Rick Wakeman & Adam Wakeman - Change of Face

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Rick Wakeman & Adam Wakeman - Change of Face

• Released in: 1996
• Genre: Electronic, Rock
• Written by: Adam Wakeman

"In 1968, Rock Wakeman secured a place at the Royal College of Music in London, studying the piano, clarinet, orchestration, and modern music, with the intention of becoming a concert pianist."

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Ted Curson - Playhouse March

The beginnings of Country Music and the beginnings of Blues are very similar. These genres were first recorded in the 1920s, and at the time the difference between country, then called hillbilly music, and the blues, then called race music, was really only the race of the artist.

Today I think that blues and country are closer than they have been in a long time. There has been a push towards more traditional ways for each genre while also having a modern spin. I am glad to see this trend because hearing new music from two of my favorite genres. Gary Clark Jr. is one of the artists keeping the blues alive and revolutionizing it at the same time... On the country side of things Chris Stapleton... is leading the movement back to a more roots based music with his own modern spin.

These two genres shared similar roots as traditional music that were initially recorded as hillbilly and race music. The genres grew up in the 1900s into very different types of music but due to their roots and changing tastes the genres are beginning to become more similar.

Source: Country Music & The Blues by John Monroe

Ted Curson - Playhouse March

• Release on: July 1, 1976
• Duration: 7:09
• Genre: Jazz, Hard Bop

"Ted Curson was featured in a profile on composer Graham Collier in the 1985 documentary Hoarded Dreams. He was a familiar face in Finland, having performed at the Pori Jazz festival every year since it began in 1966."

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Wayne Shorter - Devil's island

The Blues and Gospel Train created a similarly exoticized theatre for white British audiences – engendering, through its representational matrix, the very cultural differences it claimed to portray. The anachronistic use of frontier motifs, including a steam locomotive, wanted posters and hardware alluding to a western saloon, a historically combined with southern paraphernalia including sacks of cotton, a surrey wagon and a rocking chair, constructed a scenario rich in pastoral myth. This setting, however, paid no attention to the presence of de jure segregation, constructing a factitious southern past free from violent Jim Crow divisions. Providing a more palatable substitute for British audiences indicative of a desire to reconceive history, this portrayal erased disagreeable yet defining aspects of African American history... Once again, this fantasy scenario made some artists look absurdly out of place , such as Tharpe, dressed in high heels and a sumptuous coat, while supporting the rugged, down home personae of others, notably McGhee, Terry and Waters. As established professional entertainers, these musicians were nonetheless consummate actors, adopting roles that demonstrated intimate access to the codes of blues expression. The unfortunate effect of such astute personification, however, was a restriction of their creative compass.

Barthes memorably grounds his analysis of myth in a photograph from Paris Match in which a young Negro in a French uniform is saluting, with his eyes uplifted, probably fixed on a fold of the tricolour... we witness an equivalent motion whereby blues revivalism condemns black performers to be instrumental signifiers of racial alterity while simultaneously using them to establish and justify the very racialized ontology upon which blues revivalism rests... using black performers as props to signify a paradigm of cultural validity untarnished by mainstream pop and interracial contact... those who participated in the revival, he notes, believed they had discovered an object called blues... proved to be an ideal surrogate thanks to his skill in creating the illusion of deep, artless immersion in song, Waters, in contrast, faltered due to his persistent self fashioning, a position that, for purists, revealed the intolerable truth about such performative fictions. The racialized logic of blues spectatorship, in short, sought to keep those Others under its gaze, supreme witnesses to the exploitative malice of modern capital, both disciplined and premodern.

Source: Mastery and Masquerade in the Transatlantic Blues Revival by Ross Cole

Wayne Shorter - Devil's island

• Written by: Wayne Shorter
• Released on: Wayning Moments album
• Released in: 1962

Wayne Shorter · Devil's island

"Wayne Shorter was almost another player entirely, his lovely tone attuned more to lyrical thoughts, his choice of notes more spare. He co founded Weather Report in 1970 and through 1986 released Grammy winning albums."

