1. First and foremost, "Blues is not necessarily depressing"...it can be, but it's so much more than that. Please remember this - This is very important!

2. Many blues musicians play for many different people. It is only the select few who can play with the same group of people all of the time. Many musicians play for many different people to earn a living. It is not unusual to witness a brilliant perfomance then realizing that it 's the first time that everyone on stage had played with one another.

3. There are many different types of blues. Many of these are defined by the different regions of origin. You cannot simply say, "this is the blues" because there's always so much more to it than that. At the same time, just because you like the blues...it doesn't mean you have to like every kind of blues.

4. There is a great deal of difference between the "blues" and "rock blues"...enuff said.

5. There are some people who like only the very traditional "real" blues and everything else is crap to them. To each their own.

6. A lot of people complain that the blues do not get the attention it deserves - others, who love the blues, would prefer to keep it that way.

7. Most people who discover the blues will go back in time to discover the originators of the music. It is quite a journey. Most people do not discover the blues and search out the latest blues artists - it always seems to go backward in time.

8. Some claim that the blues almost died in the late 1970's when disco took over. For many artists, there was no where to play the blues. If there was ever a time when the blues were in danger of disappearing, it appears to be around the late '70's.

9. There are blues societies and blues clubs in most major cities - and some minor ones too. Some people believe that without the blues societies, the blues could disappear off the face of the earth. I personally believe that blues requires support but that it will never die.

10. Most people play the blues because they have to. It's not something one goes into to make a lot of money.

11. Some people really study the blues...and I mean, really study the blues. They can tell you the catalogue number of a given 45 single, the label and what it looked like and who played what instrument on that single. I'm sure that some can tell you what each of the musicians had for lunch that day.

12. The blues survive in blues clubs, summer blues festivals and college and community blues radio stations. The blues gets very little attention from the mainstream media. You may hear the blues on a commercial but that's about it. On the other hand, outside of summer blues festivals, the blues community do not go out of their way to make the music very accessible to the masses. The best example of this is the way that so many of the blues shows start at 10:30 in the evening, usually in a very smokey club.

13. There were two Sonny Boy Williamsons in the blues. How does that happen? Actually, the first was John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson and apparently the second one, Rice Miller decided to use Sonny Boy's name to get some exposure. He did.

14. The average blues fan is white, 35-55 year old, male and well-educated. However, you can go into a blues club and see the most varied crowd enjoying the same music...just not a lot of them.

15. Most blues artist are very accessible and very interesting to talk to. They are very approachable people who, if you ever have the chance, you should take the time to get to know them.

16. The blues has a great history. It is important to know and understand a part of that history to get a better perspective on the music.

17. There are a number of organizations running a "blues in the schools" program to teach young kids about the history and the music of the blues. I believe this to be one of the most worthwhile programs taken on by the various blues societies to expose this music to today's kids.

18. Most blues musicians, not all, go on stage without a full set list. They will call out the next tune as soon as the current tune is done. For some, no two shows are ever the same - for many, no song is ever played the same. It's about the moment.

19. Some people believe that the blues is the roots to most American music such as rockabilly, rock, rock 'n' roll, soul, and R & B. Some also believe that blues in itself has not progressed at all. Some just don't care about such things.

20. When I have told people about my blues project, many have asked me how my "jazz" project is going. Although, there is a definite connection between the two, they are two very different genres of music. My project is about the blues...not jazz...It's "talkin'blues" not "talkin'jazz".

21. Remember, blues is not just about being down and out - it is about life - both the good and the bad.

22. For the most part, the blues does not come with a pension plan, medical plan or a dental plan.

23. It is impossible for me as a non-musician to relate to:

a) what the perfect moment on stage must feel like

b) what being on the road and living your life on the road is like

c) what it's like to play an instrument so well that it is simply an extension of oneself

24. There are just so many great blues musicians who do not get the recognition that they deserve. The fact is that the list would go on forever. Having said that, people like T-Bone Walker, Louis Jordan, Son House, Magic Sam, Albert Collins, Freddie King, Albert King are some of the names that come up the most when blues musicians talk about major influences. The more common influential players are Robert Johnson, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker and Lightning Hopkins.

25. Many Blues musicians have great descriptive names - certainly more common than most other occupations. Names such as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Guitar Shorty, Big Bill Broonzy, etc. One does not usually find these types of names in the accounting field - ie. Abacus Bob, Big Tax Washington, Blind Calculator Sam, etc...

