In 1980, when I was 9 years old, I went with my family to see "The Blues Brothers." I wasn't normally allowed to see 'R' rated films, but we had really gone to see "The Empire Strikes Back", which was sold out; "The Blues Brothers" was the only other plausible choice, I guess. I remember the scene where the Blues Brothers wander aimlessly looking for a gig and end up in central Indiana, at Bob's Country Bunker. They go in and lie to the owners, saying they are the "Good Ol' Boys"-the candy-ass, fluffy, C&W band that hasn't shown up yet. The Bunker fills to capacity and the urban R&B ensemble get ready to start playing. They open with Steve Winwood's "Give Me Some Lovin'" which inspires vicious booing and bottle throwing. They nearly get 86ed from the joint - the owners turn out the lights on them, but then they save their hides by quickly brainstorming and launching into the theme from the T.V. show "Rawhide." The crowd is whipped into an adoring frenzy, which continues as the band then starts in on "Stand By Your Man" (with gestures).

The joke is fairly obvious: a R&B band get stuck in a roomfull of country music fans, expected to entertain them. The country fans, of course, don't dig the hard-driving blues-based sound, but the comically over-the-top country tunes are a big hit. I thought that was very funny-the ridiculousness of a blues band playing for a country audience. But what has become obvious to me only recently is that there's more to this scene than meets the eye…

The very first performer on the Grand Ol' Opry was a black man. Deford Bailey was born in 1899 in Bellwood Tennessee. He performed on the Opry, playing his harmonica, from its beginning in 1928 to 1941. It's never really been revealed why he left. Deford was a beloved member of the show, but he still faced the overwhelming racial prejudice that Americans of African descent dealt with. His leaving the show was mixed with confusion and most likely was rooted in racism - he was told by George Hay, who ran the Opry, that he had to revamp his entire repertoire in order to avoid playing songs which he had already recorded. Deford, for whatever reason, refused. No one really knows why he left- surely he could have increased his list of songs, but perhaps the issues ran deeper and had more sinister truths within them. Maybe it was the last straw in a life of being treated as a mascot and a second-class member of a group. George Hay wrote of Deford: "Like some members of his race, DeFord was lazy. He knew about a dozen numbers, which he put on the air and recorded for a major company, but he refused to learn any more." Not all the members of the Opry thought of Deford merely as a mascot - Bill Monroe, Sam and Kirk McGee and the Delmore brothers all had immense respect for Deford's musical ability. Sam McGee even mentions Deford in "Train Blues" saying "here comes Deford Bailey now with his harmonica." And it makes sense, too, that these particular country musicians loved Deford and his music: all of them loved and respected the blues. They had learned much of what they infused in their music from black musicians.

The list of early country performers who were influenced by, and even many times taught by, black men is impressive. Hank Williams, Bill Monroe, Jimmie Rodgers, Bob Wills and countless lesser-known names filled out their anglo-influenced folk core with the more exotic and foreign grit of blues and even jazz. Bill Monroe's Bluegrass boys styled their fiddle breakdowns in the format of jazz; improvising on banjoes and mandolin, spiraling away from the constraints of melody at breakneck speeds in turn, like a jazz ensemble. The blues can be easily heard in much of Monroe's music- a scorching, aching riff entwined in a mountain stringband's plaintive ballad. Bob Wills, western swing pioneer, claims he rode over 50 miles on horseback to see Bessie Smith, the "Empress of the Blues", sing. His music, and other western swing outfits, were heavily influenced by both blues and jazz. Western swing is even sometimes called Hillbilly Jazz.

So, if these were the inventors of country music and they were influenced so greatly by African styles, where is that influence now? I hear very little blues or jazz in the vapid Pop-country that dominates the airwaves. Precious few black performers have made a place for themselves in country music. It's not as if this influence was exactly celebrated by the white musicians of the time-they did indeed express great admiration and emulation of black musical styles, but the prejudice that was so strong in the South discouraged much more than a covert connection. There's a story that Bob Wills once hired a black trumpet player while in a drunken condition, then upon sobering up realized his gaffe and quickly dismissed the player. Whether or not this really occurred, the sentiment was real- blacks and whites played together in the urban North, but in the South there was still too much of a taboo to admit that perhaps these African descendents had as much, or sometimes even more, capability than whites. Bill Monroe didn't speak readily of the influence that Arnold Schultz, a black blues guitarist and fiddler, had on him until very late in his career when the barriers of taboo had been dismantled a bit.

Regardless of how openly it was admitted, the influence of black music upon country was huge. It was also a key element in the creation of rock 'n' roll; when Scots-Irish ballads and string music met with the blues, the foundations were laid for the modified boogie/blues/country that was the infantile rock 'n' roll. Simple European story-songs and melodies soothed and calmed the ancient, intense rhythms of Africa and a new style of music was born. The hard-core blues of Charley Patton and the Carter Family's wavering, modal ballads are connected to, but also deeply removed from what came decades later. But perhaps the intensity of Patton and the Carter family is what's lacking in today's music in general, and most acutely in country. Of course there are bands that haven't severed the link between country in its heyday and what they play now. Bands that haven't forsaken the rawness of the early folk tradition and the black influence that so immensely shaped the original country sound. But they are in the background-seldom heard, seldom seen and seldom given a chance at a widespread audience. What is heard - mainstream country - is a watered-down, vapid, hollow shadow of what it is supposedly derived from. It is an imitation of an imitation. How did that happen? The fact that country music is considered a purely white idiom (what spells pearly white more succinctly than country music? Remember, in "The Blues Brothers", the Nazis pursuing the band are aligned with the Good Ol' Boys {and the police}) is just one symptom of a larger decline in quality of an under-appreciated, mocked, but precious art form: country music.