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Jack Bruce - Weird of Hermiston

Gospel music has been influenced by the blues in a number of ways. One of the most notable is the use of call and response vocals. This is a technique in which a lead singer or group of singers sings a line, and then a choir or congregation responds with a repeated phrase or chorus. This technique is common in both blues and gospel music, and it helps to create a sense of community and shared experience among the listeners.

Rap and hip hop music have also been heavily influenced by the blues. One of the most obvious ways in which this influence can be heard is in the use of sampling. Many rap and hip hop songs use samples of old blues recordings, either as the main beat or as a background texture. This helps to create a sense of history and tradition in the music, and it also gives the listener a sense of connection to the past.

Another way in which the blues has influenced rap and hip hop is in the use of storytelling. Many blues songs tell stories of struggle and hardship, and this tradition has been carried over into rap and hip hop. Many of the most successful rappers and hip hop artists tell stories of their own struggles with poverty, violence, and discrimination, and this helps to create a sense of empathy and connection with their listeners.

The blues has had a profound impact on many different genres of music. Its influence can be heard in everything from rock and roll to rap and hip hop, and it continues to inspire new generations of musicians and artists.

Blues music has a rich history that dates back to the late 1800s. It originated from the African American workers in the South and has since evolved into a popular music genre

Source: Exploring Call-and-Response in Blues Music: A Typical Variation by Alex Watley

Jack Bruce - Weird of Hermiston

• Released in: August 1969
• Genre: Jazz, Rock
• Composed by: Jack Bruce

"Jack Bruce was a Scottish musician and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the seminal British psychedelic rock power trio Cream, in the mid to late 1960s. He was cnsidered one of the greatest bassists of all time."

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Elton John - When Day Is Done

The connection between blues and jazz is undeniable. Blues music has had a significant effect on jazz, with both genres sharing elements such as the 12 bar blues structure... Jazz musicians have often drawn inspiration from blues music, incorporating its tonalities, forms, and improvisations into their own compositions.

The fusion of blues and jazz has resulted in a lasting impact on the music world, with both genres continuing to inspire and captivate audiences around the globe.

The instruments used in blues music have evolved over time, with early blues musicians primarily utilizing acoustic instruments such as guitars, harmonicas, and pianos. As the genre developed, additional instruments, including clarinets, double basses, saxophones, and electric guitars, were incorporated into the blues sound.

Modern blues bands typically utilize a combination of electric guitar, drums, double bass, piano, saxophone, and brass instruments to create their unique sound. Each instrument plays a crucial role in the overall sound of the blues band, with the drummer maintaining the tempo, the guitar and bass providing accompaniment and solos, and the harmonica and vocals providing the melody.

Sources: All About Blues Music: History, Artists, Instruments, Origins, Characteristics, Types, and Songs

Elton John - When Day Is Done

• Release in: 2000
• Written by Paul McCartney & Declan MacManus
• Genre: Rock

"Elton John wcclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his work during the 1970s and for his lasting impact on the music industry, his music and showmanship have had a significant impact on popular music. His songwriting partnership is one of the most successful in history."

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Ray Charles - Moon Over Miami

When I was searching for other songs called Deep River Blues, I’m obsessive about these things, I found a fewer older ones that I assumed must be a variation of the traditional version that Watson had recorded, so I didn’t feel any rush to listen to them. When I finally did, though, I heard a completely different song, one that mentions the Mississippi river specifically. So now I have to put Deep River Blues back on the list.

After some digging around, I found out that this Deep River Blues dates to 1924... Now I had to figure out who made the first recording, a tricky task. I found two women, Rosa Henderson and Katherine Handy, another child of WC’s?, both recorded in 1924. This isn’t rocket science or American Idol, so I put them both on the list, along with a version by Willard Robison, because I like it. I haven’t had time yet to figure out if this song had legs like the other Deep River Blues. Maybe it’s been recorded a lot, maybe it’s been languishing since the 1920s.

Source: Deep River Blues by Dean Klinkenberg

Ray Charles - Moon Over Miami

• Written by: Joe Burke and Edgar Leslie
• Released on: The Genius Hits the Road album
• Released in: July 1960

Ray Charles · Moon Over Miami

"As a rock and roll, rhythm & blues, soul, blues, jazz, country and pop musician he helped to shape the sound of rhythm & blues. He brought a soulful sound to everything from country music to rock and roll to pop standards."

