Baton Rouge Blues Festival

If anyone is looking for an excuse to go to Baton Rouge, the Blues Festival this weekend might make a good one.  The more I read about the line up, the more I had to restrain myself from actually clicking on the Expedia App on my phone.

In addition to some of the Swamp Blues of the region, toss in a little bit of Kansas. It's not really just Kansas, it's Kansas with an eclectic spin. Like BBQ with various spice influences. When I think of Kansas, I think of My Grandmother, Ribs, Royals, Twisters, Dorothy, Irish Dance Scholarships, nice people and ....  one of my favorite lesser known duo's, although it escapes me as to why, Moreland & Arbuckle.  They will be playing tomorrow night at The Blues Festival in addition to Delbert McClinton, Jimmie Vaughn and others.

I became aware of Aaron Moreland and Dustin Arbuckle prior to the release of 1861.  I have almost as much patience in waiting for a much anticipated music release, as I do for books.  So, as with books, I started to listen to their previous artistic endeavors.  I started my research with Caney Valley Blues and found a song named "Red Bricks."   From that moment on, Moreland and Arbuckle, garnered my creative respect.  Another song made it's way to my playlist in '08 named "Fishin' Hole off the 1861 release.

Signed by Telarc, they released Flood, earlier this year.


Baton Rouge - Topix

Mark Your Calendars - 15th Anniversary of Blues On The Fox

Where can you see Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Kenny Neal, Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues, Charlie Musselwhite, Eric Lindell and the Hix Brothers all for $10?  Aurora, Illinois on June 17th & 18th.

Aurora, home to the 1930's RCA Bluebird Recording Studio in The Leland Hotel, recorded hundred's of songs considered precursers to the early Urban Blues, by artists such as Big Bill Broonzy, Roosevelt Sykes, Tampa Red, Sonny Boy Williamson and John Lee Hooker among others.

The only catch, it's a bring your own chair event.  "Libations" frozen or otherwise, are extra. Attendees would be wise not to bring their own.

"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.