Browsing: Bruce Iglauer

RIAA, A2IM And Exceleration Music-hosted event featured iconic blues artist Shemekia Copeland!

“I am extremely honored to have Alligator Records receive this award. I accept it in the name of all the Alligator artists, from Hound Dog Taylor in 1971 to Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram today, who have lived the blues and carried the tradition forward.” – Bruce Iglauer

The arts will hold our hands through the darkness. These are the backstories of five artists who provided us with survival soundtracks for the year that never seemed to end.

“It’s music that’s created by a specific group of extremely oppressed people in order to deal with oppression that they are suffering. But it’s so strong that those of us who didn’t grow up in horrible oppression can feel it, and people who don’t understand the words can feel it.”

“We’re looking forward to our next 50 years bringing the blues of Sweet Home Chicago to the world. Thank you, Mayor Lightfoot.” – Bruce Iglauer

“The fact is that he opened the door for a lot of people, and I don’t think he has ever got the recognition he deserves for being such a seminal figure.” – Bruce Iglauer

Fifty years ago, 23-year-old blues fan Bruce Iglauer spent his meager savings to record an LP by his favorite Chicago blues band, Hound Dog Taylor & The HouseRockers, and founded Alligator Records to release it. Today, Alligator boasts a catalog of over 350 titles, many of which are renowned, award-winning, time-tested classics of the genre.

How will Exceleration help Alligator expand on founder Bruce Iglauer’s vision without turning the music into a “commodity” instead of an “art”? If his history with Concord is any indication, Exceleration CEO Glen Barros is a man who walks the talk.

Reading Bruce’s memoir ‘Bitten By the Blues’ (University of Chicago Press) co-written by Patrick Roberts for me is like finding a brother’s secret diary under the bed.

‘Bitten By the Blues’ takes readers behind the scenes, offering larger than life stories of musicians, recording sessions, and what it’s like to work with the legends of the genre.