12-Bar Talk: A Blues Podcast

In our first episode of 2024, Dr. Chelsea Adams and musician Brother Yusef discuss blues, history, black experience in the United States, and why race is inextricable from the music, culture, and conversation surrounding blues and other forms of black music.    Host: Dr. Chelsea Adams   Guest: Brother Yusef  http://www.brotheryusef.com/   Produced by Dr. Chelsea Adams   12-Bar Talk is supported by...

In our final episode of 2023, Dr. Chelsea Adams talks with Grand Rapids, MI organizer Andi Hansen about what it was like restarting a dance community post-pandemic, what the differences are between a dance scene and a dance community, and why that matters for community building, sustainability, and a sense of belonging both locally and regionally.    Host: Dr. Chelsea Adams   Guest: Andi Hansen  ...

Anyone who loves music can likely tell you who their favorite DJ is, whether that's a radio DJ, club DJ, or dance DJ. In this episode, Dr. Chelsea Adams and DJ Steven Watkins discuss the art of DJing, what it takes to teach it, and how we evolve our understanding of what a DJ is and does for a dance floor in comparison to the choices we make when we DJ in other situations.    Host: Dr. Chelsea Ada...

The pandemic killed off many national events and intensive learning experiences offered across dance styles. In this episode, we discuss a unique, week-long intensive event called The Experiment, which has revived post-pandemic. Hear from the founders of The Blues Experiment and learn what it's all about and what it's offering, and why it's important to have spaces to explore what it means to be a...

In this episode, Vicci Moore and Adamo Ciarallo discuss building up blues instruction, and blues festivals, in Europe. We talk about the importance of music and history, but also the importance of creating ways for small communities with fewer resources to have access to quality information and teaching and learning materials about the blues. You can find out more about their online platform, The...

When we think of the blues in Europe, one of the first places our minds wander are the famous blues festivals in Great Britain that brought international attention to blues greats like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. But there is more to the story than the festivals. Dr. Roberta Schwartz, Director of the Musicology Division of the University of Kansas and the advising director of the KU Archive...

In this episode, we discuss the importance of, and struggles that come with, restarting local dance scenes. In an interview with Chicago blues dance organizer Tom DeGroh, Dr. Adams discusses how to navigate restarting, struggles in creating community in a post-covid world, the necessity of activism in dance communities that teach black dances and dance to blues music, and why it is important to re...

Learn more about the blues and the people who listen to it in this new podcast with a focus on the evolution of blues music and the dances done to this uniquely American art form.  Podcast intro music is Chicago Shuffle Blues, courtesy of JuliusH. Song can be found at https://pixabay.com/users/juliush-3921568/ . 12-Bar Talk: A Blues Podcast, is supported by Salt City Blues, LLC.