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John Cale - Like A Hurricane

Before discussing these regional and stylistic aspects of Louisiana blues, a few basic premises should be established. To begin, much of the musical terminology found here, and in similar articles elsewhere, is rarely used by blues musicians themselves, who might well find it irrelevant. Such jargon has evolved, rather, as a useful way to categorize material and standardize research, as well as for marketing. When superimposed on active music traditions, it does not always fit neatly. In addition, meanings and inferences change continually with time. Such limits should be recognized.

Next, the on going folkloric debate over authenticity is certainly relevant here. At this point in time it seems safe to state that no living blues artists have learned through oral tradition only, with absolutely no exposure to mass media. Except in rare cases, such as the pre War blues genre known as work songs, for instance, the influence of recordings, radio, and the internet on Louisiana blues is an inevitable, important factor. One musician whom I interviewed in the field in 1989 illustrated this point in a particularly striking way... he learned solely by listening to records. Dorsey mimics Hopkins' records perfectly in a very soulful and convincing manner. Although then in his late fifties, and still performing today, with his longtime partner Wayne Tookie Collum, Dorsey claimed to have never traveled outside of this isolated rural area, nor ever heard, let alone been taught by, any other guitarists.

Source: From Rural to Urban, From Acoustic to Amplified: the Blues in Louisiana by Ben Sandmel

John Cale - Like A Hurricane

• Released on: January 16, 2016
• Released on: Rockin' In The Free World album 
• Genre: Rock

"Since leaving The Velvet Underground in 1968, John Cale has released seventeen solo studio albums, including the widely acclaimed Paris 1919 and Music for a New Society."

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The Modern Jazz Quartet - Animal Dance

Although Louisiana in general and New Orleans in particular never regained the widespread popular influence it enjoyed during the 1950s and early 1960s, the state’s R&B traditions remained very much alive.

In the state’s southwestern region, swamp pop music by white musicians immersed in R&B traditions like The Boogie Kings, remains locally popular. Pioneered in the 1950s by Clifton Chenier, zydeco remains vital today... The Meters, helped to advance the rhythmically muscular descendent of R&B known as funk. They became precursors to The Neville Brothers.

Also in the 1970s, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, an annual celebration of Gulf Coast cultures, began to receive national attention, setting the stage for a revival of veteran New Orleans R&B figures... Concurrently, the city generated a new wave of small, neighborhood brass bands, beginning with The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and the aptly named Rebirth Brass Band, mixing traditional and modern jazz with elements of R&B and funk.

Source: Rhythm and Blues Music by Roger Hahn

The Modern Jazz Quartet - Animal Dance

• Released on: Lonely Woman album
• Produced by: Nesuhi Ertegün
• Released in:1962

"The Modern Jazz Quartet is led by pianist John Lewis, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Kenny Clarke, joining later were Percy Heath and Connie Kay. One of the first of the classical influenced chamber jazz ensembles."

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Ella Fitzgerald - My Heart And I Decided

Still, that statue didn’t quite jibe with me. The Father of the Blues depicted in the statue looked calm and grandfatherly. He wore a suit and tie and held his horn poised to play. In every photograph of Handy I had ever seen, he was always dressed impeccably. How could this man be the father of the rough, untamed music that I knew to be the blues? He looked nothing like the cafe, juke joint people my family described, and I suspected they used to be.

In fact, Handy was a formally trained musician who traveled all over the world. And though he wasn’t looking for the blues, the blues found him all the same. The story goes that he fell asleep waiting for a train and woke to find a man playing the weirdest music he’d ever heard on the guitar. This chance encounter with the blue sparked a passion in Handy that became his life’s work. But, at first at least, he didn’t create blues, be merely absorbed the raw, primitive sounds and wrote them down. Perhaps this tale planted a seed of storytelling in me, because what I learned from this was the one who writes it down get the power. That if you tell or write down stories, you can get a statue erected in your honor, even in Memphis, even if you are black. Children will be made to remember your name, if just for one month a year.

