The British Blues Exhibition – November 2014
The Blues is a remarkable music arising from American and African roots. It has been played by artists as diverse as Fleetwood Mac, Seasick Steve, ZZ Top, Robert Plant, BB King, and Imelda May. It can be joyful or sad, angry or loving, party music, or lament. The Blues has inspired many musical forms including Rock ‘n’ Roll, Rap, and Hip-Hop.

British Blues music has a unique history. There are great stories, great places, and great music to celebrate. Preparations have just begun, but items from iconic and still broadcasting radio station Radio Caroline, British Blues ground breakers The Down liners Sect, The Original Blues Brothers Band from the US, and more are being curated for display. Exhibition events will excite, involve and inspire visitors. In the meantime, our website as a resource and this leaflet are our first steps. British Blues: check it out and discover some of the best music on the planet.

History Of British Blues

In February 2012, British music artists Mick Jagger and Jeff Beck appeared in US President Barack Obama’s White
House to perform alongside American artists BB King, Keb Mo, Buddy Guy, Booker T. Jones, Derek Trucks, Gary Clarke Jr, Shemekia Copeland, Warren Haynes, Trombone Shorty, and Susan Tedeschi. If any proof is needed of how important British Blues is alongside American Blues, this is it.

Where did British Blues come from? First, there was the Blues, in the United States, that is thought to have begun with WC Handy and performers like Bessie Smith, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Robert Johnson in the early 20th century. Records came to the UK from the 1930s; British Jazz fans heard the Blues as a sub-genre of American jazz.
By 1950, Britain had a well-established ‘traditional Jazz’ scene, within which Blues music held a special place. Bands led by musicians such as Chris Barber, Humphrey Lyttelton, and Mick Mulligan reserved a section in their gigs for Blues singing. Musicians who later became famous in the 1960s Blues boom, such as Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies (Blues Incorporated), had their first experiences of performing Blues during these gigs. Visiting musicians included Lonnie Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and Muddy Waters. These appearances, and the release of Chicago Blues and American Rhythm and Blues, fired the enthusiasm of those such as Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones), Eric Burdon (The Animals), Van Morrison (Them), Jeff Beck/Eric Clapton etc (The Yardbirds/John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers), Paul Jones (Manfred Mann) and many more. In the 1960’s, these artists wrote and performed American Blues-inspired original songs. Thus the Blues was embedded in the meteoric rise of British Rhythm and Blues and into Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Some of those pioneers of British pop and Rock ‘n’ Roll traveled to America and added to the impact of white American artists such as Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis in taking American roots music, including the Blues, to new audiences, leading to sharp revivals in the careers of US Blues artists such as Muddy Waters. This period has been described as the British Blues Explosion. In ensuing decades, more British Blues performers followed those early pioneers. Many are still performing – The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, John Mayall, Eric Clapton, and Paul Jones, to name a few. So too are some of their contemporaries, including The Pretty Things and The Down liners Sect.

Now, we have new British Blues talents, such as Hugh Laurie, Andy Twyman, The Laura Holland Band, Tom Attah, The Mentulls, Laurence Jones, Katie Bradley, and Virgil and the Accelerators. They are joined by touring US acts, including Mud Morganfield, Michael Katon, The Billy Walton Band, Debbie Bond, Joe Bonamassa, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Supporters The British Blues Exhibition is proud to be supported by Chris Barber, Huey Morgan and Mud Morganfield. With their help, we’re Breaking Blues Again.
British Blues Exhibition website: for history, live music, radio, theatre and dance https://britishbluesexhibition.wordpress.com/
British Blues – listening
Paul Jones, BBC Radio 2 – www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006wrpd
David Freeman, Jazz FM – www.jazzfm.com/on-air/david-freeman
Radio Caroline – www.radiocaroline.co.uk
Independent British Blues Broadcasters www.bluesbroadcasters.co.uk
British Blues publications:
Blues and Rhythm – www.bluesandrhythm.co.uk
Blues In Britain – www.bluesinbritain.org
Blues Matters – www.bluesmatters.com
The Blues – https://blog.thebluesmag.com
Contact: email promusicagency@outlook.com
Organisations
British Blues Awards – www.britishbluesawards.com
European Blues Union – www.europeanbluesunion.com
The Blues Foundation (US) – www.blues.org
The National Blues Museum (US) – www.nationalbluesmuseum.org
Supporters
Chris Barber – www.chrisbarber.net
Mud Morganfield – www.mudmorganfieldblues.com
Huey Morgan – www.hueyandthenewyorkers.com
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