Radyo Akdeniz FM Music

Memphis blues music has a very rich and interesting history that is packed with many of the biggest names in American music. Created in the 1920s and 1930s, Memphis blues music was created by musicians that lived in the area, like Furry Lewis, Frank Stokes, John Estes and Memphis Minnie. At first, it was only popular in vaudeville and medicine shows, but soon it quickly grew to capture the interest of the entire nation.

Memphis blues music really got its start on Beale Street, the place where the nightlife and culture of Memphis was (and still is). There have been several books written, dedicated only to Memphis blues music and Beale Street, including Goin Back to Memphis by James L. Dickerson, which came out in the year 2000.

Memphis blues music gained a lot of popularity very fast, largely in part to its unique sound. Because many of the musicians were poor and could not afford to buy traditional instruments, they were forced to improvise using household items that were previously not known for their sound producing capabilities. For example, washboards, kazoos and Jews harps were all prevalent in early Memphis blues music.

Quite possibly the most unique and frequently used odd instruments found in Memphis blues music is the jug. To replace the sound that an expensive bass guitar would make, people would blow into various sized jugs to create a deep and hollow sound. Of course, some of the people in Memphis blues music were able to get their hands on traditional instruments such as violins, banjos and mandolins.

Memphis blues music never really featured any electric instruments until after World War II, when Memphis blues music musicians slowly started buying and using them. Memphis blues music also started to transform itself as new musicians came onto the Memphis scene. This is because many African Americans started to migrate away from impoverished rural areas in search of cities and good jobs. Among those making the trek to Memphis were Willie Nix, Ike Turner, Howlin Wolf and B.B. King.

Still, Memphis blues music remained confined to the area of Memphis. That is, until Sun Records took an interest in Memphis blues music and started signing local artists as fast as they could. Eventually, Memphis blues music would go on to influence rock and roll, modern jazz and rhythm and blues music, and has been cited by several famous musicians in their songs.

Anyone who has ever listened to the “Blues” knows that it is more than just music, but an inspiration, an unfolding of the emotions that we all feel. From Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Willie Dixon and many other influential Blues legends, to the more contemporary Blues artists such as Robert Cray, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Blues music has and always be a part of out musical heritage.

Capturing the essence and spirit that the Blues represent is a novel “Blues Musical” called “The Tear Jar.” Not focusing on a particular band or individual, the “Tear Jar” instead is a collaboration and meeting of the minds of many talented people including producer Chris Bravacos, song writer Robert Welch, audio engineer Frank Silver and writer Jerry King Musser.

Blended into the musical are the rare talents of musicians such as: industry veteran Diane Wilson (singing the character of Savannah), talented Bluesman Don Johnson (singing the character of Mason Ball), Blues guitar virtuoso Jared James Nichols (singing the character of JD Hunter), Jazz sensation Rose Hudson (singing the part of Chandra), veteran Gospel singer Eugene Barclift (playing the character of Stubs) and Soul Music vet Charles Lee (as the Preacher), among others.

To set up the story, one needs to know what a ‘tear jar’ is and what it represents. In ancient cultures, water was a prized possession and giving up water from one’s own body, in the form of tears, was considered a personal sacrifice. They would catch their precious tears in tiny pitchers or ‘tear jars.” The ’saved’ tears could then be used to ward off evil or to help a sick child. The writer takes this belief and implements into the storyline and applies it to the infectious Blues songs that encompass and define the musical. Here is a brief synopsis of the story:

“Seasoned, itinerant blues man, Mason Ball, returns to The Blue Rose, a club in which he enjoys playing, with an owner he deeply ‘admires.’ Upon his arrival, he’s surprised to discover that a ‘new kid in town’ has claimed the stage and attention of an appreciative audience. This young upstart, one JD Hunter, is unwilling to relinquish the limelight and makes it clear that the ‘old blues’ is dead. To add to the tension, Mason’s private love interest shares with him a serious, personal loss. Frustrated with his inability to appease her emotional pain, Mason dips his finger into a jar of tears given him by his recently departed mother and touches her with the potion. This act, apparently, manifests in wondrous results… relieving her of her anguish. Mason doubts his healing powers, yet can’t dismiss the changes he seems to have made. When word gets out, the audience demands Mason’s appearance onstage and seem to come for his ‘gift of healing’ as much as his gift of song. JD challenges Mason’s abilities, those both spiritual and musical. When a plan to expose Mason backfires, JD Hunter learns what it’s like to be on the receiving end of ‘the gift.’ But, gift or not, the characters in this story find themselves at a new place in their lives after discovering life’s potential magic is available to anyone.”

I have not seen the production, but have listened to some of the music and was overjoyed to hear a dizzying array of crisp, fresh Blues cuts that are certain to be standards and will have die-hard Blues fans clamoring for more.

