State Of The Blues 2010

I have never really had a reason to write about the state of the blues.  As the years have rolled on, it seemed that the blues more or less was the same as it always was.  No need to say hey, things are the same!  However, it seems to me that the blues has been slipping into some precarious waters over the last few years.  In fact, the last ten years have been brutal for the blues.   Clubs are closing, blues societies are shrinking, festivals are canceling, and the digital revolution has really hurt the music business at all levels.  In many ways this is the history of the blues.  It has always ebbed and flowed. It started very low key in the south during reconstruction, but at the turn of the century it had become popular through out the country.  However, by the 1930s blues was back to being a regional music.  While the children of the blues Jazz, and Swing grew in popularity, blues sat dormant until the Jump blues craze of the 40s, and the rise of Chicago Blues in the 50s.  By the mid 60s the blues was becoming dormant again, and regardless of what the British think, they didn't save the blues in the 60s.  By 1970 blues sat by as its second generation of children, Rock and Roll, R &B, Soul, Funk, and Disco ruled the world.  It really wasn't until the 1980s that the blues rose again, and for a good 20 years remained strong.  However, the last ten have been rough. 


So what can we do to get the blues back on track.  First, I think there is a quite debate over what is the blues. It is not a new debate, and many people want to sweep it under the rug, but it is there and it is real.  Can a band that 20 years ago was considered a rock band, be a blues band now??  It certainly made me mad years ago when I had to compete with rock bands who would book themselves as blues bands just to make a buck.  It doesn't matter how many blues standards you play, if you are not a blues band, you are not a blues band. Yet, I get emails, and links to dozens of bands every week, who are not blues, but want to be advertised, or reviewed as a blues band.  Unlike some of my friends in the blogosphere who review these bands, and when the review is not good they get creamed by the band and their fans, I just stay away from them.  To me it is not worth writing a bad review and having to deal with a handful of crazy fans.  I wish there was an easy answer to this, but at this point it hurts the blues on a large scale when people go away disappointed in a show because the band didn't play the blues!  Then when they stop going out to the clubs or festivals, we have a huge problem.

I also think there is a huge section of the blues world that is going virtually unnoticed.  That is the growing number of southern soul performers on the Chitlin Circuit.  CDS Records, has a great stable of artists including one of the most underated blues performers out there today Chick Willis. Chick has been around forever, and certainly had some fame in his younger days, but he is still out there putting on shows.  Also an important website, and promoter of the blues that very few people know about it Blues Critic Media

They put out the monthly top ten of soul and blues.  Take a look at January and think to yourself how many of these performers have you heard???  Especially on your local blues radio show!!! 

Top 50 Southern Soul, Rhythm & Blues Albums

Deep Soul + Soul/Blues + Downhome Blues + Urban Blues

The Nation's OFFICIAL Soul/Blues and Southern Soul Albums Chart

 

