The blues
When I was 18 I worked on a boat, sailing every week between Montreal and Newfoundland. When we docked in the port of Montreal I would head for jazz and blues bars. I met dozens of the greats, and I have lively memories: of Muddy Waters's intensity, John Lee Hooker's commanding stage presence, James Cotton's craziness.
"Blues is the Healer", said John Lee Hooker.
Blues are not only about the suffering and pain of life, but also about its joys and moments of gladness: "happy blues," B.B. King calls them. With their inspired stories from everyday life and their simple words, the blues can reach the hearts and minds of both musicians and listeners. The blues are about all of us.
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www.campdeblues.com A dream Blues camp for ages 13-17 !
www.lenetblues.com Everything about blues in Quebec, including a video of Vincent Beaulne of Blues Delight in concert with friends at the Montreal International Jazz Festival.
www.notason.com Musical production services, including preparation of scores and orchestrations.
www.bluesmontreal.com Société Blues de Montreal
www.mikedeway.com A true Québec Bluesman !
www.daleboyle.com A singer-songwriter with deep roots in Gaspé.
www.jmigacz.ca A Great Painter living in Montreal !
www.cammac.ca CAMMAC : A Musical Camp for the whole family, a wonderful place !
www.aubergedulacalaloutre.com Such a peaceful place !
www.daddy-mojo.com Some really cool slide guitars !
Dobros Guitars to drool over. Part of the Gibson website.
National Reso-Phonic Guitars Drool over the magnificent guitars made by National.
Da Capo Press A leading American publisher of paperback books on, among other many things, the blues.
University Press of Mississipi A publisher supported by eight universities in Mississipi. Many excellent books on the blues. Search engine.
Southern Compendium A portal on which you can "find just about anything in the South that happens to be on the World Wide Web". Good, varied blues links in the site's music section.
Smithsonian You'll learn a lot: the Smithsonian Institution is, after all, the world's largest museum complex and research organization. Good search engine.
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Mister Satan's Apprentice, by Adam Gussow. (Random House, 1998)
"A raw, heartfelt memoir of an unlikely collaboration between an earnest young harmonica player and a charismatic, streetwise Harlem musician."
Muddy Waters: The Mojo Man, by Sandra B Tooze. (ECW Press, 1996)
"An original and fascinating biography on my favorite blues singer" – Mick Jagger.
Chasin' That Devil Music: Searching for the Blues, by Gayle Dean Wardlow and Edward M Komora. (Backbeat Books, 1998)
"Essential reading for anyone interested in the history of Delta blues." Includes a CD sampler.
The Blues Makers, by Sam Charters. (Da Capo Press, 1991)
Reprints of The Bluesmen and Sweet As the Showers of Rain. Contains biographies of seminal country blues artists.
The Legacy Of The Blues: A glimpse into the Art And Lives Of Twelve Great Bluesmen, by Sam Charters. (Da Capo Press, 1977)
By a poet and authority on black music.
His Eyes Is On The Sparrow: An Autobiography, by Ethel Waters with Charles Samuel. (Da Capo Press, 1992)
The autobiography of a remarkable artist.
I'd Rather Be The Devil: Skip James and the Blues, by Stephen Calt. (Da Capo Press, 1994)
A biography of one blues legend and of Mississippi blues in general.
La Route du Blues by D. Ausseil et C. Contamine. (Editions d'Art J.P. Barthélémy; 1995)
Published in two versions, the larger of which is very informative, illustrated by superb color photos, and comes with an associated CD.
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