Art Simas

Boston's Blues: Musicians' Profiles, History, Festivals and Radio Listings of Blues Music in Boston Art Simas

When people think of blues they usually don't think of Boston. The Mississippi Delta, Chicago, Memphis, New Orleans, Kansas City and Texas all have deeper roots in the blues. Yet Boston -- and New England in general -- has nurtured scores of national blues musicians, executives, producers and advocates of the music. Not only have they flourished here, their legacy has created a breadth of quality in the blues genre that rivals any city or region. So this is a collection of their struggles and triumphs in the business -- about what they do and why they've chosen this music. In many cases, it wasn't their choice at all because the blues chose them. Today's musicians' tales of love lost and found, jealousy, revenge, happiness and sorrow may be told in different ways as they bend and reshape the notes of the masters before them. But really, it's always been about us -- as humans. That's the common thread. Blues invites the listener to understand the past, to question the present and to respect the history and founders of this great American music.