January Cover Story
2003-The Year In Blues

by Marlee Walker

In celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the first blues song ever published, 2003 will not only bring us many activities and public celebrations, but it will be a great opportunity for music fans, educators, musicians and artists to give respect to the importance of this music in America's past, present & future.

Senators from Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee all sponsored it, but more importantly, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution declaring 2003 The Year Of The Blues, and many thanks go to the combined efforts of the Blues Foundation and Seattle's own Experience Music Project led by blues expert/author/educator, Bob Santelli. As we reported last month, a seven-part documentary series, apparently much different than Ken Burns' Jazz series, will be called, The Blues, and air on public television beginning in September, each produced by a different producer, including Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, and Wim Wenders (Buena Vista Social Club). A companion book, edited by Santelli, Holly George-Warren, and Peter Guralnick on Harper-Collins, plus CDs, will be released in conjunction with the film series. Hopefully you'll hear a 13-part radio series on public radio, and The Blues Foundation is also working with EMP to develop educational components to the project, to be distributed to schools nationwide. You'll also see EMP put together an interactive traveling exhibit on the prolific post-World War II blues scene in Chicago called Sweet Home Chicago.

On February 7th, a huge benefit concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York features an all star line-up. The event, produced by EMP, will be filmed by director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) and Martin Scorsese as Executive Producer, who just happens to have produced The Last Waltz, The Band's classic farewell concert. Word has it they will go to the stage in the summer. (See Blues Revue #80).

See their website for more info.

Back to Contents of Archive

© 2002