Re: [Harp-L] Re: Race, Gender and Blues

[Rick Dempster <rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The only person I see on harp-l who has anything like the skin tone of an Afro American, is David Fairweather, who 
plays jazz. Afro Americans have always been the trend leaders in North American music (note that I specify 'North', you South Americans)
They have always dropped musical styles as soon as the whites have picked up on  it. (See:'Ragtime' Banjo')
I believe trad. US country (I mean stuff like Gid Tanner, Charlie Poole et al) has been to a large extent, nostalgic music, trying to recapture the  'Old Plantation' styles of the  pre Civil War South. 
Southern hillbilly music (which I love) is all sentimentality, family and 'home'.
These are not, with rare exceptions (the Chatmon family, for one) things which Afro Americans have been able to afford
to retain.
By the end of the fifties, most young US blacks were embracing  Soul, which spoke for them more than the blues.
Excepting a few short years of the civil rights movement, the era of hope for a fair society collapsed, with the assassination of Martin Luther King.
Now we are left with a cynical commercial world where the only way of obtaining one's rights is through commercial success.
I believe,that like 'old time' string band music, which is essentially black plantation music, in fifty years or less, 'the blues' will be regraded as quintessentially white American music.
Sentimentality will always be the preserve of those of us who can afford it, And that includes
Your's  sincerely,
RD

>>> Riccardo Grosso <rick.grosso82@xxxxxxxxx> 25/05/12 5:39 PM >>>
This is my two cents...

We are living in 2012, right? Who cares if someone is black, white, 
green, purple or even yellow with pink dots? Play that music, please!

I've been to a lot of Festivals here in Italy and Europe (as listener) 
and I've seen a LOT of Black musicians playing SO BAD that I was like: 
"what the hell is going on here?". I've seen A LOT of American Blues men 
playing really bad. A lot of European musicians (even from Italy ;) ) 
playing GREAT BLUES.

What I'm trying to say here is "why don't we focus on music instead of 
color of musicians?". I think the point is that Blues Music needs some 
kind of "upgrading". What really pisses me off, as musician, AND as 
listener is to listen to another version of Caldonia or Hootchie 
Cootchie Man played trying to imitate the Masters. There's a lack of 
personality and respect for the music, at the first place, sometimes. 
That's why, I suppose, it's a small market...it's becoming kinda 
old...take a look around...all other genres are evolving in some way 
(catching design for posters, CDs, websites, get influenced by other 
stuff...you know it better than me) Blues music (not EVERY artist, BUT a 
lot of it) are stuck in the same old stuff...ok I'm getting off topic. 
Let's make it simple:

Are you a good musician? Play!
Are you a bad musician? Play more!
Are you black? Are you white? Let's go to have a beer and jam, bro'!

Don't get me wrong, it's just my countless opinion :) Hope y'all on the 
list are doing ok! A big hug from Italy

Riccardo Grosso
Viale Venezia 33
31015 - Conegliano (TV)
ITALY
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Mobile: +39 320 1913530
Skype: riccardogrosso
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Il 25/05/2012 05:20, harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx ha scritto:
> Race, Gender and Blues