Blues music is alive and well, as shown by the modern blues music that is growing in popularity every year. What does the blues have to offer that keeps it current? While younger blues artists are bringing exciting new elements to the genre, don't underestimate the emotional power of the blues tradition.
The blues grew out of the music sung by the newly freed Blacks of the South following the Civil War. They explored integrating field and work chants with gospel music sung on Sundays and the folk songs they heard in their communities.
As this music developed, it became infused with the deep emotions of a people held in slavery for centuries. The songs became an outlet for the emotional burdens they carried. The tunes were simple and bold, the lyrics honest, and the vocals expressive. Hence, the blues carry a significant emotional weight as they travel down through the decades.
Today the emotional content of traditional blues is combined with more modern characteristics and stylings. It is still a powerful genre that is capable of deep expression. In addition to the pure blues sound, the blues have inspired and influenced almost every other popular contemporary genre.
The musical styles that owe a great deal to blues include:
It has even found its way into the classical realm through composers such as Wynton Marsalis and Enrico Pieranunzi. The blues in the 21st century have played a role in the transformation of music across all artistic boundaries.
Just as the blues have influenced songwriters and composers of diverse genres, so have these genres influenced the blues. This is why the blues of today have a new sound and some different characteristics than the classic blues of old. Modern blues artists are incorporating elements such as:
Of course, there are still performers who focus on "pure" blues, preferring acoustic instruments, twelve-bar harmonic progressions, and blues scales. One of the most exciting things about this time in blues music is the constant variation and experimentation pushing the genre's possibilities.
Let's look at a sampling of the modern blues artists who are developing and using some of these new elements. Artistic changes can evolve quickly. Therefore, what one performer is doing today, others may be doing next year. Look for these trends to spread across different groups and songwriters.
The Duo of Dan Auerbach on vocals and guitar and Patrick Carney on drums came together in 2001. They are perhaps one of the most popular of the modern blues acts. Their hit single "Tighten Up" received both critical acclaim and a Grammy Award.
The Black Keys' music features stripped-down instrumentals and old-fashioned guitar pedal effects that emulate a gritty, authentic blues sound. The rhythms are punk and garage rock-influenced, and the vocals are pure rock. All of this is pinned to blues harmonic progressions and classic twelve-bar structures.
Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks are a husband and wife team from Jacksonville, Florida. They began playing together in 2010 and released their first album as Tedeschi Trucks Band in 2011. This album, "Revelator," won the Grammy Award for Best Blues Album that year.
This group shows their blues roots in Trucks' guitar stylings and Tedeschi's soulful vocals. The harmonies are founded in early blues traditions as well. Where Tedeschi Trucks Band is moving the genre forward is with their instrumentals.
A typical band concert lineup includes the following instruments:
This play with timbre and color provides a strong modern element to the overall sound. It gives more solo opportunities as well as showcasing gospel and soul influences.
This brilliant guitarist from Texas has been tearing up the modern blues music scene for a while. His first album, "Blak and Blu," was released by Warner Brothers in 2012. It hit number one on the Blues Albums chart and Gary has been on fire ever since.
You can hear the influences of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf in Gary's songs. His vocals are soulful and pure, and his harmonies and melodies are steeped in the blues tradition. It's the guitar solos where he breaks the mold.
Gary gets a lot of credit for "electrifying" the blues. He is a master of the electric guitar and plays it with a hot intensity that owes more allegiance to classic rock than anything else. He also adds hip-hop riffs and rhythms for a genre-bending effect.
Listen to just one Alabama Shakes song led by vocalist Brittany Howard, and you can hear the R&B and soul influences. While she has been compared to Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin, Howard claims that her greatest inspirations were David Bowie and Led Zeppelin.
Alabama Shakes brings fantastic blues rhythms and harmonies to the table. When mixed with Brittany's nearly operatic vocals and psychedelic instrumental jams, the result is a whole new way to play and sing the blues.
Shepherd may be the most traditional of the modern blues artists on this list. His songs employ classic blues tunes, rhythms, and melodies. The vocals by his lead singer, Noah Hunt, are appropriately somber and soulful. Where Shepherd deviates from traditional blues is in the overall sound quality.
Blues songs tend to be gritty and unplugged. Historically, they were often recorded in poor conditions outside of studios or sound booths. This gives classic blues recordings a rough and ready vibe that most modern musicians want to emulate.
Shepherd's sound is quite polished. He produces recordings that are clearly well-crafted in the studio and meant for radio play. His application of modern recording practices to traditional-sounding blues tunes creates a smooth, contemporary blues that crosses over into diverse audience demographics.
The Icelandic band KALEO is evidence of the widespread influence and power of the blues. The blues is a distinctly American genre, coming out of the unique experience of Black life in the United States. The genre has proven so compelling that musicians all over the world have been inspired by its musical elements and emotional drive.
KALEO takes the soul-crushing vocals and melodies of the blues and combines them with driving rock rhythms and a Nordic coolness. The result is a new way of experiencing the blues. The emotional content is still there, but it feels more distant and introspective. Some of the raw immediacy is removed.
This has proven a successful formula for the band. They are extraordinarily popular worldwide. In the United States, their hit single, "Way Down We Go," was certified double platinum.
An up-and-comer, Ally Venable is one of the newest faces in modern blues music. She released her first EP in 2013 at the age of 14 and has continued to record and tour with great reviews. She has twice won Female Guitar Player of the Year from the East Texas Music Awards.
Venable's blues style is influenced by some of the greats, including Samantha Fish, Bonnie Raitt, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. You can hear this inspiration in her soulful vocals and impressive guitar solos. She brings a hardcore rock sensibility to the genre. The drum riffs are rock-driven and the ample use of keyboard recalls such keyboard-heavy rock bands as Yes and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer.
Another Texas native, Ruthie Foster brings a blend of folk and gospel to her brand of blues. In true-blues fashion, her songs are based on her life experiences and are infused with emotional content. Her ninth album, "But Promise of a Brand New Day," is a typical sampling of what she can do. All of the following styles show up on this album:
She successfully blends all these styles to create a sound that is unique in the blues pantheon.
Foster keeps things simple, preferring light instrumentation and traditional harmonic progressions. Her vocal stylings provide creative variations. Soaring riffs reveal gospel roots, while funky rhythms imply R&B underpinnings.
It's safe to say the blues isn't going anywhere. It has been on the scene for over a hundred years and will likely stay for a hundred more. The emotional power of the genre continues to attract artists of all types from all over the world.
Part of the appeal is that traditional blues are easy to play. Anyone can try them. They follow a basic three-chord structure that serves as the foundation for expressive melodies. If you'd like to try your hand at playing the blues, go to Musicnotes.com.