Source: Hating the Blues by Jamey Hatley

Ella Fitzgerald - My Heart And I Decided

• First release in: January 1943
• Written by: Walter Donaldson
• Recorded in: July 1942

"By the 1990s, Ella had recorded over 200 albums. In 1991, she gave her final concert at New York’s renowned Carnegie Hall. It was the 26th time she performed there."

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Frank Zappa - I Am The Walrus

Another recognizable song structure in popular music is the African American blues stanza. The intention of the lyrics is to express an emotion.

Ballads, or story songs, have been around for centuries. Many of the best loved were sung first in the Middle Ages, and the tradition continues in modern songs. Ballad lyrics have a unique structure and rhythm. The traditional ballad stanza has four lines called a quatrain. The first and third lines have eight syllables, the second and fourth, the rhyming lines, have six. What we count, however, is the rhythm of the lines themselves, the beat. Most verse in ballad form is iambic. An iamb is a metrical foot in which a weak syllable precedes a stressed syllable, sounding like a heartbeat. The first and third lines of a ballad stanza have four stressed beats, and the second and fourth have three.

I'm doing all right. Good morning. How are you?

There are generally three lines in the blues stanza, the second line repeats the first, and the third line brings home the rhyme. The lyrics are usually set to twelve bars of music in 4/4 time. While the lyrics of the blues are rarely in a structured meter like the ballad stanza, the music often has a driving beat that is not unlike the heartbeat rhythm of the iamb, bum Bum, bum Bum, bum Bum, bum Bum.

Source: Music in Poetry

Frank Zappa - I Am The Walrus

• First release by: The Beatles
• Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
• First recorded on: March 13, 1988

"For over thirty years Zappa composed rock, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestral and musique concrète works. He produced most of the 60+ albums that he released with his bands, the Mothers of Invention."

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The Mamas & The Papas - I Call Your Name

A certain nostalgia for the south de­veloped, but at the same time, the trans­planted Blacks were becoming more soph­isticated, preferring to listen to music played by musicians more sophisticated than the rural blues performers. Thus small blues combos, with piano, guitar, harmonica and other instruments, began to replace the solo performers. From the 40's onwards, they converted to electric in­struments, and began to play a new form of blues, louder, more aggressive, which came to be call­ed urban blues.

After a period of hibernation in the 50's, the growing popularity of blues with young white audiences gave a lot of black blues singers the opportunity to play again on a larger scale, for more money than before.

Source: Music: the story of the Blues by Robert Springer

The Mamas & The Papas - I Call Your Name

• Released in: 1973
• Produced by: Lou Adler
• Genre: Rock

"The Mamas & The Papas recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968, releasing five albums and charting ten hit singles, spending relatively a short time in the realm of popular music."

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Jackson Browne - Kisses Sweeter than Wine

Europe has a rich history of embracing blues and jazz music. In the early 20th century, American jazz musicians began touring Europe, introducing the continent to a new sound that was unlike anything they had ever heard before. Jazz became an instant hit among European audiences, and many European musicians began incorporating jazz elements into their music. Today, jazz festivals are held all over Europe, attracting thousands of fans from all over the world. In addition, many European cities have thriving blues scenes, with local bands and musicians performing regularly.

Blues and jazz have also made their way to Asia, where they have found a devoted fan base. Japan, in particular, has a thriving jazz scene, with many Japanese musicians achieving international recognition. In addition, China has also seen a rise in the popularity of jazz music in recent years. Jazz festivals are now held in major Asian cities such as Tokyo, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, attracting jazz lovers from all over the world.

Blues and jazz have had a significant impact on world music, with many musicians from different cultures incorporating elements of these genres into their music. For example, African musicians have been heavily influenced by the blues, and have blended it with traditional African rhythms to create a unique sound. Similarly, Latin American musicians have incorporated jazz elements into their music, resulting in the creation of new genres such as Latin jazz and salsa.

Despite their rich history and global influence, blues and jazz music have faced challenges in recent years. With the rise of digital music and changing musical tastes, it can be difficult for these genres to find new audiences. However, many musicians are working hard to keep the soulful sounds of blues and jazz alive, and there is still a devoted fan base around the world. As long as there are people who appreciate the beauty and emotion of these two genres, blues and jazz music will continue to thrive.

