From: conditt@tsd.arlut.utexas.edu (Paul Conditt)
Subject: Re: Christianity and The Blues (was Re: Hey, Screamin' Diane)
Organization: Applied Research Laboratories, University of Texas at Austin
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 20:22:04 GMT

In article <1993Jan6.165849.957@cbnews.cb.att.com> ajw@cbnews.cb.att.com (andrew.j.whitman) writes:
>In article <1993Jan6.094428.13405@bsu-ucs> 00sanaylor@leo.bsuvc.bsu.edu writes:
>
>(first few paragraphs deleted)
>
>>Fodder for thought-  I once saw an ad on a billboard at a music store about
>>some guy that had wanted to start a christian Blues band. 
>>
>>A friend of mine, a blues guitarist named Governor Davis (group: Governor 
>>Davis and the Blues Ambassadors, who have been trying to get me to play but 
>>I hate the smoky club blues scene...), wondered how can people doing Gospel 
>>music sing the Blues??
>>
>>I think this would be cool, the best example being Mark Farner's
>>Judgment Day Blues.  But, how many BLUES songs can you really sing?
>>
>>I mean, Buddy Guy didn't exactly write stuff like, 'Got my soul saved, yeah,
>>but my baby just left town...'.
>>
>>Any takers?
>
>Yeah, I'll take it and run with it.

Me, too, but I won't run as far.

[excellent brief history of blues evolution deleted]

>The other common objection seems to be that the blues focuses on
>sadness, sorrow, tragedies, etc., and that such an attitude is
>inappropriate for Christians who should be focusing on the joy and
>peace of the Lord.  Such a view ignores two significant points.

I'd like to add to this part from a more psychological and personal
viewpoint.  First, the psychological part (I'm applying to grad
school to study this - pray for me).  Feelings are feelings,
whether they're happy, sad, angry, depressed - whatever.  Contrary to
popular belief, we really can't control them.  We *can* control how
we react to them, but the feelings themselves are just there.  When
I'm feeling sad or depressed, a great release for me is listening to
and playing the blues.  I started getting pretty good at playing them
after my first g.f. broke up with me many years ago.  I knew the form
and had the technique, but it took a truly heart-wrenching experience 
for me to be able to really play the blues.  It's obvious to me that
God gave me this outlet.  It helped me express my pain without hurting
anyone else, it gave me a positive, creative outlet, and it was fun
(a good thing to have when you're depressed).  Unfortunately, I'm
having this opportunity all over again, but that's another story.

Although playing the blues is better for me, listening is also good
therapy.  Look at many of the Psalms.  If David didn't have the blues,
I don't know what you'd call it.  I wonder if he played 12 bars on his
harp :).  Now, I wouldn't go so far as to say that blues is enough 
therapy in and of itself, but it can be a good outlet for emotions.
Music can touch your emotions like no other medium can and blues is
designed, or at least evolved, to get to those deep-down emotions.

>
>First, much of blues music is celebratory, and is concerned with
>*overcoming* sadness and sorrow rather than wallowing in it.  
>Even a cursory listen to musicians such as Muddy Waters, Howlin'
>Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, B.B. King - even latter-day heroes
>like Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn - should indicate that
>these folks aren't wallowing; they're having a good time.  Sure,
>there's a fair amount of "woe is me" sentiments expressed in the
>music.  But that's hardly the whole story.

Ditto.  Sometimes you gotta go through the "woe is me" stage in order
to get on with life.  Blues can be a good way to do that.  Plus,
Andy's right in that it's not just drown-in-the-bottle lyrics that
are present in blues lyrics.  

Here is an excerpt from a blues mailing list in which I partipate:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
	About the Yazoo Videos that were mentioned, I found a review in Living
 Blues. There are 3 videos: Each has 2 artists playing solo.
	Each is 60 minutes Black and White. $25 each
	1 Son House & Bukka 
	  Bukka White:
		Aberdeen Mississippi Blues
		Ms. Rosalie
		Mama Don't Allow
		Why Can't Me and My Baby Get Along?
		Poor Boy
		one other they don't name
	  Son House
		Death Letter Blues
		John the Revelator
		Preaching the Blues
		I Want To Live So God Can Use Me
		
	I might pick this video to see Son but since 'John the Revelator' and
'I want to live...' are sung a capella, there are only 2 songs Son plays guitar
on.  However the reviewer loved it.  "If you have friends who simply refuse to
understand what it is you love so much about the blues, show them this tape of
Son House...It is impossible to watch Son House and not be moved."

	2 Reverend Gary Davis and Sonny Terry
	  Gary Davis   8 in all
		If I Had My Way
		Glory Hallelujah
		I Heard the Angels Singing
		Candy Man
		'several bluesy instrumentals'
          Sonny Terry: solo harmonica pieces include (but maybe not limited to)
		Easy Rider
		Oh, What a Beautiful City
		I Got My Eyes On You
		Hootin' the Blues

	"Reverend Gary Davis starts of the East Coast/Piedmont set with a
half-hour of tunes that.. are staggering and serve to define Piedmont guitar. "
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't have the video yet, but am planning on nabbing it first chance I
get.

>
>The bottom line is that I think that all the raised eyebrows and
>tsk-tsk reactions to blues music on the part of some Christians is
>completely unfounded.  There's a *ton* of great blues music out
>there, and I'm glad that it's a part of my life.  

Amen, Blind Andy - preach on!

On Susan Ashton's latest album "Angels of Mercy", there is one song
that opens with a very bluesy guitar - sounds like it's being played 
with a slide, but I'm no guitar expert so I'm not sure.  The song is
entitled "When Are You Coming Back".  The lyrics basically imply that
this person has the blues and is anxious for the Lord to return.  I
was disappointed the first time I heard the song that it didn't continue
in the same tone as the intro, but nonetheless a good song and getting
sorta close to being bluesy, but not really, and the lyrics are great.

>
>>Scott Naylor (slogan - Will Play Guitar for Food)
>>University Computing Services
>>Ball State University
>>Muncie, Indiana
>
>"I read the Bible often/
> I try to read it right/
> As far as I'm concerned/
> It ain't nothin' but a burnin' light/
> Won't somebody tell me/
> Answer if you can/
> Won't somebody tell me/
> Tell me what is the soul of a man?"
>  -- Blind Willie Johnson
>
>Blind Andy Whitman
>AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio
>att!cblpn!ajw  or
>ajw@cblpn.att.com

Paul (ya ain't just a woofin that I got da bloooz) Conditt


===============================================================================
Paul Conditt		Internet: conditt@titan.tsd.arlut.utexas.edu
Applied Research	Phone:	  (512) 835-3086   FAX: (512) 835-3416/3259
  Laboratories		Fedex:	  10000 Burnet Road, Austin, Texas 78758-4423
University of Texas	Postal:	  P.O. Box 8029, Austin, Texas 78713-8029
Austin, Texas <----- the most wonderful place in Texas to live

When Love comes to town I'm gonna jump that train - B.B. King and U2 (don't
know who the actual author is)