And don't forget the origins of the banjo. Most people internationally, at least, would think of it as the quintessentially white American instrument.
RD
<philharpn@xxxxxxx> 23/05/2012 16:10>>>
It might be handy to remember that even during the years of the height of the Chicago blues scene many young blacks didn't like the blues, considering it "plantation music" that appealed to their parents and grandparents. Young people just care about whatever is current -- so Motown and soul music was more hip than the blues.
The irony is that while the blues started out as a mostly black oriented music, the revival in the 50s and 60s was largely pushed by the white audience long after the blacks lost interest. And the British Invasion had a lot to do with it!
Boogie woogie and ragtime piano also sprang mostly from the black community. Yet there is hardly a black performer (I've seen 2 in the last several years at ragtime events) and only a few audience members.
Blues, boogie woogie and ragtime are narrow music markets. Check out the few offerings in Barnes& Noble brick stores nowadays. The only place you can find a new release is on the internet.
There is one satellite station -- BB King's -- for blues, if you don't count the 50's station that plays a lot of blues under the confused notion that anything with a guitar that charted in the 50s HAD TO BE rock 'n' roll, whether it was or not. Check out Elvis' early blues recordings.
Why aren't there more black bluesmen/blueswomen? There just aren't and there is no simple answer.
It might be the "Harry's Law" syndrome, the law practice TV procedural that was just canceled. It had good ratings -- but the wrong kind ... old people. That's why the Oldies stations never play rock from the 50s -- it attracts too many old folks.
And I can understand that. I didn't used to be old. It happened when I wasn't paying attention. When SPAH started in 1962, I was in college and that last thing I wanted to hear was a bunch of harmonica players tooting the top hits of the 40s. I wanted to hear rock! Something with a beat, that I could dance too!
Now the hits of the 40s are jazz standards. And rock is 60 years old and so is folk and blues revival. And nobody plays harp like they used to.
The funny thing is that nowadays it's easier to learn to play harp than it has ever been. There are probably a dozen pay per view lessons and downloads on the Internet and thousands of free youtubes for inspiration.
-----Original Message-----
From: Mick Zaklan<mzaklan@xxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l<harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tue, May 22, 2012 10:32 am
Subject: [Harp-L] "Race, Gender,& the Blues"
Interesting article on the annual blues conference held at Dominican
University over the weekend just outside of Chicago. This year's topic was
a hot-button one for sure: "Race, Gender& the Blues". Normally I wouldn't
post it except that most of the people quoted in the piece are harmonica
players of some renown: Sugar Blue, Billy Branch, and Matthew Skoller. And
the harmonica in the picture looks interesting; I can't identify it or
figure out what use it would have in a blues band. Anyway, worth a peek
unless you are easily agitated by discussions of politics or race in
music. Then, simply skip it. I'm not interested in elevating anyone's
blood pressure.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-ent-0521-blues-conference-20120521-7,0,4082594.column
.
Mick Zaklan