of music
for a long time. In some ways they helped develop the style. No not the
Chicago style, nor the delta style and no white folks din't have to deal
with the same kind of oppression. But it's a fine line between a lot of
rock'n'roll and blues. This kind of reverse prejudice makes my knee jerk.

Rick Barker