When I want to listen to blues/jazz/Motown/funk/soul/..., I usually listen to one of those web radios from the French Jazz Radio website.
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Why no Blues Radio Stations?
- Thread starter 51PRI
- Start date
I was going to say "because it'll be boring" but then I saw you mentioned that country stations are common... so clearly 'boring' is not a reason.
(runs away)
I have SiriusXM. It has countless rock stations, 6 or 7 country stations, 4 jazz stations, 4 Christian stations, even Howard Stern has 2 stations, and tons of other genres (not to mention all the sports and talk radio stations).
But only ONE blues station: BB King's Bluesville.
The nearest large metro to me is St. Louis, MO. It's known as a "blues town". The only blues you'll hear on the radio out of STL is on the public radio station, and it's only 2-3-hour programs a couple times a week. Even in a "blues town", there's not enough interest to support a 24-hour blues station.
But only ONE blues station: BB King's Bluesville.
The nearest large metro to me is St. Louis, MO. It's known as a "blues town". The only blues you'll hear on the radio out of STL is on the public radio station, and it's only 2-3-hour programs a couple times a week. Even in a "blues town", there's not enough interest to support a 24-hour blues station.
3 quick things for my bassin’ friends:
1) yeah, I know this isn’t what a lot of you will consider “blues” and you’re right.
2) Sic’em
3) This resource is insane in the membrane. It’s simply remarkable and I spend a lot of time listening here. Library/stream link is at the bottom. This is one of a kind. Much of this is single pressing, only exists here.
Knock yourself out. 100%.
Archive of gospel at Baylor.
Invalid Link Removed
1) yeah, I know this isn’t what a lot of you will consider “blues” and you’re right.
2) Sic’em
3) This resource is insane in the membrane. It’s simply remarkable and I spend a lot of time listening here. Library/stream link is at the bottom. This is one of a kind. Much of this is single pressing, only exists here.
Knock yourself out. 100%.
Archive of gospel at Baylor.
Invalid Link Removed
ksym in san antonio has a regular blues show: 6-9 a.m. m-f.
i used to listen to 'blues before sunrise' back in the day, that was a great (nationally syndicated) radio show!
same reason there are no bluegrass stations. or gamelan stations. or ragtime stations. or ...
Grew up in California. I don’t think I heard any non-classic rock blues until I was learning to play guitar.
SRV may well have not existed. As he did not get radio play out there. When I went through his catalog in 1995-1997 or so every song was new to me. Despite the fact that his songs charted in a few cases.
It’s infinitely less popular than musicians realize. It’s a players genre much more than a listeners genre.
I also don't see a lot of Ragtime stations either.
You can easily get your fill of ragtime from YouTube; a couple of guys have channels with copious amounts of ragtime. I sometimes binge on these because the treatment of the bass line can be so intriguing. Not like string band music at all.
Hey 248, original Michigander here. I went to CMU as an undergrad, and I well remember WCMU! Man, you've brought back the memory bank with these stations!
It’s pretty niche. We have a College Radio station that plays about 70% Jazz & the other 20% is a mix of blues, Latin/salsa & house/electronica.
You would think places like Chicago or KC would have one since there’s a form of blues that originated there ie Chicago or KC blues.
You would think places like Chicago or KC would have one since there’s a form of blues that originated there ie Chicago or KC blues.
Just hypothetically, if you’re dad had a full 9’ grand piano, and if he preferred to practice before work, and if he loved to cut loose on ragtime, and if… did I mention he was at work before 8? If those things happened your opinion of Scott Joplin may be unfairly colored by hearing it at 6am throughout your impressionable teenage years.
Now I’ve learned how much fun rag is. But I was trying to sleep and ragtime was never intended to be played in the morning except when coming around from the nighttime.
Took a while for me to come around.
Cave Puppy
"Humph Bo, he's wond!" - John Lennon
I attended CMU for exactly one year back in the very early ‘80s. I don’t remember much of that.
While not 24/7 blues, WWOZ.org out of New Orleans has a lot of blues interspersed thought the day and night, as well as a lot of New Orleans-centric stuff. In one block you might hear Big Bill Broonzy, John Coltrane, The Meters, Muddy Waters and Solomon Burke, as well as up and coming NOLA artists. It's a great station to stream.
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For about two years I worked in a trio with a 9' grand (Buck Fell was the piano payer, for you Nashville cats). We covered an entire century of music in at least a half dozen genres. And over the course of the gig Buck must have broken at least as many strings. I was standing in the curve of the piano, and those strings breaking right behind me was a sound I will never forget.
Regarding Joplin, although he is the poster boy for ragtime I have grown weary of him. I prefer to listen to the rags from more obscure composers.
And as to your hypothetical, would you rather it be various British military tattoos at 6 am?
Here in America we have absolutely no appreciation for our culture and its roots. The University of North Texas, one of the great music schools for jazz in America, just ended its campus jazz station. On a positive note, if you search internet radio you'll find excellent blues stations all around the world. I found a couple in Russia and one in Greece that are stellar!