26. Blues is really not about colour any more - however, the reality is that many of the original greats are leaving us and no matter how good the followers are, in my opinion, they come no where close to the original masters. Because of this reason, I have often felt that this project does have an ultimate deadline of sorts - I have often wished that I began this project a lot earlier in my life.

27. There are many classic blues tunes which have been played and recorded by a large number of people. Songs like "Sweet Home Chicago", "Caledonia", "Dust My Broom", "Got my Mojo Working", "Key to the Highway" and many, many others have been covered by an incredible number of musicians. However, there is always that one version that excels above all the rest and for some songs, I wonder why other people even bother doing another version of such a classic tune.

28. There is a great difference between those who know how to play the blues and those who don't - A very large difference. When played well, the blues is amazing! When it's played by someone who isn't good...it's quite awful.

29. There is a great difference between those who play the blues full time and those who play it on a part time basis.

30. Blues can be very sexy.

31. It's not that unusual to hear the term 'cats' as in "I used to play with these 'cats' from Chicago" when speaking to someone in the blues. I'm sure this is a term used by many other musicians as well. I just don't remember hearing the 'cats' in my old corporate job use that term very much. "Cheers" is another word I hear more often than I used to.

32. "Shuffles", "Swing", "Groove", "in the pocket", "behind the beat", "tone", and "mojo" are some other phrases one hears a lot in the blues.

33. There are many, many, many blues tunes with the word "blues" in it. Probably more than any other form of music (with the possible exception of polka), does a music form sing about itself like the blues.

34. Many of the British bands of the sixties such as the Rolling Stones were very instrumental in re-introducing the blues to North America.

35. Johnny Lang and Kenny Wayne Sheppard are often criticised because they are young, successful and less bluesier than some would like. I wonder if people said that about the Stone when they first came out?

36. Blues sell a lot of beer, me thinks.

37. Last year was designated the year of the blues. One of the highlights of the year was the seven part series called "The Blues" on PBS. I've heard a lot of positive and negative comments about the series but I personally thought it was absolutely wonderful. These days, any attention given to the blues is a good thing. Having said that, from what I little I know, it seems to me that the blues is in more trouble (with less blues clubs, less national touring acts, less record companies and retails outlets, etc...) than when I began this project five years ago.

38. The Blues Brothers did a lot to bring attention to the blues and they were instrumental in introducing the blues to many young people. They were also very respectful to the blues in that they hired a great bunch of musicians who could play the blues as well as to feature many blues greats in their movies. Having said that, as soon as I see the Blues Brothers sunglasses used to symbolize the blues, all credibility is lost for me. It's just a personal thing.

39. I loved Stevie Ray Vaughn before I had any understanding of the blues. (And really, I'm still very far from truly grasping the blues.) He was absolutely amazing. Most musicians I have met respect him as well. It's just unfortunate that there are so many young players who sound like (and often look like) Stevie Ray Vaughn out there who do not seem to have an ounce of musical originality in them. I'm sure if I could play like him, I'd probably do the same...but it is a shame. The next Stevie Ray Vaughn will be someone who doesn't sound like him at all, I think.

40. A great movie with a killer blues soundtrack would probably do a lot for this genre of music...and I hate to say it but someone young and good looking who really plays the blues to have a hit on the radio would be asset as well. (Of course, I don't think independent artists can get on commercial radio any more.)

41. Is it not strange that when a non-blues artist says, "we're gonna play the blues for you, now", during a concert, inevitably, there's a large cheer from the crowd. Whether or not, it's executed well, the audience seems to like the idea of hearing the blues.

42. Most serious blues players are in it for the long run - it's a way of life for them.

43. Some blues artists are managed by their friends...who probably shouldn't be managing anyone. There is such a small profit margin in the blues for many of the artists that it makes no sense for most management companies to handle these artists. One can often tell a lot about the artist based on the calibre of their management.

44. Most blues magazines lean towards positive reviews...because there's a finite amount of advertising dollars that they can generate. Most writers of these magazines (and certainly for most internet sites) work for ridiculously low amounts of money - if there's any money in it at all. For them, it's the love of music and the free CDs, I guess. Many are not qualified to be reviewers but that can be said in any field, I guess. It makes one really appreciate those who actually can write a decent review.