Blues Quotes

My idea of heaven is a place where the Tyne meets the Delta, where folk music meets the blues.

I find Indian music very funky. I mean it's very soulful, with their own kind of blues. But it's the only other school on the planet that develops improvisation to the high degree that you find in jazz music. So we have a lot of common ground.

Nobody can tell you how the blues feel unless they have the blues. We all take it differently.

I've been married twice. Most women would rather not be married to a traveling blues singer.

When you are through with the blues, you've got nothing to rest on.

Our repertoire consisted of rhythm and blues, sort of country rhythm and blues, Sonny Terry things.

I would think, to me, growing up in the south, growing up with all the gospel music, singing in the church and having that rhythm and blues - the blues background was my big inspiration.

If they played more blues, people would just get it - they try to hold it back but just about can't hold it back now because the blues is really going.

I can show you that I have played with just about every jazz musician, every African musician, every blues musician. It's not like I'm cashing in on a false concept. This is what I do.

I had listened to Joe Turner. When they'd book Joe there, I'd play the blues behind him.

Don't waste your time away thinkin' 'bout yesterday's blues.

The British feel of blues has been hard, rather than emotional. Far too much emphasis on 12 bar, too little attention to words, far too little originality.

The next thing I knew, I was out of the service and making movies again. My first picture was called, GI Blues. I thought I was still in the army.

I've always loved the blues, John Lee Hooker, Janis Joplin, Hendrix.

I used to listen to country and western and blues, John Lee Hooker, spirituals, the Bluegrass Boys, and Eddie Arnold. There was a radio station that come on everyday with country, spirituals, and the blues.

Once you discover that you can, then you must. And it's not easy. You have to take direct steps. You really have to count your blessings and you have to make a decided effort to not get seduced by the blues.

I love country music, blues, and punk, and one day I might make those kinds of records.

I found the blues too limiting, and classical was too disciplined.

If I'm going to do blues, it's going to be a typical Jimmy Rushing record.

We played one warm-up gig at this bar that was kinda like that bar in 'The Blues Brothers' with the chicken wire. This place called The Brick House, in Housatonic. I really can't believe we're going to play for people in New York City. I'm terrified, but it's a small enough room. But it's really just supposed to be for the fun of it.

I think we as a band, as individuals, understand that all popular music stems from blues and jazz and even pop, but rock 'n' roll especially comes from blues.

But what I like to sing mostly is blues and cabaret style.

I think the blues is fine for blues players, but free blues has never made much sense to me.

I didn't get into music to become a blues musician, or a country musician. I'm a singer-songwriter. In my book that means I get to do whatever I want.

I have as much input to the blues; I just never got the chance, the opportunity or maybe the respect.

In the blues, it just takes so long for us to get recognized.

I'm not really a country singer, although I did make a couple albums and love its simple, straight-from-the-heart approach, but I have always sung a lot of jazz, show tunes, pop tunes, gospel and blues.

The consolidation of the music business has made it difficult to encourage styles like the blues, all of which deserve to be celebrated as part of our most treasured national resources.

If you can't play the blues... you might as well hang it up.

All the classic jazz players all sang and a lot of 'em sang blues.