This is the best book on contemporary Blues I've ever seen. Author Nico Morrison & photographer David Raccuglia have captured the very essence of the "Blues", people who play the blues and the people who live, love and die by the blues. This book with it's beautifully grainy B & W photography is a testimonial to the vitality and to the honesty to which these performers bring to their craft, from the Uber-showmanship of "The King Of Rock 'N' Soul" Mr.Solomon Burke to Saturday night juke joint clowning with RL Burnside and his neighbors, kids, kinfolk, assorted well wishers and a stray dog or two.This book is just as much a tribute to Fat Possum label owner Matthew Johnson and his tenacity as it is to the people who're making the music.
For a decade now MJ has carved his own niche in the Blues market and refused to fall into either of these dreaded categories: Musicologist / Folklorist and caterer to the realm of Frat Boy / Party Hearty!!! types who give credibility to the tourist "Blooz" thang. The former being as despicable,if not worse, than the latter in their attempts to pass off this very much alive and very much AMERICAN art form as "Modern Primitivism"at best to dying art form at the worst.
Mutating sure, changing and absorbing outside influences yes, dying no. The latter being mainly ignorant and misguided, though responsible in part for such utter travesties as Memphis' current Beale St. scene and the souless garbage that passes as "Blues" these days in a lot of the clubs on the North Side of Chicago.
By patronizing these abominations they draw life away from the real Blues scenes under their noses. It may be just as well. I honestly do not want to see one of my fave hangouts in Chicago like the L & L Social Club, Al's 404 or Bossman's over ran with all these f***ing geeks anyway. Plainly put, I just don't wanna party witcha OK? But that's just me,dig. You stick with Jonny Lang & Stevie Ray, I'll stick with my Magic Sam & Jimmy Dawkins. While I wholly understand that you CAN like them both, I just don't. If this is a problem for ya, write me a scathing rebuttal, ignore this or just kiss my ass. Either way, I'm sure that I don't care.
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