As a musician, I thought that I knew what the blues is. But after a visit to Chicago, I don’t know. I had thought that the blues was a feel, certain notes and often a stylized 12-bar chord pattern. But after my visit to Chicago, I’m not sure that the blues is a matter of musical notes.
My first experience of Chicago blues was the House of Blues. The walls of the Chicago House of Blues are covered with folk art. The folk art was powerful, sometimes “abstract,” striking and soulful. It affected me, and set the tone for my experience in the club. One collection of drawings had someone shot in every picture. One woman had about 20 bleeding bullet holes in her. There was a Santa Claus dead and bleeding from a gunshot. There were other artworks that had smiles, grimaces, faces, figures–all carrying a heartfelt message. In the upstairs concert hall, above the stage were symbols of many world religions with the words, “All Are One” in the central panel. The stage of the downstairs club had red curtains with a large heart on fire on them behind the band. The impression I had in the House of Blues was that I was in a shrine. I even told my partner that this place was spiritual. The music was part of this spiritual experience. Heart. Community. Togetherness.
In Buddy Guy’s Legends, guitars were hung on the walls signed by the likes of Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, B. B. King, George Thorogood, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and other legends. The MC who introduced the band worked the audience. He asked where we all came from. There were people from Canada, Switzerland, Turkey, England, Texas, South Side of Chicago, and other places all over the world. As people in the audience called out their homes, the rest of us cheered. The MC made jokes, warmed up the audience and brought us all together. The music was communal, communion. Heart. Togetherness. The music was part of the overall experience.
I live in Canada, and we have a good blues club here that brings in bands from all over North America and even Spain. The music here is good. As good as Chicago. But we don’t have the bond of hearts I experienced in Chicago. It’s more like an informal concert. And I have never felt our club is a shrine. I don’t know what the blues is. It may be heart–soul. Not good notes.
David Fekete 