Blues

American Blues first emerged around the turn of the 20th century in America’s South, especially the Mississippi River Delta. Though both African-American and white musicians played this music, the main distinguishing characteristic was what record companies called it: if the performer was white, it was “hillbilly music,” if black, it was a “race record.” Distinctions in style, instrumentation and rhythms did soon develop, and by the 1920s, African-American artists like W.C. Handy found themselves as the torchbearers of a new genre, performed by African Americans and mainly marketed to African-Americans; though, through a revolutionary new medium — radio — it was accessible to everyone.

Thereare so many genres of blues for us to explore:

Big Band Blues | Chicago Blues | Delta Blues | Early Blues | Electric Blues | Memphis Blues | Piedmont Blues | Swamp Blues| And so much more….