Day one of Blues Fest in Portland: John Mayall, Trombone Shorty, Taj Mahal among others. Jambalaya and beer on the waterfront! But man that is one white crowd. Tomorrow: Booker T. is in da house.
Day 2: Zydeco! Memphis blues with Booker T. playing “Green Onions”! People challenging the engineered bursting limits of Spandex! Tons of white folks clapping on the one and three! I think I saw Elaine Benes throwing elbows!
Yep, that’s 90% of Blues today - played by old Black people for middle-aged White people.
80%. 15% is by old white Brits, and 5% is young people.
True enough. Although a good friend of mine and his band managed to have an album enter the Billboard Blues album chart at #2 **and **they are on the Van’s Warped Tour this entire summer (on the Alternative Press stage) playing delta blues - specifically Clarksdale/Charley Patton finger style blues - which they are introducing to a new generation.
No, there are plenty of white bluesmen these days, too. In general, blues was played by blacks until the 60s, then played primarily by white musicians (with a lot of Brits). Now, there are some younger black artists who are taking up the blues, too.
In any case, you’re right that the audience is overwhelmingly white.
I’m not into the whole “if it’s not 100% authentic, it sucks” mindset, but I do prefer my blues to be sung by grizzled old black men who at least experienced part of what they’re singing. I can’t stand “party blues”, where happy white guys sing The Thrill Is Gone or Wednesday Evening Blues, and various screeds to losing their jobs, women, house and mojo with a peppy, upbeat rhythm and voice.
Jazz, Blues, Rock & Roll… We white folks can suck the cool out of anything!
Portland is one of those odd places where the blues has always been played primarily by white artists. The movement started in Salem, of all places, and migrated north to Portland. There are white bluesmen here with serious cred (like Curtis Salgado). If you can find the indy film “How Stumptown Got the Blues”, I recommend seeing it. Local artists have been sidemen to some of the visiting greats, who always seem to be impressed with the depth of talent and repertoires of the locals.
The most fun is in watching people trying to dance and keep time. I guess they’re sincere, but it’s fookin’ embarrassing. I’ve always had a great sense of rhythm and was shocked to find out that there were people who didn’t understand how music is put together. And the spandex: oy! One has to give props to people who have enough self confidence to not give a shit about how others see them, but it’s way more information than I need.
Debbie Davies will be in Portland 14 July, you lucky so-in-so!
