"Something's Going Down"

There are several "Oh hell no" categories of music in my world:  Techno, Trance, Industrial Goth, and Rap.  They just hurt my head. Literally.  Or so I thought.

Twice this week I have found myself listening to things that would shock my traditional blues sensibilities. 

The first was to a young friend of my son's. That can be easily explained away.  He has been out trying to get gigs, I have an odd interest in struggling young artists.  I spent a while talking to him in my driveway about his music.   My son went to one of his gigs on the south side of Chicago.  I smiled as they said they were the only ones who didn't get searched. He has a long way to go, but he has that crazy sense about him that musicians and writers have, when they know that is what they are supposed to be doing.  I like the fact he has his own sense of style.  I can't say I have ever heard classical music, rap verbage, and a smattering of Polish mixed together, but it works for him.  I just might even check back to see if live videos are added.

Today I bought my first... I can't bring myself to say it... (Rap single.) I am sure I blew their whole demographic statistical deviance.  I probably would have bought a whole CD, but single was my only choice.  And... it's not really rap. Sure it has GLC and Twista.  But, it's Chicago.  It's Chicago musicians.  After Mystery, you never know what to expect from the baby Brooks.  But from the first few bars you know, it's blues.  Blues infused with a lil soul, hip-hop, rap, chicago blues.  Sorta like a strawberry smoothie, with a bunch of other fruits thrown in for flavor, but down deep, at it's core, it's a strawberry.   So there... coughs.. I didn't really buy a rap Download from itunes, I bought BLUES.

Besides, I had to buy it.  It has one of my all time favorite Grammy winning Blues men.... Sugar Blue on Harmonica.  It's got blues guitar, awesome drums, and talented keyboardist.  But the whipped cream on top of this smoothie? MiMi Brooks. She wove a blues feeling all through the track from beginning to end.  With any luck, we will all hear more of MiMi Brooks and this Chi Town Music out of Mr. Wayne Baker Brooks in the near future.  I feel so incomplete, just buying a single.

One of These Days (You're Gonna Realize)

It's that time of year, when Blues Lovers often wander down south in their musical taste to sample a little Swamp music.  Here is a fun one, featuring Love Potions and Snake Oil by D.B. Rielly set to more movies than I can mention.

For me, Mardi Gras does not mean beads and body parts on Fat Tuesday.  Maybe it is because I experienced it, before I had either, or maybe there was just a different emphasis in the 1970's.  Mardi Gras was my first experience with music that makes your feet move, and I never forgot it.

My first cultural immersion experience started right after the season began and lasted a week.   It is and was a veritable sensory explosion, on all fronts: Musicians jamming in unexpected places all times of the day and night; Scents of regional foods wafting through the night air simply not found in Central Illinois; and lastly, the vivid images of the Krewes and bright costumes started my love affair with Mardi Gras and regional music.  

I suppose, a sentimental aspect to the music exists as well.  It brings back memories of being nearly fifteen and experiencing Louisiana for the first time. Doing the tourist things, a Mint Julep at the Court of the Two Sisters, Beignets and Chicory Coffee at Cafe du Monde, getting up the courage to go into a VooDoo shop, being shoed back to my hotel before anyone discovered I was out adventuring, only to repeat it day after day, and finally getting lost in the music and recognizing nothing had ever made me feel quite like that.

Maybe, just maybe I might get around to taking a road trip.  I know two things.  One, I won't be there on Fat Tuesday. And two, I think I would have to keep a sharper eye on my offspring.  Something tells me, their feet would be moving too.

Chicago Blues Festival

Chicago Blues Festival