Here's a very interesting video by Keni Lee Burgess about the dualistic music/money nature of busking in comparison to the other dualism of blues/gospel. It certainly got me thinking, and I wanted to share it here. Make sure you watch the end for the comparison of "My Babe" to "This Train".
What do people feel about this? Does he have it right, or do you feel his logic is flawed in some way? Discuss...
Funny how he changes to the suit and tie for the last song...Once i heard Muddy Waters say that he had to go to church in order to get what it takes, on the other hand I am sure he did not mind not having to go back to the factory once he started making money playing.
i agree, it's interesting. this latest duo project i'm in with my wife, we do some gospel along with blues and roots. and something we "discovered" was the identical nature of those 2 songs. she playes them pretty close to the same but my harp parts are as different as i can make them.
now what's the question here? did the old guys play to put some dough in the hat? of course! did they also want to do a sort of community service, maybe stay in good with the family and fellow churchmen? i think yes! i look at a guy like ray charles, who ushered in a whole new thing by "crossing over" from gospel to r&b, and touched so very many people.
now, are we here on bayou meto arkansas like that? sure. the difference is we haven't broke out our stuff at church as yet. we don't go to one or the other church, and we don't go often. maybe our church is out there on the street. to us, i think, when we play on the street, it's definitely to reach people. all kinds. we play a fairly wide range between blues, roots, and gospel. even some country and folk, and a bit of rock albeit acoustic duo style. whatever we play it's always to see that bobbing head of a teenager, a spring enter an octogenarian's step, a toddler trying to drag mom and dad closer to us so he or she can see what that sound is all about. we have vendors come by just to say thanks for playing there. always we want to connect with people.
one of the very first times we went to the farmers' market, it was mother's day a few years back, and the market was empty. understandably. but not really empty. there were several folks who had no place to go. street people. the dispossessed. lonely, tired, feckless, maybe some with mental problems. but we sat down on a little wall and proceeded to play. several folks came over, not too close, and just listened. a few clapped now and then. and one gal- maybe my wife's age or close to it- came and stood directly in front of us, rapt. we didn't have a tip jar out, we were just playing because we wanted to. it was early in Jolene's relationship with her guitar, and she wanted to play out in the open. but look what that turned into. we gave a little something to those folks that afternoon. i see one or two of them yet, hanging out at the farmers' market. they sometimes nod as they cruise by.
when we play the farmers' market, which we do at least once a month in good weather, i try and give some back to the vendors and do a little business with them. and we pay for our permit like good citizens and earn that back during the season too. our proceeds from all gigs and street playing all goes into a fund to get our next recording done, or cover a hotel in clarksdale, or maybe get an instrument or an amp or whatever. there's a real symmetry to that. we don't play for a living, we have day jobs, but if we can more or less break even it's great. we also will play say a benefit if we're available and invited. just to give back.
whatever, wherever we play, if it was just the bucks i think we'd have found something with better odds of paying off- fishing tourneys, golf, the casino thing.
but to me, this is a gift i was given and i need to- NEED TO- share it around. wherever. whenever. friday, sunday, tuesday afternoon, whenevrr.
Last Edited by on Jul 27, 2009 6:59 PM
I've been reading a lot of blues history books lately.Almost all of the bluesmen from Muddy's era and backward, had a mama who was "sanctified". Remember at least one bluesman,although I don't know who, talking about playing in church one morning and busking in the evening. They definitely did it in part for money. They could make more in one night than they did all week on the farms. It was also a way to get recognized and maybe land a gig that really paid. As for the entertaining people part, I don't think they were quite as spiritual about it as jbone. I think that only comes when you don't have to worry about basic survival. I'm not knocking you jbone. I think your view is wonderful. Its just you(and I,for that matter) have the good fortune to enjoy it from that perspective. The old bluesmen,as a whole,did not.
Last Edited by on Jul 27, 2009 8:01 PM
agreed tuckster. i am very aware of my good fortune, to live in this era, have a job, and have a partner who is always there with me and for me. i can't imagine trying to live day to day on what i make with music, so it must be for the love of it first.
