The Blues Never Die: On My Absence

Well sheeeeeeeeeeeit. I haven't posted since June. I haven't even commented on all the things happening in my musical endeavors and or new of blues world.

It is a shame really; I remember dedicating a lot of my time to this blog. I still get regular emails from artists and labels worldwide asking me to review their albums. I was voted the 18th Top Blues Blog on the internet.

Unfortunately due to many real life issues, work and family related, I was unable to keep up with the daily or weekly updates of the old days. I owe many of you apologies for this sabbatical. I really want you to know it's not intentional.

The blues as a musical genre does not garner that much public attention. Ariana Grande can simply tweet "thank u, next" and get hundreds of thousands of retweets. We don't have this privilege.

Not that we'd want it of course; we pride ourselves in the purity and meaning behind the music. However, because of the lack of general happenings, there is less news coverage, and less things going on.

It can get very frustrating when writing about something that, not only you've spoken about for years, but if there is nothing actually happening. There is just so many times I can link old videos. Writers block is a bitch.

But know that I've been playing some gigs, and I got a big one coming up next month. I am working on a new EP. I am seeking more opportunities.

upcoming gig artwork

I might have been out for a while, but I will be back. The blues never die, and neither will my message.

I thank all your support and emails. It has definitely made my blues a bit softer. I look forward to being back very soon with regular updates.

You can follow me on Twitter @alisleeq and Instagram @bluesman81

The Blues Returns to Beirut - 21 July

My first show in Beirut in 3 years will be on July 21 at Salon Beyrouth!

Come on down to hear the real low down and rotten blues, as you ain't never done!

You can check out the event page [here]!

Buddy Guy Talks Blues with David Letterman

On David Letterman's Netflix show, 'My Next Guest Needs No Introduction' episode with Tina Fay, Buddy Guy, one of the last remaining blues OGs, sat down with David to have some chicken and talk the blues.

Check it out, it's a treat! Here's a clip from Youtube, the episode is longer and has some live performances!

Gibson Guitars Going Bankrupt, But Are We Surprised?

Gibson Guitars, the iconic guitar maker, has filed for bankruptcy citing low guitar sales.

I, however, am not really surprised.

See, Gibson still saw itself as a traditional guitar maker, even though the advancements of technology and change in the atmosphere of music and how it's perceived by the young generation is on a fast track forward. This old-school mentality didn't match the other makers, mostly Fender (who have taken a role in adapting to the modern trends to stay relevant). What ended up happening was Gibson kept raising the prices of their guitars to be able to break even, but finally priced themselves out of the market.

As you can see, the standard US Les Paul goes for $3,300. That wouldn't be a major issue unless you follow the news that Gibson's quality control has been bad for a while.

Now see their classic competitor, Fender's offering:

Their standard US Strat is for LESS THAN HALF of the Gibson, which as per the reviews is one of the best made Fenders in recent memory.

As long as you consider yourself a luxury brand (this isn't cars we're talking about), and trying to sell to broke musicians or beginners, you're gonna end up with a bad time. Not only that, many other makers do the Les Paul better.

Gibson is too iconic to die, but hoping a change of management and vision will bring it back on track.

Two New Interviews on the Same Day!

Today I was pleasantly surprised to hear that not one, but TWO interviews of me were posted this morning!

First: local newspaper Arab Times: 

and second, with Jam Sphere Magazine:

My Album 'Gonna Die With The Blues' Launches, Video Up

I'm happy to announce that my debut album 'Gonna Die With The Blues' has officially launched worldwide on all major digital platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, Anghami, and others.

"From the sounds of the Mississippi Delta to inner city Chicago, with the stories of Ali Sleeq's personal life of blues, this album will be a one-of-a-kind blues release from the Middle East, with various inspirations across the genre"

To celebrate we prepared a small video for the occasion!

Mother's Day Blues

Today the day we acknowledge and thank the women of the world who have given their lives, effort, and time to take care of us. While mostly it is a time for celebration, the blues is always relevant.

Mothers go through so much to ensure we become better people, to stay healthy, to learn to do things right and to always be good.

It's definitely not easy to be a mother, so here's a small list of blues songs that talk about the hardships and tribulations of mothers everywhere.

Crying Mother Blues - Cripple Clarence Lofton

Mother Gone - Leroy Carr

Mother Blues - Son Seals

Nobody Loves Me But My Mother - B.B. King

Gone Mother Blues - Charlie Spand

Motherless Child - O.V. Wright

My Debut Album 'Gonna Die With The Blues' to be Released on April 5!

After announcing it a while back, I am finally happy to confirm the release of my debut album 'Gonna Die With The Blues' on April 5, 2018.

