Ideas about the Blues

Dallas blues culture believes in “racial and spiritual harmony through love, peace, truth, righteousness and non-violence”, according to the House of Blues Dallas, which is the hub of blues in the metroplex.  The blues originated from spirituals and work chants of southern African American communities in the late 1800’s.  Therefore, blues can be defined as a form of expression during times of sorrow.  The blues provided a rhythmic encouragement to persevere and helped to develop unity between fellow laborers.  In today’s Dallas blues scene, the music still retains these roots of companionship through music, but has developed more into the entertainment industry’s idea of music- a more mainstream, marketable form of the blues that is seen more as a show than a way of life.  The style of dress is very casual and unpretentious, much like the music itself.  Today, Dallas blues culture prefers artists to have a proficiency in guitar, with similar skills to that of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and B.B. King. The blues can be performed anytime.  At the House of Blues, there are performances almost every night.  Even on some Sundays, the House of Blues hosts a Gospel Brunch, where an African American choir performs the spiritual blues accompanied by instrumentalists and comfort-food breakfast and lunch are served.  

Many ethnomusicologists agree that the first blues song ever published is a song titled “Dallas Blues” by Hart Wand.  The blues originated in Texas, Louisiana, and the Mississippi Delta and was pioneered by singers such as Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith.  As African American communities began migrating from the south to the north in cities like Chicago and Detroit, transplanted blues artists such as Muddy Waters became very popular, since they sang about their humble urban setting as opposed to their old, rural setting.  These artists began using electric guitars and a band, including standup bass, drums, and a harmonica.  Willie Dixon, a Grammy Award winning Blues Musician once said, “the blues are the roots; everything else is the fruits.”  This style of music helped foster new music genres such as rock n roll and R&B.  These genres became popular with white Americans as well as Europeans, leading to its musical prominence today.  Blues music appeal transcends social class and position, and is appreciated by a wide variety of music aficionados.