Liner Notes: The Great Blues Legend, Buddy Guy
“Funny thing about the blues — you play ’em ’cause you got ’em. But, when you play ’em, you lose ’em.” — Buddy Guy
Every time I travel west, I make it a point to check concert listings to see who is playing. I don’t mean the big names like Beyonce, Madonna or whoever most people pay top dollar for. I am talking about obscure, aging blues virtuosos who have inspired me and my craft and are still touring the circuit.
There are so few of them left, so the struggle is real, but so is the satisfaction of witnessing the purveyors of the music I adore bring it to life on the live stage. The blues was born in America, so I knew that is where I had to be. In fact, when the time was ripe for me to pursue graduate studies, I only looked at US universities, on the east coast so I could easily manage a trip to Chicago.
I did make the trip and was determined to pay the Legends bar in the South Loop a visit. But a classmate recommended that I go to Kingston Mines instead, which was loads of fun, but that meant I had to miss the opportunity to meet my idol, Buddy Guy, in person. I have learned that even today, at 83, he still hangs out at Legends, a bar that he owns, mainly because it is good for business for blues fans around the world who want to have a picture with him. I could have been one of them.