It has 10 tracks and features many great musicians on board. It will be released on all digital platforms, and will follow with some launch events later.

Please watch this space come launch day!

Ali Sleeq w/ Altersal - Neptune Blues NOW AVAILABLE

I had the pleasure to work with the great musician and soundscape adventurer Altersal, to create something a little different.

This is what happens when you mix a traditional blues song with some synths and drops of acid. The wicked collaboration with Altersal, a member of the band Galaxy Juice and a solo artist, provides his unique flavor to the old blues formula. The result? A hypnotic drone blues taken to the stratosphere.

The song is inspired by 'Dark Road' by Floyd Jones from 1948... but set hundreds of years into the future.

You can find the song in the links below on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, and Youtube; I hope you enjoy it! I also have some big news coming in next couple of days!

Vocals / Bass / Guitar - Ali Sleeq 

Synths / Drum Machines / Production - Altersal

Buddy Guy Reflects on the Blues (Video)

An interview on Reverb with Buddy Guy was posted in January but I never got around to posting it until now. Please mind my delay... music and what not got in my way!

Buddy Guy is one of the last remaining OGs of the blues alive today. He's been through it all man... this is a great video for all blues, music, and guitar fans!

Blues for Lovers

Another year, another heartbreak, another lonesome day. Some of us might be in love, but that don't mean you don't have it down sometimes; Valentine's is a celebration of love, but in our case, it's just another day for the blues.

Here's a few songs for you if you feelin' like giving out some love.

I Want You to Love Me - Muddy Waters

Baby Please Don't Go - Big Joe Williams

Sweet Little Angel - BB King

I Need Love So Bad - John Lee Hooker

Brown Skin Woman - Sunnyland Slim

I'm in Love with You Baby - Otis Spann

 I Can't Quit You Baby - Otis Rush

Performing in Bahrain Tomorrow!

I'll be performing tomorrow at Hazel Rooftop Lounge in Adliya, Bahrain!

This marks the first time I perform in Bahrain under my own name, and I've assembled a talent group of local musicians to be my backup band, so you're in for a treat!

Also, you get 25% off on bourbon and whiskey so you can get in the real mood for the blues.   

Rolling Stones, Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' Win the Blues Grammys

Another year has gone by, and in the mist of all the hoopla around the major pop artists, we get the neglected music section that doesn't show up on TV... the blues Grammy awards!

So from the nominees I mentioned in November, The Rolling Stones have won the Traditional Blues Album of the Year and Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' won the Contemporary Blues Album of the Year.

It might not be the most exciting year for the blues, but it's still nice to see the old schoolers getting the wins, not discounting the other artists like Eric Bibb, Ronald Randolph, Robert Cray and the others.

So congrats to the winners and I'll see you again same time next year! Here's some songs from the winners off their winning albums:

Fender Announces 'American Original' Series

In a nice refresh of the American Vintage series, Fender just announced it's American Original series, a revamp and rebranding of the long running production (since 1982).

The biggest change is that the fretboard radius on these axes will be a flatter moden 9.5' instead of the vintage 7.25', which makes playing a bit easier. However the rest of the specs will be true vintage, down to pickups, the nitro laquer finish, color options, and neck profiles. The series no longer specifies the actual year it's trying to replicate, rather the decade (which combines a few things together).

Kinda pricey, and although the colors are awesome they are down to two or three options per guitar. Would have loved more options.

Here's the full lineup (not including the left hand models), more on www.fender.com:

50's Stratocaster

60's Stratocaster

50's Telecaster

60's Telecaster

60's Jazzmaster

60's Jaguar

50's Precision Bass

60's Precision Bass

60's Jazz Bass

70's Jazz Bass

Nominees for the 39th Blues Music Awards

The Blues Foundation has announced the nominees for the 39th Annual Blues Music Awards, taking place on May 10th, 2018 in Memphis Tennessee, and like every year I post them for ya!

The Blues meets Wu-Tang

As usual I found a nice gem for the blues; but this time from the Wu-Tang Clan.

Now if y'all don't know, I was heavy into Wu-Tang when I was a teenager. They practically raised me up; at 17 is when I found the blues and never went back. But I don't forget where I came from.

In 2005 a compilation album called 'Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture Vol. 1' which features members of the Wu-Tang Clan and their affiliates was released. In it, is a track called 'Slow Blues', which features Vast Aire, Byata, Wu affiliates Timbo King & Prodigal Sunn rapping over a minor blues progression, produced by Bronze Nazareth. It samples the song 'The Creeper Returns' by blues harpist Little Sonny. 

It's a great fusion between these genres, one of the better if not best I've heard. Here it is for your pleasure, and I've also posted the original song it was sampled from:

Original song: