Quarantine Depression Blues - Giant Blues Collaboration!

Hope everyone out there is safe; me and my buddies decided to get together (virtually) and record a blues song for these troubled times!

I've posted the Soundcloud and Youtube links below; hope you all enjoy and stay safe!! 

Musicians:

 Ali Sleeq - Guitar / Vocal www.instagram.com/bluesman81
Fred DeMelo - Piano www.instagram.com/fredmelodies
Hashim Al-Nasser - Guitar www.instagram.com/bukisha
Steven Naim - Bass www.instagram.com/daddythebassist
Shadi Al-Mahallawy - Harp www.instagram.com/thebluesy3rd
Yousef Al-Qabandi - Drums www.instagram.com/bajunjy

Ali Sleeq · Quarantine Depression Blues - Covid Blues Band

Here's to a Big Bluesy 2020

Well, another year has gone by pretty quickly. I have mentioned previously that due to a lot of work and life blues, I wasn't very active this year on the blog, but hopefully one of my resolutions is to get back in the business of preachin' the blues online!

It seems there hasn't been a lot of blues related news this year, but I will be creatively posting about the history of blues like I used to!

I still had a lot of gigs and I'm still waiting on my EP to be crowdfunded (see my previous post). Hopefully things will turn out to be well in 2020!

Happy holidays everyone!

Crowdfunding Started for My New EP

Hey everyone, before you say anything, yes it has been a while. Too many real life blues to deal with!

However I am back to request if you could take a minute to check out my crowdfunding page for my new EP, which I'm planning to record as soon as funding is made.

My debut album released last year, and now I want to do something with complete creative control.

Hope you guys can help a struggling musician to make more music!

Thank you all!

Discover crowdfunding with GoGetFunding

'ReMastered: Devil At The Crossroads' Now Available on Netflix!

It's not usual to see the blues on major networks, but just yesterday Netflix released 'ReMastered: Devil At The Crossroads' which is a short documentary on the music of Robert Johnson, with interviews with other legends like Taj Mahal, Keb Mo, and Bonnie Raitt!

Highly recommended to watch! The trailer is below:

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!