The following is a quick rundown on the considerable impact blues music has had over music as we understand it today.
The blues has greatly developed throughout the last century or so, welcoming brand-new musical instruments and evolving through the dynamism of some its most famous performers. Where did the blues come from then? It is tough to determine a particular time exactly; the genre is undoubtedly influenced by African spirituality and rhythms, in addition to the historical context of life on the American plantations in the Deep South throughout the nineteenth century. By the time of the 1920s and 1930s, delta blues had ended up being a popular category in the American musical landscape; this was music that focused on one talented guitarist who sang tunes of lament and sadness - however with a frequently devil-may-care style. The tape-recording quality was raw and so were the musical performances; some artists would use bottle necks for a slide, as the tape would crackle, almost like a fire responding to the wind. Delta blues has a distinct haunting and visceral quality, in spite of the minimalism of its aesthetic; it also paved the way for much of the guitar music that has actually followed since.
It might sound nonchalantly simple, but the blues is a music genre home to a few of the best virtuosos ever to have actually played a guitar. Possibly it's the beauty of the genre's structural boundaries; you need to follow the rhythm and the musical key-- so you need to choose your moments astutely for that guitar lick or piano fill. While the blues is typically associated with guitars, many other instruments have added to its extremely rich history; the harmonica and the organ are just some of the sounds that find their way into a few of the most famous blues songs of all time. Jeff Vaughn is a terrific example of someone working in the music business with artists influenced by the power of this music.
What is the blues? For a genre so huge and with such history, what are its defining characteristics? Well, regardless of the many types of the blues, a distinctive 12-bar rhythm is typically identified; this is music that requires only 3 chords, with a turnaround to restart the rhythm at the end of each chorus. Blues songs are often easy lyrically, focusing more on feeling and natural spontaneity; that is not to state that the words of blues music don't pack as much of a punch as the guitar solos or piano fills. Thematically, blues music can vary from raucously enjoyable to desolate sadness; it typically depends on how the songwriter or entertainer chooses to funnel their blues. Common concerns include isolation, heartbreak, bad luck and bad love; you'll be amazed at how diverse the range of musical interpretation can be for these heavy emotions within a blues context. Vincent Bolloré is an excellent example of a music market executive with artists on his lineup inspired by the blues. Rick Rubin on the other hand, is a popular producer well-known for his work with blues artists.