I used to like the blues fine, and I even paid money for my son's blues guitar lessons, but blues festivals in Portland here are significantly whiter than the town itself, and PDX is one of the three whitest fair-sized cities in the US. (Seattle, Minneapolis).
Blues is also the Muzak of yuppy coffee shops and taverns here.
I think it's an ironclad rule of middle aged ex-rock-fan whiteguydom that you have to become obsessed with either the blues or jazz. I guess I'll go with jazz, but I'm not looking forward to it.
I'm not trying to imply that I don't like jazz. I do. But it seems to encompass (or at least excel at) a distinctly different emotional gamut from the music I generally prefer listening to.
Actually the up-and-coming blues guy, Jonny Lang, came from Fargo where my brother lives. Fargo probably **is** the whitest city in the U.S., if it's a city.
He and his posse once came to the pizza place where my niece was working. Fargo posses are not too scary, even by Fargo standards.
Another big advantage that "Blues" has is the vast poetic opportunity for naming beer festivals. I attend a few in a professional capacity, and almost every one is called "Blues n' Brews, "Brews n' Blues," "Rhythm n' Brews," "Blues, Brews, n' BBQ" ad freaking nauseum. Of course, the target demographic has a lot in common with the stereotypes lampooned here. But still, can't a brother get an occaisional "Jazz n' Fizz," or "Rockin' Lager" or "ale.country?"
Didn't "jazz" mean "screw" originally anyway? There is also a story that the word got its current spelling because people would black out the 'J' on posters for the Original Dixieland Jass Band. I'm not sure both of these can be true.
Whiteguydom: There are a lot of excellent white people and non-Americans playing jazz. There are some decent white bluesmen, surely, but I doubt I would be tempted by a 7-LP set called "The Dutch Blues Scene Revisited." Vocals make a big difference.
Also, remember the Blues Hammer scene from Ghost World, the movie? That scene also draws attention to an important difference.
My opinions are also based solely on recordings. But I agree, they're great performances. Richard Thompson is a phenomenal musician and I appreciate that he sounds loose and like he's having fun with the 1000 years material.
I used to like the blues fine, and I even paid money for my son's blues guitar lessons, but blues festivals in Portland here are significantly whiter than the town itself, and PDX is one of the three whitest fair-sized cities in the US. (Seattle, Minneapolis).
Blues is also the Muzak of yuppy coffee shops and taverns here.
At a certain point you just snap.
Posted by John Emerson | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 11:49 AM
I think it's an ironclad rule of middle aged ex-rock-fan whiteguydom that you have to become obsessed with either the blues or jazz. I guess I'll go with jazz, but I'm not looking forward to it.
Posted by tom | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 12:30 PM
Jazz really has an enormous range which blues doesn't.
Posted by John Emerson | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 12:32 PM
It's my experience that appreciating jazz depends heavily on starting in the right places. Otherwise, it can seem mighty inscrutable.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 12:36 PM
I'm not trying to imply that I don't like jazz. I do. But it seems to encompass (or at least excel at) a distinctly different emotional gamut from the music I generally prefer listening to.
Posted by tom | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 12:43 PM
The stuff I like is Monk and afterwards, and a lot of it is questionably jazz at all. E.G. Scandinavian stuff by Jan Garbarek and Don Cherry.
The classic stuff has been ruined for me by its use as background and mood music on cartoons, movies, advertising, etc., etc.
Posted by John Emerson | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 12:47 PM
[redacted]
Posted by [redacted] | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 12:47 PM
That isn't the Troll of Sorrow, is it?
Posted by John Emerson | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 12:48 PM
Actually the up-and-coming blues guy, Jonny Lang, came from Fargo where my brother lives. Fargo probably **is** the whitest city in the U.S., if it's a city.
He and his posse once came to the pizza place where my niece was working. Fargo posses are not too scary, even by Fargo standards.
Posted by John Emerson | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 12:53 PM
Another big advantage that "Blues" has is the vast poetic opportunity for naming beer festivals. I attend a few in a professional capacity, and almost every one is called "Blues n' Brews, "Brews n' Blues," "Rhythm n' Brews," "Blues, Brews, n' BBQ" ad freaking nauseum. Of course, the target demographic has a lot in common with the stereotypes lampooned here. But still, can't a brother get an occaisional "Jazz n' Fizz," or "Rockin' Lager" or "ale.country?"
Posted by Mo MacArbie | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 12:57 PM
Appreciating my cock also depends on starting in the right places
Where would you recommend?
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 1:07 PM
[redacted]
Posted by [redacted] | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 1:18 PM
My Cock n' Fizz
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 1:20 PM
Appreciating my cock also depends on starting in the right places
Where would you recommend?
If I were malicious I would suggest starting the appreciation with the cock in a microwave. But I'm not.
Posted by John Emerson | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 1:23 PM
Didn't "jazz" mean "screw" originally anyway? There is also a story that the word got its current spelling because people would black out the 'J' on posters for the Original Dixieland Jass Band. I'm not sure both of these can be true.
Whiteguydom: There are a lot of excellent white people and non-Americans playing jazz. There are some decent white bluesmen, surely, but I doubt I would be tempted by a 7-LP set called "The Dutch Blues Scene Revisited." Vocals make a big difference.
Also, remember the Blues Hammer scene from Ghost World, the movie? That scene also draws attention to an important difference.
Posted by Matt Weiner | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 1:28 PM
The Milky Waters Anthology?
Posted by Mo MacArbie | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 1:29 PM
Oof, threadicide.
Posted by Mo MacArbie | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 3:56 PM
We're all off flaming each other about ID.
Posted by Matt Weiner | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 4:10 PM
Abba did a medley of old spirituals and work songs which some here might be interested in.
Posted by John Emerson | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 4:27 PM
I like Richard Thompson's cover of Abba's "Money".
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 4:36 PM
Yes, but his cover of "Ooops I did it again" is better.
Posted by NickS | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 4:53 PM
You know, I've never seen, alas, any of the 1,000 Years of Popular Music live shows, but it must be owned that pretty much all of the album is great.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 4:58 PM
My opinions are also based solely on recordings. But I agree, they're great performances. Richard Thompson is a phenomenal musician and I appreciate that he sounds loose and like he's having fun with the 1000 years material.
Posted by NickS | Link to this comment | 08- 9-05 5:03 PM
How about that upcoming 1000 years of power anthology? Opens with "Lightning bolt, lightning bolt" I'm told...
Posted by Doug | Link to this comment | 08-10-05 3:09 AM
Re: #7: There's one of your one-liner, non-sequiturs you didn't know you write, FL.
BTW, I wonder what's the longest an unfogged comment thread has gone before someone brings in a cock reference.
Posted by annie | Link to this comment | 08-10-05 8:59 AM