Gourt > Arts > Music > Styles > B > Blues (95)
The blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the full twelve note chromatic scale plus the microtonal intervals and a characteristic eight and twelve-bar chord progression. The form evolved in the United States in the communities of former African slaves from spirituals, praise songs, field hollers, shouts, and chants. The use of blue notes and the prominence of call-and-response patterns in the music and lyrics are indicative of the blues' West African pedigree. The blues has been a major influence on later American and Western popular music, finding expression in ragtime, jazz, bluegrass, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, hip-hop, and country music, as well as conventional pop songs.
The phrase the blues is a synonym for having a fit of the blue devils, meaning down spirits, depression and sadness. An early reference to this can be found in George Colman's farce Blue devils, a farce in one act (1798). Later during the 19th century, the phrase was used as a euphemism for delirium tremens and the police. Though usage of the phrase in African American music may be older, it has been attested to since 1912 in Memphis, Tennessee with W. C. Handy's "Memphis Blues".The Oxford English Dictionary (Second Edition, 1989) gives Handy as the earliest attestation of "Blues."Eric Partridge, A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, 2002, Routledge (UK), ISBN 0415291895 In lyrics the phrase is often used to describe a depressed mood.Tony Bolden, Afro-Blue: Improvisations in African American Poetry and Culture, 2004, University of Illinois Press, ISBN 0252028740
Characteristics
Origins
There are few characteristics common to all blues, because the genre takes its shape from the idiosyncracies of individual performances.Southern, pg. 333 However, some characteristics have been present since before the creation of the modern blues and are common to most styles of African American music. The earliest blues-like music was a "functional expression, rendered in a call-and-response style without accompaniment or harmony and unbounded by the formality of any particular musical structure."Garofalo, pg. 44 This pre-blues music was adapted from slave field shouts and hollers, expanded into "simple solo songs laden with emotional content".Ferris, pg. 229 The blues, as it is now known, can be seen as a musical style based on both European harmonic structure and the West African call-and-response tradition, transformed into an interplay of voice and guitar.Morales, pg 276 Morales attributes this claim to John Storm Roberts in Black Music of Two Worlds, beginning his discussion with a quote from Roberts There does not seem to be the same African quality in blues forms as there clearly is in much Caribbean music. More on [ Blues ]
Folk :: F
Jazz :: J
Cajun and Zydeco :: Regional and Ethnic
Rhythm and Blues :: R
Rockabilly :: Rock
Like classic rock and blues? Listen to Pack Moose Radio - http://www.live365.com/stations/packmoose
wanderingbiker (Wandering Biker) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:24:01 -0000
Like classic rock and blues? Listen to Pack Moose Radio - http://www.live365.com/stations/packmoose
KING BLUES (The) - Let's Hang The Landlord (#nowplaying on radio2XS)
radio2xs (radio2XS) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:24:00 -0000
KING BLUES (The) - Let's Hang The Landlord (#nowplaying on radio2XS)
huehuahe passou meu blues com essa frase "Gato por si só não passa de um cão viado!"
kadusasso (Kadu Sasso) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:23:12 -0000
huehuahe passou meu blues com essa frase "Gato por si só não passa de um cão viado!"
News Ticker: Oscars, Cardinalsâ Chris Feinstein, Simon Fuller, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion http://bit.ly/8HvnAw
TVOnPCSoftware (TV On PC Software) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:22:29 -0000
News Ticker: Oscars, Cardinals’ Chris Feinstein, Simon Fuller, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion http://bit.ly/8HvnAw
Out There from Jimmie Vaughan is out now http://merecal.com/4jX4 #blues #music #merecal
MerecalMuBlues (Blues Music Releases) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:22:14 -0000
Out There from Jimmie Vaughan is out now http://merecal.com/4jX4 #blues #music #merecal
Tickets for Passion Pit @ House of Blues going for 100 bucks a pop? Arrggghhhhhh
Blaizer (blaizer) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:22:00 -0000
Tickets for Passion Pit @ House of Blues going for 100 bucks a pop? Arrggghhhhhh
The Blues Foundation - Producer of the W.C. Handy Blues Awards, the Blues Hall of Fame, the Lifetime Achievement Awards and the Int. Blues Talent Competition
About.com: Blues - Blues information, MP3s, CD reviews, interviews, and history.
