CHICAGO BLUES

A lot of us have for years thought of Chicago, IL as the home of modern day electric blues.  Many of the great performers were based
in Chicago.....Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter Jacobs, Willie Dixon...to name a few.
Here is an article that recently appeard in the The Chicao Tribune about the state of the blues in its' home town:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-ae-1127-blues-clubs-20111126,0,1781010,full.column

Give it a read and tell me what you think.

My featured band for this week is a Dutch group called BIG WILL AND THE BLUESMEN
Here is the first couple paragraphs from their bio:

"Big Will & the Bluesmen is a Dutch bluesgroup with roots in the authentic Delta- and Chicago blues tradition. The songs they are performing live are a mixture of their own material and traditionals. Anyone who pays attention can hear the influence of legendary bluesmen like Robert Johnson, Son House, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, Little Walter and Lightning Hopkins ...echoing in the band’s music. The songs are characterized by the raw and refined bluesharp notes played by Will and the lack of long bluesrock-guitarsolos.
The band was formed in the beginning of 2008. Will (bluesharp) and Alex (vocals/guitar) started searching for some bluescompanions and after some changes Jos (drums) and Henk (bass) were added to the Bluesmen."

You can follow their exploits by visiting their web site:
http://www.bigwill.nl/

til next time, your friend in the blues
Pete 'Big Dog' Fetters
http://www.petebigdogfetters.com/

Welcome To My Blog - Blues Musings

"That's the reason I always say about music, the blues are the roots and the other musics are the fruits.  Without the roots, you
have no fruits so it's better  keeping the roots alive because it means better fruits from now on.  That's why I say the blues
will always be because the blues are the roots of all American music." - Willie Dixon

Howdy folks,  my name is Pete 'Big Dog' Fetters.  I started this blog to maybe help people realize the importance of
keeping this music we call 'The Blues' alive and well.  I'm not talking about howling guitar players masturbating their way
through solo after solo and calling it the blues.  I'm talking about songs that lyrically express an emotion or feeling about
the human condition, that are well written, sung well and complimented by tastefully played musical instruments.  On a weekly basis
I'll have a few comments to make (that are my personal opinion) concerning the current condition of Blues Music and then feature a band or solo artist who I believe is adding something to this, dare I say,  Sacred Music.
Woof, Woof, Baby
Pete 'Big Dog' Fetters
http://www.petebigdogfetters.com/