“When Does The Healing Begin” is full of Gospel-fueled licks and superb vocals that fuses the Blues and Gospel in an explosion of sound. The cut called “The Magic,” like any great Blues song, just bleeds emotion, from the growling vocals and the Stevie Ray Vaughan-like riffs, yet it still remains achingly tender. “Satisfier” is expertly played and sang, with sultry vocals and is sung with immeasurable passion and strength. “I’m Gone,” is bound to become a classic blues rocker, tight and structured, and just compels you to bob your head or tap your foot with melodic adventure. “Stormbringer” perfectly fuses Soul and Blues music, with impassioned vocals and stellar guitar and organ work.

“The Tear Jar” is bound to become an instant classic Blues production, with fresh Blues music for all fans of the genre, who are sure to be pleased with the efforts of all the performers and everyone who is involved with this wondrous project. In its beginning stages, “The Tear Jar” has a performance slated for the Sunoco Performance Theater on Thursday, August 7 and Friday August 8, 2008 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. And with an intriguing storyline, a stellar cast and new Blues standards, it will soon make a bold impression in the music world and specifically Blues music.

To learn more about this inventive project and learn more about the players visit:

www.tearjar.com

Jazz, rock music and country and western are just some of the styles that owe a lot of their progression from the original blues. The contribution of Blues music to the development of many other genres of music is very significant. Blues was originally grown out of the hardships endured by many generations of African Americans, and first arose from the rural Mississippi region, around about the time of the dawn of the 20th century. The style developed from work shouts (known as arhoolies), and became the vocal narrative style that we associate with blues music today.

Blues was originally grown out of the hardships endured by many generations of African Americans, and first arose from the rural Mississippi region, around about the time of the dawn of the 20th century. The style developed from work shouts (known as arhoolies), and became the vocal narrative style that we associate with blues music today. The contribution of Blues music to the development of many other genres of music is very significant. Jazz, rock music and country and western are just some of the styles that owe a lot of their progression from the original blues.

As industry progressed and developed in to the 1920’s, so did the everyday lives of the people it affected, and by this time Blues music was also developing. By the 1920’s it had developed a very particular style, based around a number of three-line rhymed stanzas. These stanzas contained one line of verse that was repeated, and finished with a final line of rhyming verse.

The style at this time included a repeating blues chord progression, which then formed the basis for the harmony. Although there were variations, the usual rule of thumb was a 12-bar pattern utilizing the 3 major chords of a scale. The text was set to a 12-bar chorus, and typically was between four and eight stanzas in length.

In typical cases, the melody is formed by flattened third, fifth and seventh notes of the major scale. The outcome is the ‘bent’ notes that lend Blues music that distinctive sound – the bittersweet emotional impact that lacks in other genres. For the majority of blues music the focus is on the vocals – contradicting the fact that performers will often improvise instrumental solos over the Blues chord progressions.

Country Blues

This style arose from the Southern rural experience, and was particularly influenced by the impact of emancipation. Country Blues are often referred to as Delta Blues, a nod towards the Mississippi Delta where they first originated. There were many itinerant workers (mostly men) traveling from community to community, singing songs about freedom, love, the general sorrows of life and, of course, sex.

Classic Blues

African Americans began to migrate, mainly looking for work – it led to Blues music becoming much more urban-orientated, as areas such as Memphis and New Orleans began to become more populated. The music evolved as their way of life evolved. Male or female vocalists began to appear more regularly, and there was now the addition of a single piano.

The audience also grew, and Blues became more mainstream. Throughout the country as a whole, Blues music could now be heard in dancehalls and barrooms. The music industry as a whole started to take note, and more and more compositions and marketing arrangements emerged, as people began to take notice. The popularity of this kind of music grew exponentially. What would become known as Classic Blues became so popular that many songs were released with the word ‘blues’ in the title to capitalize on this, even though they bared little or no relation to the style of music.

Electric Blues

The appetite for the style of music known as the Blues was quite voracious. Its center, previously clustered around Memphis and New Orleans, began to migrate, and soon cities such as Chicago became the central point of much of the music.

With the end of the Second World War, there was a renewed revival to the genre, and there was a lot of development in the music, the most notable changes were the extra emphasis on the bass drums and the cranking up of the guitar sounds. By the time the 1950’s rolled around, the music was no longer centered solely around the African American community, and had an equal number of protagonists across all races. Artists like Bill Haley and Elvis began to incorporate the genre into their own brands.

The incorporation of the Blues style into different genres still exists today, and Blues music in its own right continues to go from strength to strength – many top selling artists maintain the original styles. The influence that Blues music has had on the music industry as a whole is undisputed, and yet Blues music is still evolving, still developing, and still evoking the stirrings of the soul to anyone who cares to listen!