Well I've been sparse on the updates as of late because I've been incredibly busy what with getting ready to go back to college and what even I must say is a ridiculous concert schedule. In a week and a half starting on the 11th I saw BB King on Sunday, Herbie Hancock on Monday, Buddy Guy and George Thurgood on Wednesday, and Bobby "Blue" Bland last night. Seriously hectic and I'm going to have to take a break before I do anything like that again. So now I will go through each concert one by one to kind of give you and idea on how I felt about them but be wary because there is probably going to be some philosophical monologues throw in.
First off BB King
It was a great concert but what struck me the most was that it was basically the same concert I saw early this year that cost me three times the price. I mean I can hardly fault a 82 year for doing the same show over again because that basically is what he has been doing for that past 50 something years. However I've come to the opinion that BB is pretty much an embodiment of the national perception of the blues; he is the establishment. How it seems that Muddy Waters has faded from the collective memory and the only idea most people have of the blues continues to be and old black guy on a guitar who is now embodied by the well know BB King.
I feel as if BB King might not be the best example of the blues. I know I'm bordering on blasphemy but I feel the the lack of intimacy and raw emotion from his performances are basically giving the wrong impression. He is the packaged perception of the blues marketed to the people who feel that going to his concert gives them a broader outlook on American heritage but when in the grand scheme of things BB is just the polished paint job on a classic Cadillac. It's just what you can see on the outside diverting ones eyes from all the things on the insides; all the little pieces the make the car work and even further than that who made those pieces? What were the conditions that made those people do what they did? There is none of the grease, grime, or or sweat of a car on the outside. With blues there are layers but not enough people are getting past the shiny paint job.
Next Herbie Hancock(I know he is a jazz player but so am I and even though this is a blues blog I'm using him as an example of a great concert)
I'm going to be blunt, this was one of the best concerts I have ever been to. Usually there are concerts that are 70%, 80% and even 90% but I have only been to a handful that are 100% perfect. I could go on about every little detail (Lionel Loueke look him up, just do it.) but I'm going to continue on philosophical dialogue here.
I had a friend say "I'm not really a fan of fusion Herbie. it's just very corny to me." other than being a grossly ignorant statement it is also an unacceptable opinion for a musician to make (he is a guitarist). All people that know me are probably thinking I'm a hypocrite right now but believe it or not I'm working on changing. But the statement was mainly wrong in it's ignorance principally being that Fusion is corny and that Herbie can be described in such few words and corny is certainly not one of them. This touches on the broader concept of this post about society's general perceptions about the music of blues and jazz and their artists; plainly the general public is wrong. My friend was wrong thinking that Herbie was Fusion when he played quite a diverse show and second that BB King is the blues. I'm not going to possibly try and reason why things are they way they are but I do have some theories and forgive me while I keep them private for further development.
I'm sorry to cut this off but please tune in latter for the second installment.
