Sunday, July 30, 2006
Sad Times For Blues
Reports The Dallas Morning News:
"These are sad times for blues in Dallas.Once a mecca for the gritty, urban music that became known as the South Dallas sound, the city has but a small handful of blues venues. And those places are rarely true to the blues, having to lean heavily toward rock or pop influences to satisfy a clientele that's become disconnected from the authentic African-American art form.
"That's forced numerous blues performers still calling Dallas home to travel elsewhere, most notably to Europe, to work their craft and earn a decent living at it. They either have to leave the city or make do with the paltry pay most club owners offer traditional bluesmen.
"Blues in Dallas is past a crossroad. Absent a miracle, it faces certain death."
Posted by Blair
Alan Cohen, says:
My initial thought is that the House Of Blues will help. Its a bigtime venue that will be very supportive of blues artists.
Staff
3 years, 4 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
bluesdfw, says:
As usual, ignorance is bliss at the DMN. You can still find live blues here 7 nights a week at multiple venues. Spending government money on an "economic zone" won't "save" the blues. It doesn't need to be saved. It's like a cockroach. Even when you don't see it in the kitchen, it's alive and well behind the baseboards and you can never kill it. Those who "need" to play it will always be playing it. If the DMN/Observer would do one feature story about local blues artists a month, it would do more to help bolster the blues scene than anything else I can think of. The biggest problems around here are; 1. ignorance of the general public, 2. lazyness of the musicians and club owners with respect to promotion, and 3. general apathy of all of the major media outlets. #1 is a direct result of #3 and #3 is a direct result of #2. Go figure. We have one of the best blues scenes in the WORLD, right here in DFW. Yet if you ask 99% of DFW residents where to hear blues in Texas they'll say Austin.
Hell, this is nothing new!! Blind Lemon Jefferson had to go to Chicago to record his music. T-Bone Walker had to move to the west coast. SRV had to move to Austin. The blues has always been here and it has always been ignored here.
Don't count on the HOB to make any major changes. HOB's in other cities rarely feature blues. Ask the blues artists who live there. However any addition is a plus and I see it as adding another 5% to the glass. Maybe.
Don O. Blues Format Director, KNON FM, Dallas http://geocities.com/bluesdfw/
Anonymous
3 years, 4 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Mike Orren, says:
Well said, Don O.
Anything you want to send us to run on local blues artists, we'll gratefully run and give it its moment in the sun on the homepage.
Same goes for all the other genres you see listed at the bottom of our pages.
Staff
3 years, 4 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Blair Lovern, says:
The DMN writer is right that U.S. blues is greatly appreciated overseas. Check out this story from the Middleofnowhere, UK, from this past weekend. 20-some thousand people at the Maryport Bitter & Blues festival: http://www.timesandstar.co.uk/news/vi...
Staff
3 years, 4 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal