Page 65 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2023 Digital Edition

its goodness and is ever so grateful. Annika Chambers and
Doug Macleod wrote a song she recorded; “Believe.” It gives
advice for one to get rid of doubts and step outside the box,
the need to believe in one’s self. Though sung to the listeners,
you know she has sung it to herself.
Speaking of Doug Macleod, there’s another masterful
storyteller. In his live performances, he “sets ‘em up and
knocks ‘em down.” His performances are full of excellent
stories, describing his songs – where they came from, how
they were written and they are often really funny. Other artists
of this ilk are Reverend Billy C. Wirtz and Sean Bad Apple.
In a sense, EDUCATIONAL and HISTORICAL STORIES
are often one and the same. Some specific songs that overlap
are J.B. Lenoir’s “Eisenhower Blues” and “Korea Blues.”
Jimmy Reed sang about the “Big Boss Man,” and today,
Hector Anchondo cries to “Let Loose Those Chains.” Terry
Abrahamson is the lyricist for Shemekia Copeland’s “In the
Blood of the Blues.” She personifies how she is the jewel in the
crown of Kings of Africa, the fire in the crack of the whip, the
mammy passing down sacred language, the jailhouse wail
and, in resolution, “I’m the suitcase full of sorrows on the train
to the land of dreams.” Harmonica player Phil Wiggins is also
a great songwriter. This story starts at “Igbo Landing”:

As they rowed up into Igbo Landing and
Saw so many Africans chained and bound
That sight inspired some of my forefathers
To jump into the Dunbar Creek and drown

In performing the song, he tells that Igbo Landing is a place I ain’t gonna let nobody run me out my town (2x)
on St. Simons Island in Georgia. In 1803, there was a mass You only been here for a minute, now you’re trying to kick me out
suicide by captive African Igbo people who took control of Ain’t gonna let nobody tell me where to sing my song (2x)
a slave ship and refused to submit to slavery. The songwriter
must tell a story of this pain in a few verses, whereas Toni If you don’t like my music, maybe you don’t belong
Morrison’s Beloved took a book. This here, I raised my baby
Some important story-songs tell of current SOCIAL This here, I go to church
CONDITIONS. So many issues are painfully relevant: the This here, I like to party
pandemic, poverty, George Floyd’s murder, censorship, etc., Over here is where I work
etc., etc. I will just highlight three social issues here. The
first, about homelessness, was written by Bobby “Black Hat” Musically, the opening drums stake her claim to the
Walters in “Cardboard Signs”: neighborhood, and she ends by taking us to church. The
call-and-response with the choir spits fire with its shouting
He was my next door neighbor defiance. I, for one, ain’t gon’ mess with her!
Went to college just like me A social problem for many is the hypocrisy of the church.
Our children played together As the old spiritual says, “Everybody talking ‘bout heaven ain’t
On the same soccer team going there.” M.S.G. is an acoustic blues trio often playing
the folk festival circuit. Jackie Merritt and Resa Gibbs (the
I’ve heard many songs about the homeless, but in the one ‘“M” and the “G”) crafted “Mean Church People.” It tells of
line about their children playing soccer together it becomes church people who cast you out because of a too-short dress,
very real… brings the reality home, how the proverbial wolf or too much make-up, or for being too queer, or smoking and
can be so near your door. It’s inspired me to be more generous drinking or even skin color. In live performance, the audience
at stoplights. often ends up singing its chorus loudly:
One song that stood out to me is about gentrification. I have
not heard any other blues songs in this regard as we watch, on Why you wanna be so mean?
a daily basis, neighborhoods being uprooted. On her Blue Soul Why you wanna be so mean?
album, Terrie Odabi has those “Gentrification Blues”: Why you wanna be so mean to me? (2x)

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