BLUES UNIVERSITY 102:		Blues U. 101
DIFFERENTIATING BLUES STYLES		BluesOMatic

Blues U. 102 gives you perspective on the wide variety of blues musical forms, and in this series, each session focuses on regional and stylistic differences in the blues, and explores the various subgenres within each branch of the blues tree. These sessions will be held on-site at a Chicago blues club, so you'll be able to kick back with an eclectic mix of modern and traditional styles after each and every session.

Regional Folk Blues|Piedmont Style |Memphis/New Orleans | Blues Piano

Regional Folk Blues & Vocal Styles

A survey of the American musical landscape,with an overview of the major characteristics of each regional folk blues tradition, offering theoretical insights into how these traditions were merged and transformed into modern blues. Recorded audio and video examples will create a "listener's guide" and help you to tell B.B. King from Lightnin' Hopkins from Sonny Terry, as well as to identify schools of vocal performance styles as outlined in suplementary texts.

East Coast Country Blues: the Party Starts Here

This class explores the unique brand of country blues created and nurtured on the East Coast, particularly Georgia, Virginia, and the Carolinas. The artistry of Rev. Gary Davis, Blind Boy Fuller, Blind Blake, Barbecue Bob, Brownie and Sonny and Cephas & Wiggins will be featured to examine the themes of ragtime and piano music, street performers, bawdy songs and the church on this wonderful and distinctive regional style of blues.

Gumbo & BBQ: Memphis & New Orleans Blues

The tale of two blues cities. Memphis, the urban melting pot of Delta blues, is the city thqt spawned B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, Junior Parker, Memphis Minnie, and ultimately, Sun Records and Elvis. America's musical capital, New Orleans, benefited from its unique location geographically and culturally to combine elements of ragtime, Dixieland jazz, zydeco, and blues into a unique blend of music which encompasses performers as diverse as Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Dr. John, Slim Harpo, and the Neville Brothers.

Blues Piano History: From Rags to Boogie

Explore, through live demonstration and recorded audio and video selections, the piano players whose style changed history. Discussion will include the roots of blues piano, from the early improvisational styles to the idiosyncratic and trademark techniques used by the artists who embody various blues piano traditions, including Jelly Roll Morton, Little Brother Montgomery, Roosevelt Sykes, Memphis Slim, and Professor Longhair. Learn how to tell stride from boogie, and the parallel development of piano blues as a discrete style from the guitar-oriented folk traditions.