TM	LM	Album	Artist	Label
1	1	The Voice	Willie Clayton	C & C
2	NEW	Soul Prescription	Bigg Robb	Over 25 Sounds
3	3	The MVP	Kenne' Wayne	G Street
4	NEW	Just Charlie**	Charlie Wilson	Def Jam
5	NEW	In The Zone: Southern Soul Style, Vol. 1	Sir Jonathan Burton	Aviara Music
6	4	Reggie P (The Rude Boy Of Southern Soul)	Reggie P	Rude Boy
7	NEW	Love Letter**	R. Kelly	Jive
8	2	America's Most Wanted	Calvin Richardson	Shanachie
9	7	I Ain't Gone Do It	Mel Waiters	Waldoxy
10	5	Deep South Southern Soul	Chuck Roberson	CDS
11	6	That Thang Thang	O.B. Buchana	Ecko
12	10	All Of Me	Floyd Taylor	CDS
13	8	The First Rule Of Cheating	Lee "Shot" Williams	CDS
14	11	Blues Mix 1: Super Soul Blues	Various Artists	Ecko
15	14	Ms. Jody's In The Streets Again	Ms. Jody	Ecko
16	12	24 Hour Woman	Denise LaSalle	Malaco
17	13	Shots Of Southern Soul	Various Artists	CDS
18	9	In Touch With My Southern Soul	Wendell B.	Smoothway Ent.
19	16	Club Southern Soul 1	Various Artists	CDS
20	22	Love Who You Wanna Love	Carl Marshall	CDS
21	15	Love Attack	Mr. Sam	Lifetime Lover
22	18	Forever Young	Gregg A. Smith	CDS
23	17	A Girl Like Me	Sweet Angel	Ecko
24	34	Truth Be Told	Vick Allen	Soul 1st
25	19	That Girl Belongs To Me	Charles Wilson	CDS
26	23	Mr. Blues: The Best Of...So Far	Chick Willis	Benevolent Blues
27	24	Woof Woof Meow	J. Backfoot	JEA Music
28	25	Unfinished Business	Lenny Williams	Lenlon
29	20	I'm Satisfied	Cicero Blake	CDS
30	21	Sexy Soul Songs*	LaMorris Williams	Rocks Landon
31	RE	Save A Little Room For Me (I'm Coming Home For Christmas)	Wendell B	Smoothway Ent
32	26	Beat It Up	David Brinston	Ecko
33	RE	Merry Christmas From The Bigg Man	Bigg Robb	Over 25 Sounds
34	27	The Evolution Of Soul	T.K. Soul	Soulful
35	RE	It's Christmas Baby	Various Artists	Ecko
36	RE	Christmas Southern Soul Style	Carl Marshall	CDS
37	29	Special Delivery	Big G	CDS
38	36	Wilbe Records Greatest Hits*	Various Artists	Wilbe
39	33	Slap It Tap It	Jim Bennett	Aviara Music
40	32	Back To Bidness	Wendell B	Smoothway Ent.
41	38	The Preacher's Wife	Luther Lackey	Ecko
42	37	It's BYOB	Donnie Ray	Ecko
43	41	Call Before You Come	Gerod Rayborn	New Groove
44	47	All About the Rhythm & The Blues	Latimore	Latstone
45	NEW	Birthday Suit (digital album)	Certified Slim	self
46	31	Southern Soul Blues Hot Spot Vol. 1**	Various Artists	Hot Spot
47	28	On The Chittlin' Circuit 2: Memphis Soul Blues**	Various Artists	Ecko
48	30	Cougar	Pat Cooley	L & L
49	35	Jerri Curl Muzik	Bigg Robb	Over 25 Sound
50	39	Lacee's Groove	Lacee	Advantage

This chart is based on a combination of Radio Airplay and ACTUAL SALES from the Southern Soul Blues community worldwide though primarily in the Southern United States.

Eligible entrees must be "New" or are currently experiencing a bump in airplay.

Albums marked with * charted mostly on Airplay while albums marked with ** charted mostly on Sales.

**click on CD STORE**

 

If you live down South then you are aware of these artists, but most of these performers rarely get airplay or play gigs in the North.   I am not making any implications here, but there is some great blues going on and you are missing it. 

My own feeling about how to save the blues is pretty simple.  Blues Societies need to remember that blues has to be built from the ground up.  You have to start local.  Build up your local bands, and promote your regional bands.  Also when putting on big shows take a look at some bands from other regions, especially in the deep south.  Also don't get caught up in bringing in old rock acts, because they will bring in more people. It might work the first time, but it will alienate the blues crowd and they are staying home because of it.  

I certainly hope that the new year improves the condition of the blues.  Certainly once the weather warms ups it seems that the gigs start to pile up as well.  Festival time is a time for everyone involved with the blues to get healthy.  Here is hope that this year will start the rebirth of the blues for a new generation. 

Tom
Blues Historian