blues (music) in the usa, bars and clubs etc?

i have got back into live music again recently, and love going to see local bands playing at local gigs.

i play guitar myself, and i love blues, and the real "texas" sound of stevie ray vaughn as well as bb king etc.

a friend told me about his trip to the usa and going round the blues bars, i believe tis was in new orleans but i may be wrong?

are there allot of these places over there in the usa?

some places in the uk have "jam night" where if you bring your guitar/bass or sticks, you can get up and do a few numbers with the others there in a sort of one up, one down fashion. it would be great to work this into my trip to the usa if possible?

any views appreciated!

In downtown Dallas, there's a place called the Sons of Herman Hall where good players get together periodically -- my brother tested the waters there a bit when he was thinking about going pro, to see if he had the goods (and boy, does he! ).

And if you appreciate the pure genius of Stevie Ray, then you must visit Austin, his spiritual home -- and the location of a beautiful statue that honors his memory (it has become traditional to tuck one of your guitar picks between his bronze fingers when you visit). I don't know of any specific jam nights (though I can find out for you -- my best friend is an Austin-based music journalist), but you can walk down almost any street in Austin and find great music being played in a very casual, relaxed fashion. Austin really is utopia for musicians!

Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee is also well-known for the blues, though I understand it's a little less guitar-oriented there. If you know the great, great song "Walking In Memphis," you can just imagine what that scene must be like.

And there's a whole new housing development in New Orleans built specifically for musicians who were displaced by Katrina. I understand Wynton Marsalis and Harry Connick, Jr., were instrumental (heh heh) in making that happen. Apparently it's common in that neighborhood for blues giants to jes' set out on their porches of a fine evenin', playing for and with anybody who happens along.

I'm a big blues fan too!

My alltime favorite blues bands is MIKE MORGAN AND THE CRAWL If you'd like to listen to some of their music, here's a link:
http://www.summitartists.com/mikemorgan/
I prefer the group with Lee McBee as the vocalist. My absolute favorite CDs are "Mighty Fine Dancin'", "Full Moon Over Dallas" and "I Like The Way You Work It."

I also enjoy Kenny Wayne Shepherd, but I haven't heard much from him lately. I've been a long time Stevie Ray fan....unfortunately, I discovered him right about the time he died.....really poor timing on my part!

thanks guys!

thats a real good picture you painted there CarolPetunia, sounds like just what i want to experience when im there!

and thanks for the pointers Pookie-poo im just checking them out on youtube, pics and music! oh thank the lord for this modern technology!

also, that mike morgan guy has the same guitar as me, a beat up fender strat in sunburst, sweet! proper stevie ray style!

You'll find good blues venues in a lot of U.S. cities - it's a quintessential American music form (which I"m sure you already know.)

I am not a big blues fan, but I do believe that Chicago is still a hotbed for it.

BB King has a club in NYC, too. I"m sure there are places there to check out blues, too. Again, I'm not that big of a fan. More classic rock - Clapton doing blues works for me!

(BTW - my BF and I went to London to see the reunion concert of Cream at the Royal Albert Hall, back in 2004. It was great!)

Chicago does have tons of blues bars. I don't know if they have jams like you're talking about, but they might. If you like live music, you might want to think about Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee.

When I lived up in Chicago during my decadent youth, the real problem on a Friday night was which blues club to visit. Do we see Koko Taylor, or Buddy Guy, or BB King tonight? Then there are all the smaller name bands that play regularly there. The clubs are pretty intimate there, and I recall playing the (small) bathroom dance with Koko Taylor one time. The near north side (just north of downtown Chicago) has the highest concentration of blues clubs.

Also love Austin (love Stevie Ray Vaughan). Have family down there and we hit the clubs when we go there.

New Orleans has blues, but they are better known for their jazz (Preservation Hall is a must) and cajun/zydeco. I went down there for a convention one time and saw Ray Charles, Buckwheat Zydeco and the Neville Brothers all in one night. Then I hit the Bourbon Street bars and saw a local cajun band (got a standing ovation for my washboard performance) at one bar, a rock band at another, and jazz musicians playing the street corners.

(and yes, I have named 2 of my cats Koko Taylor and Muddy Waters)

Originally Posted by AddieBee

BB King has a club in NYC, too. I"m sure there are places there to check out blues, too. Again, I'm not that big of a fan. More classic rock - Clapton doing blues works for me!

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BB King does have a club in NYC its near the Wax museum. I have been there several times for concerts and always a good time.

I LOVE music and I'm always going to concerts and genre doesn't matter as long as it is good. I have been everywhere from the big famous clubs and venues to tiny little hole in the wall bars that offer free tater tots with your drinks.

I have heard some really amazing music. So to sorta answer your question...NYC has A TON of places you can go. But check out a list of what is playing though because alot of the really famous plcaes like BB Kings and the Blue Note offer different styles of music pretty often.

As I said I go to ALOT of concerts like this Sunday coming up I am going to see Flogging Molly and maybe I will go see Les Paul on Monday (if he is playing that night in his club..he doesn't play every monday so I'm gonna have to check on that.)

As for being able to play...look for places advertising an Open Mic night...they seem pretty popular.

I have a friend who plays in several places in Memphis, and I can put you in touch with him if you want a guided tour there and maybe the opportunity to play with whatever groups he's helping out.

this all sounds great guys, thanks allot!

i like the smaller venue stuff personally, i find it easier to pick up licks and stuff when you can get that close!

im going to a jam night tonight, at the maverick (small pub not far from me) its pretty good in there, find myself going most weeks. i best start gettin ready,its 7.30 here and i aint got in the shower yet!