Taken from http://bluesexcuse.southburnett.com.au/blueswayoflife.htm:
STEREOTYPE #1: "Blues cars are Chevies and Cadillacs (Not BMWs. Or Volvos. Ever.). Other acceptable blues transportation is a Greyhound bus or a southbound train. Walkin' shoes also play a major part in the blues lifestyle."
WHY THIS IS TRUE: Chevys and Cadillacs are mentioned in a lot of blues songs. A Chevy is mentioned in Powder Blues Band's 1980 song "Doin' It Right (On the Wrong Side of Town)." Blues-rock slowhand Eric Clapton recorded a song, "I've Got a Rock 'n' Roll Heart," which is heard most frequently on that T-Mobile commercial. It pays tribue to his love for 1957 Chevys. Cadillac Records, a 2008 biopic, showcased record executive Leonard Chess (of Chess Records) and several blues musicians who recorded at his studio. Needless to say, BMW's and Volvo's are generally not welcome in blues music because they are of a wealthier quality. That fact ties in with my next point. The average cost for a Greyhound bus ticket is around $180, but you can go almost anywhere (note that I calculated it by "traveling" from Bismarck to New Orleans). Basically, the Greyhound bus is the poorer person's airplane and thus fits quite well with the blues music transportation stereotype.
WHY THIS IS FALSE: The most well-known bluesmobile ever in the history of blues culture is a 1974 Dodge Monaco, which famously jumped over a drawbridge in the 1980 hit The Blues Brothers. Oh yeah, and last time I checked "Chevies" is actually spelled "Chevys," if that makes any difference.
The bluesmobile.
(image taken from http://www.stillruns.com/)
STEREOTYPE #2: "Age is also rigidly controlled. Only adults can sing the blues. Blues adulthood means being old enough to get the electric chair if you shoot a man in Memphis."
WHY THIS IS TRUE: I assume that is is generally assumed that the more years you've been around, the more life experience you have. I know a lot more now than I did four years ago. I know a lot more now than I did four minutes ago. Anyway, I don't think this stereotype is completely out-of-line. If someone is going to sing about the bank not giving them a loan, at least be old enough to actually have the bank deny you a loan.
WHY THIS IS FALSE: If cheap parents are pocketing their child's allowance, then I think it's perfectly acceptable for the kid to sing the blues about not getting their rightful cash. Simply put, music knows no age. Everyone, young and old, has sad times, trouble, and bad stuff to get off of their shoulders. I was a kid once (roughly 11 months ago), so I know the pain.
STEREOTYPE #3: "Acceptable blues colors are black and blue. Colors that don't belong in the blues are violet, beige, and mauve."
WHY THIS IS TRUE: Well, this is a given. Blues has the word "blue" in it. Also, black is dark and quite sad. Violet (purple) is rather happy, beige is boring, and I'm not sure what mauve looks like.
WHY THIS IS FALSE: Black is not a color.
STEREOTYPE #4: "No one will believe it's blues if you wear a suit. Unless you happen to be an old black man."
WHY THIS IS TRUE: Suits are traditionally for white-collar business people, not blue-collar blues people. Wearing one just doesn't make much sense. Of course, the person with the blues could've stolen the suit after he shot the man in Memphis, but that's unlikely. I mean, the DNA would be all mixed on the suit and that would be a dead-giveaway for the authorities (no pun intended).
WHY THIS IS FALSE: Who cares what blues-singing people wear? There a lot of professional people who have the blues just as much, if not more, than someone driving an 18-wheeler and collecting welfare. Jay and Elwood Blues wore suits. Eric Clapton often wears a suit. I wouldn't care if a blues singer was wearing elevator boots and a turban. I'd be scared, but I'd still listen to them if they were good.
STEREOTYPE #5: "You can have the blues in New York City, but not in Port Douglas. Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City still get good blues mileage...But the French Quarter is a blues no-no. The only hard times there is when the ATM is down."
WHY THIS IS TRUE: Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City are some of the best-known places for blues music entertainment. Port Douglas is a popular tourist destination in Queensland, Australia, void of almost any blues music. And, even though all of New Orleans was singing the blues after Hurricane Katrina, the French Quarter was hardly touched by the natural disaster.
WHY THIS IS FALSE: Blues music has no boundaries as far as location goes. Blues can be anywhere, it really just depends on the person/people there. What if a rogue wave swallows up Port Douglas? I think a few tourists would be singing the blues then. What if that ATM eats up your debit card and then spontaneously starts on fire? Anyone can have the blues, anytime and anywhere.
This un-legit website where I got the information, called The Blues Excuse, also had a nice tip at the bottom of the page. It reads "How to Create a Blues Name":
- Nickname: physical infirmity (blind, cripple, asthmatic)
- First name: add a fruit (Lemon, lime, melon, etc.)
- Last name: a U.S. president (Jefferson, Johnson, Lincoln, Roosevelt)
I picked mine: Stammering Pineapple Clinton. Did I mention I've never met my father? (Again, just kidding).
Artist of the Week: John Coltrane
I thought I'd mix it up and let a jazz artist have the spotlight. I could ramble on about Trane all day, but I'll just give you the basics: John Coltrane is a saxophone legend. He primarily played the tenor, but he would from time-to-time play the soprano and alto. He is considered one of the best jazz musicians of all-time, right up there next to Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Louis Armstrong. If you have ever listened to any type of jazz, a lot of it is happy sounding. But a lot of it is sad, too. One of my favorite jazz songs by Coltrane, called "Blue Train," is sad and actually sounds like it could be a part of blues. Blues and jazz go together pretty well, so I think it's appropriate that John Coltrane be mentioned in The Crossfire. Give him a listen, it's really easy to do. And, if you happen to be a saxophonist, check out this book of sheet music:
(image taken from http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/)The book, available from Sheet Music Plus, comes with a CD and some of Coltrane's biggest songs like: "Giant Steps," "My Favorite Things," "Naima," and "Moment's Notice."
New Album of the Week: Cyclone by Quinn Sullivan
Released 03.22.11
(image taken from http://www.amazon.com/)Move over, Jonny Lang - there's a new blues guitarist prodigy in these parts. 11-year-old Quinn Sullivan is taking blues music by storm with his debut album, Cyclone. The New Bedford, Mass. native started playing guitar when he was three. When I was three, I could barely grip a rattle. Anyway, I would love to say that Cyclone is nothing more than an overprocessed and bad album, but it's not. Sure, it's not the best blues album, but this kid still has got some talent. Plus, it's nice to see a younger artist not being promoted by the Disney Channel or riding on the success of their hair. Sullivan has played with B.B. King and Buddy Guy (he even opened on Guy's 2009 tour), so if that doesn't convince you to give his album a listen, I don't know what will. The best tracks on the album are: "My Sweet Guitar," "Buddy's Blues" (a tribute to Buddy Guy), "Summer of Love," "Blues Child," and the title track. Don't write off Sullivan because of his young age. More likely than not, he'll be around for awhile for good reasons.
Wearing a suit, by the way.
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