From the Director’s Desk with Eric McElveen
Greetings, blues fans!
It’s an exciting time around here in New York State Blues Festival world as we ready our plans for this year’s event. Through the massive amount of communication that our organization sorts through… from agents and managers, to sponsors old and new, politicians, tourist industry folks, hotels, sound and staging, vendors, volunteers, media outlets, fans and more… I’m reminded each winter that we are not just putting on an event that celebrates the amazing music of an age gone by, but we are dealing with a real living and breathing culture.
Tastes change, popular music continues to evolve, entertainers rise and fall, but through it all blues music continues. Some of it pays direct homage too early and mid-twentieth century forms, while other artists carry it in a more original and personal manner.
Inevitably while making all of these festival plans, the question, “What is blues?” comes up again and again, and what seems like something that perhaps could easily be answered, is often debated with great passion. So…what is the common thread of this great American art form that has been growing in our culture for nearly 150 years? To me there is one thing – and that is emotional connection. Yes we are all different, yes we all suffer, yes we all have good times and bad times despite the fact that we may otherwise live very different lives from each other, but when an artist really “plays the blues” and it reaches us, all that emotional stuff we are going through becomes a commonality and together we feel a little better about ourselves and the world. To quote the great John Lee Hooker, “Blues is the healer.” and we are grateful for it.
Hope you all have a wonderful year! We thank you for your continued support and look forward to seeing you June 27-29 back in Clinton Square!
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