The 1927 Mississippi River flood disaster had a far-reaching social impact, inspired timeless music, influenced policy that includes what happened during Hurricane Katrina, and received its due in at least one […]
Tag: blues
Happy Birthday, Muddy Waters
Longing for that down home music? Looking for a shot of brilliance? Tryin’ to forget that you asked for water and your woman/man gave you gasoline? Then you must be celebrating the 100th […]
Sweet home Chicago
May 11-13, 2016, the publishing industry will descend upon the City of Big Shoulders for the textapalooza that is BookExpo America. BEA, held at Chicago’s McCormick Place this spring, is […]
Throwbacklist Thursday: Furry’s People
“Virtuosity in playing blues licks is like virtuosity in celebrating the Mass, it is empty, it means nothing. Skill—competence—is a necessity, but a true blues player’s virtue lies in his […]
Blues you can’t lose
Today our 1915: Whatta Year! series turns to musician Willie Dixon, born on this date 100 years ago. Dixon brought the term “Hoochie Coochie man” to the mainstream and, oh, yeah, along […]
Chicken in the coffee pot: a pioneer’s blues tale
Steve Cushing’s book Pioneers of the Blues Revival is a treasure trove for blues fans who want to learn the stories behind such roots music giants as Mississippi John Hurt, […]
Read an excerpt from Pioneers of the Blues Revival
Steve Cushing, the award-winning host of the nationally syndicated public radio staple Blues before Sunrise, has spent over thirty years observing and participating in the Chicago blues scene. In his upcoming […]
Happy birthday, Jimmy Rogers
Jimmy Rogers was born James A. Lane on this day in 1924. As Wayne Everett Goins notes in Blues All Day Long, his new biography of Rogers, the legendary guitarist […]
Happy birthday to Southern Soul-Bluesman Latimore
Singer, songwriter and pianist Benjamin “Benny” Latimore was born on September 7, 1939. Latimore is profiled by author David Whiteis in Southern Soul-Blues, an overview of the genre that mixes blues, […]
Some Southern Soul Blues in Chicago
Chicago’s legendary Blues Festival kicks off today in Millennium Park. Friday’s Grant Park headliner is Bobby Rush, a prominent figure in the book Southern Soul Blues. Author David Whiteis describes […]