---the art of roots and groove--- TAXIM RECORDS
AN ANTHOLOGY OF CONTEMPORARY BLUES SONGS FROM THE USA
TALKING
WITH THE BLUES
alabama - blues from the heart of dixie
california - bay area blues / desaster city blues
colorado - rocky mountain blues
florida - sunshine state blues
georgia - peach state blues
new jersey - garden state blues
new york city - big apple blues
tennessee - good whiskey blues
texas - trucking my blues away
volume 1-19
The concept of TALKING WITH THE BLUES is based on a view
of the various US states as blues regions. Even casual blues listeners are familiar
with the fact that there is Chicago Blues or Mississippi Blues and the gripping
social history of the music is very much marked by its geography. But there
is much more that just those two places and to this day blues music stays committed
to local styles. Moreover, many US states are endowed with a unique cultural
identity grown out of the prevailing social, historical and ethnic realities.
Reflections of these specific identities are also expressed in the blues.
Contemporary American blues practice is not limited to just a handful of states
and comes in many shapes and colors. Blues is part of everyday culture and people
from all walks of life choose it as their favorite soundtrack for social activities.
Blues culture can be found in many places, especially in the network-like multitude
of bars, live music clubs and juke joints. These blues strongholds are mostly
dominated by local heroes who do not lag behind when compared with the big names
of the business. Many of these contemporary and still to be discovered artists
are the cornerstones of this anthology.
The notion of a recurring blues renaissance in the US is misleading and deceptive inasmuch as the blues has never disappeared. The infrastructure of the blues scene is not based upon the music industry's PR efforts but kept alive by the inherent qualities of the music and the profound dedication of blues lovers all over the country. Good blues does not have an expiration date. Blues is soulful, emotional, direct and intense. The best of contemporary blues is blessed with the special kind of truthfulness that can turn the affairs of everyday life into something special. These are features which seem to have more or less disappeared from the world of modern pop music.
Neglecting the theoretical baggage of blues scholarship TAXIM aims at presenting an entertaining and regionally relevant cross-section of fine contemporary US blues like it is blossoming on the fringes of the music industry. So get ready for exceptional talent from a multitude of blues regions. TALKING WITH THE BLUES is about the special qualities that can still turn this music into a way of life. Put together with expertise and thought, these compilations feature artists who disprove the prejudiced notion of blues as a music paralyzed by cliches. The blues is alive and well. Not only in Texas, Chicago or Mississippi but everywhere from Shreveport to Milwaukee, from San Diego to Jersey City. Welcome aboard.
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