Last month musical historian, author and curator of the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, Robert Santelli spoke to a reporter from the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch. He was getting ready to speak to an audience that had gathered in Saint Louis on the site of the National Blues Museum which is scheduled to open next year. In his remarks to the reporter Santelli intimated that he thought blues is dying and that its ultimate demise is inevitable.

His comments relating to the general health of blues music set off the rather predictable firestorm on  some of the Facebook blues forums where I make an occasional surgical strike. The outraged indignation of those in the “Keepin’ the Blues Alive” crowd out there was nothing short of hysterical. The irony of their objections to Santelli’s comments while sporting their “Keepin The Blues Alive” hats, t-shirts, buttons, tattoos, tie dye blinders and ear plugs was lost on many of these folks.

Just as predictable was that I had some thoughts on all of this and even more predictable is that I couldn’t keep them to myself. I weighed in on one of these posts in something called the Real Blues Forum. I gave it my usual David (See More…) Mac treatment and then bailed out. I thought, ‘Why give it up for free?’ Profundities of this nature should be reserved for our loyal readers here at BLUES JUNCTION.

Robert Santelli has spent a lifetime studying and writing about American music and related subjects.  Among the many books he has authored is 1994’s The Big Book of Blues: A Biographical Encyclopedia and 1997’s The Best of the Blues: 101 Essential Blues Albums. I am sure many of our readers have at least one book written by Santelli in their library.

I don’t know if Santelli is right or if he is wrong as to the imminent demise of blues music. What I do know is that he has devoted a lifetime of thought, research and study to this subject. I also know that I didn’t have time to reflect on the merits of his thesis. The topic deserves some serious reflection and contemplation. I was too busy listening to blues music at nightclubs and festivals. I was too busy purchasing and listening to some terrific brand new CDs from some very talented blues musicians. I was too busy doing two in depth interviews with a couple of blues musicians one of whom is thirty three years old and the other twenty four. I was so busy I forgot to remind these cats that they are dying. I am glad, because they would have just told me to go forth and multiply, not using those exact words mind you.

I was also very busy watching my favorite baseball team advance to the National League Championship Series. I believe the last time Atlanta had a beat down this bad, General Sherman was involved. So it is with great joy that I announce that the droning and incessantly annoying sound that is the tomahawk chop chant (or whatever they call it) will again be silenced here in the first week of October. What will be heard is the voice of Vin Scully. Read my thoughts on this American institution in a piece simply called, The Voice.

On a serious note we have kept the open letter written by the president of Delta Groove Music, Randy Chortkoff up on the shelf. His update on the condition of Kid Ramos is greatly appreciated. In that letter there is a link to the Delta Groove website for anyone interested in contributing to Kid’s medical relief fund. Kid and his family remain in our thoughts.

I will be keeping you posted on a very exciting show that is taking place in Southern California. BLUES JUNCTION will make available to our readers a discount coupon for that show. Stay tuned.

As always, thank you all for your loyal support of our endeavors here at BLUES JUNCTION. It is a real joy to engage so many thoughtful, discerning blues fans. I try very hard to get back to as many of you as I can. Thanks also for all of the sharing and reposting of the content you find in our ezine. Your “word of mouth” campaign is the single biggest marketing tool we have going for us and I kind of like it that way. Until next time, be well and be in touch. Go Dodgers!

- David Mac