Source: A Journey into the Soulful Sounds of Blues and Jazz

Jackson Browne - Kisses Sweeter than Wine

• Released on: Where Have All the Flowers Gone - The Songs of Pete Seeger album
• Released on: March 17, 1998
• First released by: The Weavers

"Many songs from Jackson Browne's debut became singer songwriter standards, but the album itself didn't establish Browne as a pop star despite its hit single."

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The Waterboys - Carolan's Weird Welcome

The blues developed during the mid 20th century as technology brought new instruments like the electric guitar, better microphones, and amplifiers to the live music scene. This new form of electric blues started in the Mississippi Delta and Chicago, but soon spread to other parts of the United States. Blues rock and British Blues developed, and soon the blues had spread to most popular genres.

Rock was born from the blues, and hard rockin’ blues music is still a staple of club bands around the world. Early British rockers were avid collectors and imitators of early blues records.

There’s no denying the blues stylings of modern stars like Adele. Pop star Christina Aguilera loves singing traditional blues songs, most notably her rendition of At Last at Etta James’s funeral.

An incredible fusion of traditional African music, African American songs, and folk music, the blues had a worldwide impact that continues to flow through the melodies and harmonies of musical artists today. With its tell tale twelve bar blues form, sorrowful lyrics, and blue notes, the blues touched nearly every musical style throughout American music, spreading internationally.

Source: Open Your Ears to the Blues by Sabrina Peña Young 

The Waterboys - Carolan's Weird Welcome

• Genre: Alternative Rock, Pop Rock
• Written by: Mike Scott
• Released in: November 2022

"A native of Edinburgh, Mike Scott first became involved in music as the creator of the fanzine Jungleland and later played in a series of local punk outfits."

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Leon Bridges - Steam

Delta blues music is suffused with religion, myths, magic, and voodoo. One of its most enduring and endearing myth is that of the Crossroads. Tommy Johnson an itinerant influential bluesman in the 1920’s and 30’s claimed that his incredible skills as a guitarist were attributed to a meeting with a mysterious black figure at a crossroads. According to the legend, Johnson gave the man, presumably the devil, his guitar to tune it for him and to teach him how to play perfectly in return for his soul. Later on that myth was further embellished by the other more famous, and not related, Robert Johnson, who sang about the famous meeting at the Crossroad.

Many Delta blues singers believed in the power of Mojo, which is a magic spell or charm that gives a person magical powers to succeed in every endeavor, including the art of seduction. The word has become an integral part of daily discourse. The great bluesman Muddy Waters, borrowed an up tempo jump blues song by an obscure blueswoman Ann Cole titled Got My Mojo Working and turned it into a classic Delta style song.

Source: Blues, the Devil’s music by Hisham Melhem

Leon Bridges - Steam

• Release on: July 23, 2021
• Genre: Soul
• Produced by: Steve Wyreman, Nate Mercereau, and Ricky Reed

"Leon Bridges made the cover of Fort Worth, Texas magazine in May 2015 for his vocal accomplishments and his distinctive retro style."

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Earth, Wind & Fire - Wiggle

When creating an improvised accompaniment, it is worth making sure you know the common extensions and harmonic trends of blues music. For example, there is a lot of use of minor chords and dominant 7ths, meaning the flat 7, a whole tone below the root. We also sometimes come across the diminished chord, which uses both the flat 3 and the b5. Make sure you understand these chord symbols, how to play them correctly on your instrument, and the chord scale relationship. A common accompaniment technique used in many blues songs for guitar and keyboards is the shuffle accompaniment. It’s worth checking out how this works and applying it to all twelve keys.

In terms of basic stylistic traits, blues music tends to be quite simple, with the aim of conveying a tale of sorrow, hardship or regret as clearly as possible. The style generally has quite a laid back feel, although more up beat variations occur in sub genres such as boogie woogie. Use of techniques such as slides, slurs, note bends and breathy, softer tones can create an effective blues sound.

Source: Improvising In A Blues Style by JJ Wheeler

Earth, Wind & Fire - Wiggle

• Released on: May 20, 2003
• Produced by: Maurice White
• Genre: R&B, funk, neo soul

"Earth Wind and Fire has won six Grammys out of 17 nominations and four American Music Awards out of 12 nominations. They have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."

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