On the Monthly Artist Spotlight Feature (Jimmie Vaughan)

That was the best interview with Jimmie I have ever read. Good questions and great answers, you probably blew JLV's mind having Gene Ammons on your ringtone. ~ Joseph, Austin, Texas (USA)

Thank you Jimmie for mentioning my name in your recent interview. I'm flattered. Great interview by the way. Hope to see you again soon. Love you brother. ~ Ronnie, Dallas, Texas (USA)

GREAT job David! You need to be working for Rolling Stone! ~ Billy, Santa Clarita, California (USA)

Rad! ~ Parker, Costa Mesa, California (USA)

I just read the interview with Jimmie Vaughan. I'm from Texas and have read and heard a lot of the Jimmie and Stevie stuff, but I thought the interview was excellent. You did great with the interview; it kind of sounded like you guys were sitting next to each other having a pint and a great time together. I enjoyed the read. Being from Texas I love the blues, but like Jimmie, I love me some honky tonk, rockabilly, and rock n roll also. I will post the article on my Facebook page at CoastalTravelUS Radio. ~ Scott, Pearland, Texas (USA)

What I loved about it is that it felt like a conversation...and you asked questions about music... not just guitar shit.~  JW, Ottawa, Alberta, Canada

Great Interview! ~ Zack, Los Angeles, California (USA)

On the Monthly Album Spotlight Feature (The Mannish Boys: Wrapped Up and Ready)

Like yourself David, I was pretty much done with the Mannish Boys. I bought their album after reading your review and per usual you were dead nuts on the money. Blues record reviews are about as useless as tits on a bore hog, but I know you are going to shoot us straight and not waste your time writing and our time reading about albums that suck. ~ Billy, Katy, Texas (USA)

Mac, you did it again. You gave me the info I needed to make an informed record buying decision and made me laugh at the same time. ~ Kelly, Portland, Maine (USA)

Thanks for writing about musicians from the West Coast like the Mannish Boys and their great new record. Everyone who knows anything about the current state of the blues knows that Southern California has more great blues musicians than any place on the planet. It has been that way for many years now. Wrapped Up and Ready is just one example of this. ~ Carl, Chicago, Illinois (USA)  

On an article from our archives simply entitled: An Editorial by David Mac

Thanks for sharing this. The same goes for jazz vocalists. I've seen too many that have no musical clue yet they feel that they know all because they are at the front of the stage. I happened to see many masters in the late 70s and early 80s then a new crop of fans that wanted to "keep the blues alive" started bands. It was so bad at times that the form was tainted to me for a long time. After SRV there was a new crop that trounced it again. But there are some that have that "thing" and I feel hopeful again. The value of live music seems to have diminished. Perhaps folks want to see a "Star" more than be around masters. I can't tell anymore. Who knows? ~ Aaron, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

I'm glad you posted this AGAIN. When you consider that most don't know the difference between a very accomplished artist and an artist of pedestrian means, they need help to be educated and you are putting forth the comparative means for them to, possibly, perceive the difference. There are so many that are tone deaf and don't know if the lead vocalist can, actually, carry a pitch. Thanks for the posting. You are spot on and you are being very kind. Bob Claypool would have not been so kind. The darn excellent music writer... ~ John, Houston, Texas (USA)

David, I'm shocked. You don't think it is appropriate to sign your name to, then reprint, every one-sheet you receive? It's high time you fell in line, else you risk being out of step. Like I am... ~ Tom, Negaunee, Michigan (USA)

There are a lot of reasons that I gave up on blues about 10 years ago and this article names a few. Besides all the self-indulgence of the latter day players, most of today's players think they have some sort of inside track to the blues but they don't. There is no balance in the songs, usually, and very poor vocals so they try and gain back that lost space with guitar solos...endless guitar solos...harp players that play way too much and think that every song should contain a harp playing in it...if you listen to Jimmy Reed, Slim Harpo or Junior Parker, they just have little solos and it makes their vocals that much effective. ~ Mike,Roxboro,North Carolina (USA) 

I love it Dave, keep poking the cage. Stir it up and make people think and talk about it. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. ~ Tommy, Long Beach, California (USA)

These people aren't keeping the blues alive, they're burying the music in an avalanche of self-absorbed bullshit. They're only keeping their delusional fantasy of being in the music biz alive. ~ Lee, Current, Harbour Island, The Bahamas

Us music programmers hear you loud and clear. ~ Shawn, East Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

I just paid for a cheeseburger at an AM/PM. I'm keeping fine dining and gourmet food alive! ~ Christopher, San Jose, California (USA)

Sounds like "trying to pass a pine cone..." !! ha ha ha ! Great article - refreshing. ~ Elayne, Detroit, Michigan (USA)

I had to share. You nailed it. ~ Dylan, Newport News, Virginia (USA)

Love this and nothing but the truth..... ~ Noel, San Francisco, California (USA)

Sad, but true. I recently had a conversation with Nathan James, a truly original roots blues artist in Southern California who is making music that moves me. He combines both the past and the future of blues in his own compelling style, has a small but dedicated following, several acclaimed CDs, yet still has a hard time being accepted by the "blues community." Why? I suspect it is because he does not hew to the established blues formats that revere the long-established, tried and true blues templates. And, as you allude to in your lengthy, but right-on editorial, with so many wannabes competing for our hearts and minds, it is that much tougher to identify the true artists thru all the clutter. ~ Christopher, Newport Beach, California (USA)

As a little regional band that has been doing what we love for a dozen years now with no delusions of fame and fortune, we did finally put out a CD this year. I was one of those that paid for a review, more for the promotion that went along with it than for the review itself. You know the poor man's publicist.

My request is that I would like to send the CD to you and have you tell me what you think of it. It doesn't have to be a published review. I am simply looking for honest feedback from someone that hears a lot of music from a lot of artists and will have a good basis for their opinion. As you probably know, that is difficult to come by. Our friends and fans around here, of course, like it. We got the paid for review (obviously not unbiased) and a review in Blues Blast magazine that really said a whole lot of nothing. I have sent it to some folks that did nothing with it, so I can only assume they didn't like it. But, if you would be so kind, I would like to know from an unbiased third party what might be good, what needs work, if it sucks, why it sucks, etc. That is what is hard to come by these days. If you're up for that, let me know and I'll send you a copy. ~ Thanks - Blues Musician (USA)

Editor’s note: This gentleman didn’t sign his letter anonymously. He gave me his full name. As you know I don’t “publish” letters to the editor from people who don’t stand behind what they have to say and go on record with their thoughts on any given subject. I made the decision to remove his name, as this individual was honest, up front with his experiences trying to navigate the murky waters of the music business. I did in fact get back with him and gave him my assessment of his music. I didn’t want his candor, honesty and decency to bounce back at him and adversely affect himself and his band’s career.