"Blues music has always been the music of the marginalized and oppressed. It has always been political. Anyone who says otherwise, that it’s ‘just music’ and there’s no politics involved, is mistaken..."

Mike Nagoda: Slide Outside The Box

Mike Nagoda is an LGBT Blues musician from Toronto, Canada. He began learning the piano at age six, and nearly…

"Music is universal and ALIVE because it conveys the human experience without the need of spoken languages. Similar to what I already said, I enjoy that there is so much music out there today. But, conversely, so much music also means people tend to block out music without knowing it. We block out the music at the grocery store, or in waiting rooms. Wouldn't all music benefit if it weren't shoved down our ears all the time."…

"Blues & Jazz, creative music, is an important and necessary vehicle for expression of political views. Blues songs are about life, and they illustrate experiences, so they are perfect for political statements."

Julia A. Miller & Elbio Barilari

Delmark Records: Keeping The Legend Alive…

"I enjoy thoughtful lyrics set to good music and that’s very typical of old blues.  Some of modern popular music is quite interesting but unfortunately some of the lyrics are just crude and vulgar, and sometimes glorify violence and misogyny. The old-time blues singers wrote songs about the struggles of life, love, lust, pain and sorrow, and even revenge, but it was always thoughtfully done using clever references and double entendre. I worry that the…

"Blues is a cure for racism. Folk music give you a sense of global citizenship although it is considered usually a local thing."

Eduard Jimmy Matešić: Music Passion Key

One of the most prominent Croatian blues guitarists. Matešić has been professionally involved in music since 1970, when he recorded his musical beginnings in his native Zadar,…

"I hope that any art form speaks for itself. With music, because it’s such a universal language that touches and moves people all over the world, for all the ages of time, I hope that people can experience the music purely. I know that music can open people’s eyes and open people’s hearts to all kinds of racial and socio-cultural implications and realizations, so I would hope for the best in humanity in this way."…

"I want to people to understand that this music didn’t just appear, that it came from life experiences that were both happy and sad and formed cultures that used music as a mode of expression. I also hope that enjoying music of other cultures will open people up to be more understanding of the complex world we live in and the importance of peace and tolerance."

Bert Deivert: The Music of…

"Though by no means the most popular music, blues and jazz has continued to stand the tests of time and evolve in amazing ways, I believe it will continue to do so. For my own part, my hope is that my music touches people and gives them something that moves them and is lasting in their minds. I hope they listen to it not in passing but with depth, to take in all the passion, nuance and tones of what is played."…

"Unrest due to the control white male politicians had/have, hatred, discrimination, the Vietnam war, racism, assassinations, pollution…"

Love Bubble: Peace, Love & Music

“I Live for Love and Music” is a lyric from the stunning 3rd track entitled “Harmony,” on Love Bubble’s debut record, Love Revolution (2021). It’s a phrase that articulates…

"I would like to see the world in a way where people would again feel like taking the time and interest in all sorts of different music and directions. To also learn to distinguish between well and poorly made music."

Peter Hesslein: Night Drive Soundtrack

In the 50th Anniversary year of Lucifer’s Friend, the band’s guitarist Peter…

"Well, when I sit back and I think back about my life I think here I am at 70, I have a great career going, I have a beautiful wife, I have three great kids who are all brilliant musicians and very talented kids and there’s a lot of love in my family and I just feel like I’m the luckiest guy on the earth. I have it all."

Walter Trout: A Wonderful Blues Life…

"Music is forever. If you feel that some beloved element is underemphasized in subsequent eras, surely you can always bring it with you. A bygone musical moment was always ephemeral, and...if you can remember it, it isn't really bygone. No real hopes or fears. I hope some special person always has a song in their heart."

John San Juan: The Way of Rock…

"I feel our society is becoming more divided. A lot of the social tension we are experiencing comes from people trying to defend their views, that are rooted in their identity. However, if you think about it, many aspects that we perceive to be defining our identity such as the color of our skin, our gender, the time and place we are born and even the people that we meet during our journey are not under our control."…

"The impact of music and arts in general I think is very strong. They are part of everyday life for everyone. It has always been like that. There are no communities that survived without their art. Music has the advantage that it is letting you create your images. To dream by yourself."

Nikos Papavranoussis: A Music Landscape

Nikos…

"I've coined my own phrase when it comes to musical paths: what is noble in making music is making music. Music is like eating. It's never wrong to eat. Some folks will covet certain music more than others, and as with cooking certain universal truths relating to physics and aesthetics will prevail, but the quality is always personal, for listener and for performer."

Virginia & The…

"The fact that music can save lives is true, but not more than a baker when you are starving or a doctor when you are sick, so be grounded, kind and respectful to others giving them the best music you can."

Riccardo Grosso: Blues On The Road

Italian musician Riccardo Grosso is playing harmonica for a living and has been around since early 2000s,…

"Music reflects all of our stories. It’s a record of our history. Music brings people together and crosses barriers that otherwise wouldn’t happen. It creates opportunities, for listeners and creators, to collaborate and explore new ideas and perspectives."

Diane Durrett: The Truth of Music

Singer, songwriter, producer Diane Durrett is a board…

"Blues and Jazz are very honest and direct musical forms. As Keith Richards once said, “Blues is a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.” Sincere and honest Blues and Jazz music won't lie or mince words. As a working bluesman you try to face life and music with a “sharp stick” and see the world through a prism of your truth because Blues and Jazz are about musical and social individuality."

Ramon…

"Music is a sort of a universal language, and it appeals to everybody. It's not complicated and but it's not repetitious either. It doesn't get boring…"

Bobby Black: Swinging Steel Blues!

Best-known for gracing the pedal steel chair in Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen, Asleep at the Wheel, and the New Riders of the Purple Sage, Bobby…

"I think that the music is expression for the people and there’s always some kind of a big trend going on, but I think the blues will always be around like jazz and like people that want to play music on their instruments live and I don’t see any problem with it stopping. I think it’s going to keep going and keep going and there’ll always be new people to pick it up and run with it. I think it’s just going to keep going no matter what the fancy trends are…