re: what is "blues?"

[Linda Delong <delongj@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

     This may sound like a cliche but I truly beleive you have to live
the blues to play the blues.That doesn't mean you have to be
poor,old,incarcerated,addicted,handicapped,or any particular race.It
means that you have to have some experience in the art of living to be
able to infuse the basic blues form with the emotion and power that
draws so many of us to this music.Call it "feeling", or "soul" or
whatever - you can have all the chops in the world but, until you can
take all the love,despair,joy,sadness, etc.that has made you who you are
and blow that through your harp, you're not playing the Blues.This comes
naturally to some and is very difficult for others but, when you can
open your heart and let the music flow from within, it is a truly
wonderful and liberating experience.
                                          Peace,
                                                  Jeff