When we started this endeavor, I surveyed the landscape and saw that there was primarily only one type of blues publication. It was the news oriented type of journal. The ‘Blooze News Ucan Use’ type of publications were everywhere and I’m guessing some are still around. Of course, if they are only publishing four times a year, how newsworthy can anything be.

Everybody it seems was writing about the same thing. There was, and still is, a kind of herd mentality to the coverage of this music. Meanwhile, blues societies and foundations took a dump all over this music while having the audacity to say they were, “Keepin’ the Blues Alive!” I decided a long time ago we would have nothing to do with all that silliness. We would go it alone and take the road less traveled. As it turned out there was a lot of traffic on this bi-way. They just don’t honk their horns as loudly or as often.

So rather than give you something as disposable as news, I thought it would be a good idea to give you something that is timeless, feature articles that, like blues music itself, have a limitless shelf life. I thought I’d give you something that can’t go out of style because it has never been in style.

Since 1/1/11 we have garnered a very large and loyal base of readers. I had always suspected that these folks were laying in the weeds, waiting for something to come along to which they could relate. I’m very glad we found each other.

Part of our success stems from the fact that we do not pander to commercial interests. This is blues music after all and it has never been mainstream commercial music. It has always been music by and for the underdog, the outsider, the loner. It is music of the people. Blues is about fighting that uphill battle and the redemption one finds when that bout has been won.

Here at BLUES JUNCTION we fight that uphill battle every day, as we don’t take money from advertisers. The people who have come to us with offers along these lines have been folks who we wouldn’t want to be associated with and who wouldn’t have found their way into the JUNCTION in the first place. As tempting as many of these offers might be, I just couldn’t tarnish this ‘publication’ while insulting your intelligence at the same time. I also wanted to remain fiercely independent and not be beholden to any particular company, group or organization. I couldn’t dishonor the working blues musicians who I admire so much. They deserve better.

To this day we remain independent, reader supported and advertising free.

If you are interested in supporting our ongoing efforts, you are welcome to make a modest contribution to the cause by hitting one of the PayPal buttons at the bottom of many of the features you read here in this month’s BLUES JUNCTION. Thanks in advance for your support.

Be well and be in touch.

- David Mac



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