[Dixielandjazz] THE BLUES - Reality vs. perception.

[Bill Gunter]

Listmates,

Steve Barbone writes:

>Does the "artsy" audience among us change our perception of the music?
>Legend or reality? Read on if interested to see who "woke up this
>mornin".  Barbone then quotes an interesting article on those who sing the 
>blues.

This set me to thinking . . .

If there is anything which tends to give me a case of the galloping giggles 
it's listening to a contemporary trad jazz band with one of the sidemen 
doing the vocal on a "blues" tune.

It's my thesis that the "blues" can really only be sung by a certain type of 
individual. And that individual is certainly NOT a 65 year old white dude 
dressed in Dockers and a knit polo shirt with a band logo emblazoned on the 
front all topped off with a nice new pair of clean white tennis shoes. More 
than likely the singer is retired from his day gig as a school teacher or 
tax accountant and while he may have a nice singing voice and be "well read" 
and "worldly" in his personal life he is, nevertheless, like me, totally 
incapable of singin' the blues.

The only way I can sing anything close to the blues is to do a parody of it 
which, of course, is not the blues at all but is, instead, a piece of 
comedic schtick.

As a matter of fact, I'm rather happy about the fact that I can't 
authentically "sing the blues."

Respectfully submitted,

Bill "Forget your trouble, come on get happy" Gunter
jazzboard at hotmail.com