Meta Description: [ Blues - Blues Music, Zydeco, and Americana Music - Guide Profile Guitar Articles & Resources Blues Artists Blues Education Festivals Blues Mp3 Blues Reviews Live Blues Blues Societies Lyrics/Lessons Photography Record Labels Folk, Roots, and Americana Hall of Fame WebCasts Awards Blues Styles Buy... ]
Blues for Peace - Blues for Peace was set up in Israel to honor the roots of blues music and promote peace and the understanding that ALL peoples have had their share of the Blues.
Meta Description: [ Blues for Peace is dedicated to unsung blues musicians and offer blues music articles, blues guitar lessons, blues guitar licks, blues mp3 downloads, blues guitar tab, blues song lyrics, blues concerts and more. ]
Blues In Britain - Web-site devoted to British Blues and visting artists. Includes gig reviews, photo archive, blues MP3 tracks, forthcoming gig list and related web-links.
Blues Music - A tribute to the original American music.
Blues on Stage - Web hosting company specializing in blues artists, companies, festivals and societies. Free links to client sites and paid advertising positions.
Meta Description: [ Blues On Stage -- get your own blues web page for pennies a day -- website design, hosting and promotion. ]
Blues Paradise - Links to classic musicians Sonny Boy Williamson I and II, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Robert Johnson and Howlin' Wolf as well as links to many more contemporary blues artists.
Meta Description: [ Premiere blues site, has of many blues songs. Same Great Site.. New Domain...Links to national and regional blues acts, schedule for regional blues venues, festival information, and much much more. ]
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BluesWEB - Features tributes, quotes, lyrics, and articles.
BluesWorld - Blues articles, photographs, reviews, records, compact discs, CDs, 78 rpm phonograph record auctions, magazines, books, musicians, authors, researchers, resources, links.
Meta Description: [ blues, jazz, gospel, country, hillbilly, doowop, doo-wop, vocal groups, rock and roll, black music, negro music, afron-american music, rock 'n roll, ethnic, jazz, sacred, buy 78 rpm, sell 78 rpm, buy 78 rpm records, sell 78 rpm records, sell record collection, buy record collection, blues record... ]
Boogie Woogie - Boogie woogie MP3 and Midi files to download plus sheet music books and CDs for sale. Run by Tim Wheals, a blues piano player.
Meta Description: [ Piano BOOGIE WOOGIE Home Page with free MP3 downloads run by a blues pianist ]
Chicago Blues Archives - run by the Chicago Public Library
Corky Siegel's Planet - Member of a famous chicago blues band in the 60-70's.
Meta Description: [ The official site for Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues and the Siegel-Schwall Band. Featuring an online music store, concert dates, sound samples, stories, and more. ]
Detroit Blues Heritage Series - Series focusing on the Detroit Blues tradition. Photographs of the events, reviews and information on upcoming events.
FolkLib Index - Acoustic Blues Artists - A very complete listing of links for acoustic blues musicians.
Meta Description: [ Links for Acoustic Blues Musicians ]
King Biscuit Time - Encompasses the famous Helena, Arkansas radio show made famous by blues harp legend Sonny Boy Williamson II (Rice Miller), the annual blues festival in Helena, and the monthly magazine dedicated to covering blues festivals and artists. Features articles from the magazine, and blues goodies available from their online store.
Meta Description: [ King Biscuit Time hosts the famous Helena, AR, blues radio show, publishes a blues magazine, and stages an annual blues festival. ]
National Geographic: Blues Highway - Photo gallery, article, biography of photographer William Albert, and message forum.
Smooth Grooves 2000 - A mailing lists for fans of R'n'B music.
Meta Description: [ Smooth_Grooves_2000: Smooth_Grooves_2000 ]
The Blue Highway - Contains tributes to the legends and history of the blues, artist profiles, blues news, feature articles, radio links, and archived radio shows.
The Blues Database - Database with information on blues artists, discographies, and festivals.
Meta Description: [ Search, browse the Database for Blues Discographies, Festivals and Concerts. ]
The Blues Directory - Contains over 2,200 blues links. Sites are organized in categories like bands and artists, record labels, and lyrics.
Meta Description: [ Lyrics and soundclips of blues songs, blues tabulature (tabs) & chords, blues terms and language defined and explained, the blues tree, blues history, blues books selection and more ]
Top20Blues.com - Blues Music Guide for Artists, Downloads, Listening, News, Reviews, Charts, and Videos
Meta Description: [ Best sites for Blues Music ]
Urban-Blues - explains the relationship between blues and hip-hop, jazz, rock, RB, soul and gospel.
Meta Description: [ Domain name renewal and affordable web hosting packages from Network Solutions ]
Year of the Blues 2003 - '03 marks a century of blues. Site is devoted to blues events of the year.
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