I would consider the "12-bar blues" as you describe it, Mike, as a "song form", not necessarily a "genre". There are 8-bar blues, 16-bar blues, etc, and I've even heard some Robben Ford stuff that is categorized as blues have more of a jazz-fusion flavor with unique song forms and complex chords. Some of what Hendrix played was considered "blues". Certainly Jimmy Page played a lot of blues on the first 3 Led Zepplin albums - Clapton, in various band permutations also played a lot of blues. However, I don't think Eddie Van Halen played the blues. I don't think Muddy Waters played anything BUT the blues.

However, to try to stick to Brian's format, the "Blues" would be an American song form (one of the very few) of a repeating 8, 12, or 16-bar form usually incorporating a shuffle or triplet feel and using the 3 primary chords in a key in most cases - with a few exceptions in the last 4 bars. Melodically, it can be both instrumental and vocally played, with lyrical content favoring sadness, desperation, or melancholy.

The range of sub-genres cover the delta blues with extremely simple chord progressions and instrumentation, to Chicago blues (often with horns), to Memphis blues (a la Elvis), to NY blues (usually jazzier). Even strict jazz artists such as Coltrane, Joe Pass, and Felonius Monk were known to play the blues. I don't think anyone in California has the right to play the blues - surfer music, yes, blues, no...

Well, that's my shot at one genre...


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Larry
www.audibleresponse.com

Larry
http://www.audibleresponse.com
http://www.myspace.com/larrywilliamsproductions
...now writing/producing with Natascha: http://www.myspace.com/nataschacorrigan