Page 86 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2016

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artists who come to learn. “I’m often asked about the future
of blues music now that the older generation of legendary
musicians is almost gone,” he says. “I’m inspired by the young
musicians who are carrying on their own blues from original
to traditional. I can feel the ghosts of the creators and enjoy
the progress of the next generation.”
It can be tough keeping young adults focused, but parents
of young blues artists face other, unique situations with
extra demands in the musical world of rehearsals, concerts,
competitions and possible fame. For the parents of these
artists, it can be an exhilarating but occasionally exhausting
task to nurture talent while helping them navigate the world of
adults. But like any parenting challenge, it’s often the children
themselves that will determine what needs to be done. Sandy
Layman has found the way that works for her family; “Love
Jamiah Rogers of youth band, Jamiah “On Fire” & The Red Machine
Photo by Kurt Swanson them. LISTEN to them, support them, but follow their lead. It is
a fine balance – we don’t push too hard, but have to get on
They all describe their experiences with blues camps them to rehearse when something big is coming up.”
in glowing terms. Tellmann has participated in the Pinetop Dave Tellmann sees helping his son maintain his focus
Perkins Master Class, attesting, “My experiences at the camp as one of his primary responsibilities. “It’s essential that we
have been fantastic. Everyone there is so nice and welcoming, keep him focused on what’s important: school, being a good
and instructors like Bob Margolin and Gary Allegretto tell you person and not getting an ego. There are good role models in
stories of the blues and how their heroes kept the music alive. blues music, young and old.”
Plus, being in Clarksdale, MS, you can’t help but feel the Even though the blues community may be nurturing,
blues.” finding your way can be difficult if you don’t have the support
Aside from the instruction of some of the greatest musicians of your friends. For most of these young guns, their friends
working, these young guns benefit from making connections have little – if any – idea about what it is that they do. Some,
with artists their own age. For so many young artists, finding however, have turned the blues into a learning experience for
that way to fit in and still maintain their art is difficult. But it’s their school friends.
impossible for them to live any other way. The blues has found Kulak says, “My school is very supportive of what I do and
a way into their systems and refuses to let go. has let me introduce the blues to students through presentations
As Logan Layman explains. “Our closest friends have been in class. When we were discussing the play The Piano Lesson,
made at the camps. We stay in touch daily with some through I gave a history of the blues and played some songs on my
social media and texting, and meet up with them whenever guitar for the class.”
possible. It makes us feel ‘connected’ and ‘normal,’ you Likewise, the Laymans have become more known since
know? Not many teenagers get the blues, but these friends they appeared alongside blues master Tas Cru in one of his
share that passion with us and it is more than friendship, it is Blues in the Schools programs. Now, more of their friends
like family.” are asking questions about the music and discovering it for
Kulak, who has also attended the Master Class as well as themselves. Domanchuk has taken it one step further from
the Notodden Band Seminar and the Notodden Blues Festival introducing his friends to the blues to inspiring them to attend
in Norway, agrees: “I have made so many friends at these his favorite blues camps.
programs from all over the country and the world! At Pinetop, Cole and Logan Layman, Jake Kulak, August Domanchuk,
I look forward to going back every year to see everyone. A Joe Tellmann and Jamiah Rogers are just a few of the young
lot of us perform every year at the IBCs in Memphis, so I get performers striving to preserve the tradition of the blues as
to see a lot of them twice a year. It is really cool when we go well as evolve the music into the future. In a genre that is little
to the IBC – we all support each other and attend each other’s acknowledged by most youth, blues’ young guns stand out in
shows. I have lots of new friends in Norway now, too. It is a their individuality, talent and passion.
great thing to be able to connect with other kids who share
my love of the blues. If I didn’t go to these camps, I would not John Porter is a blues historian, writer and the co-host with
have that.” Henry Cook of Richmond, VA’s Time For The Blues heard
Bob Margolin, who aside from being a well-known blues locally on WCVE-FM and via the Internet at ideastations.org.
figure performing all over the world, is the music director He regularly reviews new blues albums at
for the Pinetop Perkins Master Class Workshops, and has a professorjohnnyp.blogspot.com, and was delighted to meet
great opportunity to observe the efforts of the camps and the so many future blues stars.

84 Blues Festival Guide 2016