Fifty Years of the Blues in Five Minutes

Blues music emerged from the African American community in U.S. developing from gospel music, spiritual singing, and a number of Scottish, Irish and English rhyming ballads. This came together to give music based on what became known as the “blue notes” and “call and response” music patterns.

Blue notes are the flattened notes that turn a major scale into a blues scale. For those who are musically inclined, this usually means flattened thirds, fifths and sevenths. This is demonstrated by this piece of blues music:

The “Call and Response” in blues music can be vocal, or instrumental. Listening for the “call” and then the “response” in this piece. You can hear how one phrase is always answered by another.

The blues has been a strong influence on popular music in the western world. It is the root of jazz, rock and roll, hip hop and other popular music.

The 1950’s brought what was known as Chicago Blues which is based very much on the old Mississippi blues of musicians like Muddy Waters and Willy Dixon.

During the 1960’s came British Blues and The Yardbirds, Fleetwood Mac and Cream (to name just a few) performed in the Chicago Blues style. American blues-rock performers like Janis Joplin and Canned Heat followed on. Among the blues rock-guitar players of this time was the legendary Jimi Hendrix with his psychedelic rock style.

JANIS JOPLIN

JIMI HENDRIX

In the 70’s the Texas Rock Blues style emerged and musicians like ZZTop, Otis Rush and Luther Allison became the forerunners of rock music.

ZZ TOP

The 80’s saw a resurgence of the old Southern Soul, Soul Blues and American artists like Denise Lasalle, Marvin Sease and Bobby Rush found success. In 1989 John Lee Hooker and Eric Clapton brought their own brand of blues to the international music scene.

Since 1990 there has been a renewed interest in blue music and young artists like Sean Costello, The White Stripes and The Black Keys are exploring different aspects the blues and creating their own individual styles.

SEAN COSTELLO PLAYS OTIS RUSH STYLE

21st Century blues is still evolving and includes artists like Chris Thomas King with his Dirty South Hip-Hop Blues, Nublues with Dreams of A Blues Man and Francis Monkman’s 21st Century Blues.

CHRIS THOMAS KING