Hitman Blues Band

"The Blues is a living form of music" - and the Hitman Blues Band is proud to be a part of it! The Blues isn't just dusty 78's being done again and again, no matter how great the original versions were.

Modern Blues keeps the music alive, and with original songs that have won fans (and not just Blues fans) all over the world, the Hitman Blues Band is dedicated to both honoring the past greats and bringing the blues into the future.
Is the Blues dying?

For years, I’ve heard “the blues isn’t dead - it just smells funny.” Born out of the worst possible conditions, the blues captured America almost from the start of the record industry.

Over the years, it’s gone from Blind Lemon Jefferson, Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith (just as an example) to Joe Bonamassa and Susan Tedeschi (again, just an example.)

But some people say it’s the same old stuff, reworked with the same tired lyrical ideas. Covers of classic blues sound pretty much like the originals, in an attempt to “stay true” to the feeling.

But is that really paying homage to a long gone time in music? Is that what music is about? Obviously, we don’t think so. We play what we call Modern Blues - a mix of everything that came before. We feel it’s blues that’s moving ahead. Even when we do a cover (we do a couple, not many) we do it in our style.

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What about you? What do YOU think?

Is there a “real” blues, and everything else should be called something else? I remember being somewhat offended when they came out with R&B Dance, thinking “it’s NOT really R&B, it’s reworked disco!”

Are the Allman Brothers blues? Derek Trucks? Was Janis, or Amy Winehouse?

We love what we play. As a blues player, I feel we’re continuing the spirit of the blues without being a clone of the greats. Our fans seem to agree, and they span different generations - something is clicking!

Post your comments, and thanks for reading this.

Your pals,
The Hitman Blues Band