Don’t Worry, Buddy Guy. The Blues Ain’t Dead.
Buddy Guy is worried about the blues. The legendary blues guitarist and singer recently sat down with NPR Music and told of his fears that the genre - so deeply entrenched in not just the American, but the international music scene - would die out before too long. Spooked by a conversation with musical peer Muddy Waters, shortly before Waters’ death, Guy says he’s made it his personal mission to ensure blues remains important to future generations of musicians and listeners. Dwindling live audiences and a shift to more electronic sounds in pop music have been cited by older blues musicians and fans alike as the “downfall” of the sound. But a little research turns up blues’ massive influence across the modern musical spectrum - from rock and folk, to soul and hip hop, and beyond. Simply put, the blues ain’t dead. Here are fifteen examples of artists keeping the train a-rollin’. Hit play on the playlist below and get the scoop while you listen. https://play.spotify.com/user/shanimald/playlist/1Rqw1KLk6lhI0tOMDCeOmL The Soul Crossovers Leon Bridges http://www.leonbridges.com/ Bridges’ debut album Coming Home was released in June 2015. Hailing from Fort Worth, TX (and many would agree, it almost seems, another era entirely), his performances (in which he dons exclusively vintage clothing) have been likened to great soul and blues legends such as Sam Cooke. And if that’s not bluesy enough for you, here’s this: the first song he ever wrote, “Lisa Sawyer”, was about his mother’s baptism. In a river. St. Paul & the Broken Bones http://stpaulandthebrokenbones.com/ A seven-piece band out of Birmingham, AL, complete with a crazy tight brass section, St. Paul & the Broken Bones are often classified as Southern Soul. There’s no denying the blues element here, though, strongly heard in member Browan Lollar’s lo-fi guitar sounds and raw, humid vocals. The band are signed to Single Lock Records, a label based in the blues-rich Shoals region of Alabama. They gave the label their first Billboard 200 entry with “Half The City” in 2014. Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears http://www.blackjoelewis.com/ [caption id="attachment_3264" align="alignnone" width="438"]![Black Joe Lewis mixes the blues with old school soul.](http://www.youbloom.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/bjl.jpg)
![Blue to the bone: Gary Clark, Jr.](http://www.youbloom.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/gcjr-1030x1030.jpg)
![Who doesn't love a bitta Hozier?](http://www.youbloom.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/hozier.jpg)
![Blues in New York: Castle Creek.](http://www.youbloom.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/cc-1030x1030.jpg)
![Uh...sir? You're on in five?](http://www.youbloom.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/jrwtb.jpg)