"I'll tell you a little secret about the blues, it's
not enough to know which notes to play, but why they
need to be played."
I wasn't going to comment on this but I am reminded of something my
old dear friend Earring George Mayweather used to say, "Everyone get
the blues sometime. Even the President." Blues, in my opinion,
encompasses a body of work, a specific form, and the telling deep
personal truths. What Mr. Carlin is no doubt responding to are the
guys who forget the "deep personal truths" part of the equation.
My guiding principal for writing and choosing songs is "do I feel (at
least) a little embarrassed and exposed when I perform it?" When I'm
in that space, I know I'm playing with authenticity. That is
typically when I get the best reactions from audiences. There is one
notable exception which is "Got My Mojo Working." No I don't believe
in JuJu. But even with that song, there's a basic emotional hook
which resonates deeply in my soul. "Got my mojo working, but it just
won't work on you." In other words, I'm doing everything in my power
to get what I want but it's not working.
The most powerful lesson I learned from Earring George is that
singing a performing the blues has nothing to do with color. It's
about forging personal connections with your audience, one at a
time. This is done by finding the shared truth in the words and
music. I think that's why blues doesn't really translate to large
venues except for the Stevie Ray Vaughn stuff where audiences are
wowed with the technical virtuosity first.
That's my two cents.
Bob
Bob Cohen
Principal, MojoTools Web Design
Blues Harmonica Lessons
Web : www.mojotools.com