The House of Blues Houston will be open come October, as part owner Dan Aykroyd was in town yesterday to take part in sort of an opening ceremony for the 12th House of Blues to be opened, which promises to be a highlight for fans of blues guitar and more. This Houston edition will house a venue that seats 12,000, including a private club and restaurant, for those who play blues guitar and other instrumentation, to perform their pieces to fans. House of Blues Houston will be part of the Houston Pavillions Development Project. Not sure yet how this will impact the local blues scene but with almost 200 concerts scheduled per year, the House of Blues Houston will definitely be a big draw with fans of blues guitar and more.

Does the House of Blues Houston entertain local musicians who are looking for that big break, or those who indulge in blues guitar? The House of Blues Houston would be a great outlet for musicians to perform blues guitar, or other instrumentation of the genre. It will sit nicely with the other avenues which are already allowing local musicians to practice and hone their craft, while House of Blues Houston can also showcase what they can do on blues guitar and more. Blues guitar has always been a big favorite with fans of the musical genre. It is simple yet complicated. It is melodic yet sombre. It is grating at times, yet blues guitar can also emanate so much soul and warmth. Read the rest of this entry »

Bo Diddley was announced dead at the ripe old age of 79 yesterday as the man who many believed to have given birth to the name “rock & roll” left behind a legacy of his own and a musical treasure that continues to be pillaged and reworked by many artists from across different genres. While the tributes have started to pour in, I have personally loved the music of Bo Diddley since I discovered the blues, and have aspired to play his work for years. There is a magical quality about the raw and sometimes primitive rhythmic thump of his blues, as well as the passion and power that begs to be released from both his voice and guitar.

While Bo Diddley might have died and left a void in the music world, he still has so much recorded material that continues to inspire other musicians. There can be no denying the fact that many of the world famous recording artists from the likes of Buddy Holly to the Rolling Stones, owe their fortune and success to Bo Diddley. Bo Diddley’s death can only spur on more young musicians to discover his work and perhaps bring even more exposure and cast greater limelight on him. This might have come too late now, and the revered blues musician did actually enjoy quite a high profile due to his appearances on some popular commercial marketing blitzes for mainstream products, but it will ensure that his memory lives on in many others and that his music continues to breathe a life of its own in his physical absence. Read the rest of this entry »