Deford Bailey never revisited the Opry, except once, I think. He had a fond love for many of his fellow performers and I think he was deeply hurt by what transpired upon his leaving the show, for he never revealed what had really happened and he gave up on performing forever afterwards. Sadly, Deford has never been added to the Country Music Hall of Fame, although non-musician Minnie Pearl has long been a member. That, by itself, is more telling than any amount of words on the subject. The first performer on the Grand Ol' Opry, who was hugely popular and beloved by fans, isn't even considered worthy enough to be added to a hall of fame.

So when the Blues Brothers' R&B is rejected by the country crowd, perhaps there is more to it than that simple soul-music-for-country-fans joke. I think the scene is ironic. The two races once commonly mixed musical styles and ideas, but somewhere along the line black music got blacker and white music got whiter and country music lost a magic that had infused it throughout the first half of the 20^th century. A big piece of the magic that was lost was a soulfulness that was a distinct contribution of the African influence- The Stanley Brother's bluesy riffs, the swirling jazz of western swing, the boogie of the Maddox Brothers and Rose. A residual smattering of these elements may still be in popular modern country, but somehow it's been shorn of all distinction.

Was the bleaching-out of the black element in country music a symptom or a cause of the decline in quality? Today's country music is bland, over-similar, unimaginative, corporate, and over-all soul-less. How did this occur? Over the decades, country lost much more than the evidence of its black influence.

After the birth of rock & roll, country music lost a kind of purity. Many writers have gone to great lengths to point out that much of the country that we've grown to think of as "traditional" is, in reality, quite sophisticated and modern. In "Bluegrass Breakdown", Robert Cantwell points out that Bluegrass was derived from, but not pure form of, rural folk music. As he points out, it was infused with blues, jazz, but also a modern speed and sophistication - Sam McGee, long-time Opry denizen, said he liked Bill Monroe personally, but to him Bluegrass was just stringband music played too fast. Nevertheless, throughout the first few decades of country, the link with the original types of rural music was much stronger and solid. Over the years that link has become almost non-existent in mainstream country.

The loss of connection to the traditional sounds cannot be attributed solely to the passage of time. Nor is a resistance to change and advancement the key to good music. As a matter of fact, the façade of bucolic purity that country promoters have built around country music has rankled many a musician and hasn't necessarily kept the important bonds strong. Many early musicians were forced to dress and act like clover-kickers for the sake of presenting a "country" image. They were given names like the Fruit Jar Drinkers, the Gully Jumpers and the Skillet Lickers. They were made to go barefoot and wear overalls, when in reality they would have preferred to wear their Sunday best when performing. In the world of country and folk there was an image that the producers wanted to convey and that the audience came to expect.

The important purity that was lost wasn't image, it was aural - not a slavish imitation of the past, but an essence of what made the music vital and exciting in the first place. To avoid change doesn't make great music, but to lose hold of the important key elements can effectively sever a tradition. The main culprit in the cutting-off of country from its key traditional link was and is commerce. In a perfect world, supply and demand would have a pure connection in music: the musicians would play what they want and if people liked it, they would listen to it. But the whole process has been whacked way out of shape by recording, radio, and a whole culture that has sprung up around them of executives, A&R people and other non-musical pests. The "bottom line" has sway over much of the music "industry" and quality often gets lost in the shuffle.

Many writers have also gone to great lengths to blame the birth of rock & roll for the death of the golden era of country music. They say that the popularity of rock eclipsed the demand for all types of country and also forced country music itself to assimilate. Some traditional bands like the Osborne Brothers started using drums and amplifying their instruments. Others, who refused to compromise their sound, simply had to give up music and turn to other types of employment; western swing genius Johnny Gimble became a barber and worked in a hospital throughout the 60's because he couldn't make a living anymore. Genres of country such as Bluegrass, Western Swing, Cajun and Honky Tonk didn't fade in popularity due to lack of innovation and willingness to diversify on the part of the musicians. Indeed, these genres' genesis was based on diversity and innovation. If they had had a natural atmosphere, unhindered by commerce, they would have evolved into new realms of great music. But they weren't able to progress organically- the business end of country was busy making sure it would stay profitable and competitive. Rock & roll probably did lead to some decline in the popularity of country, but the shortsightedness of executives surely exacerbated the situation. They saw that rock & roll was immensely popular, so they focused on that sound, on that music-and anything not following the exact format was dismissed as passe (i.e. unprofitable).

What began to evolve in the 50's was a new genre of country music. A generalized, watered-down, vapid, homogenized conglomerate. A style that embraced the least important aspects of country music: a general notion of culture and past, but no specific regional aspects; certain instruments like steel guitar which evoked a false feeling of kinship with a previous tradition; and, most importantly, a singer with a twangy southern accent which helps create the illusion of connection.

Of course, there were those who followed a different path. Those who progressed organically as if the commerce and greed hadn't bastardized the way. But the route for these individuals wasn't easy - they were labeled "outlaws", considered marginal much of the time, rejected by Nashville. They had ties with rock, but they didn't use it as a means to blend in - they were forging new pathways in spite of the pressure to stay monotonous. Willy Nelson has great love and respect for western swing and merged the boogie, funk and soul of it into his own music. Perhaps if Gram Parsons hadn't been independently wealthy we wouldn't have had his inspired mixture of traditional country and rock. Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Dwight Yoakam and others have, against all odds, carved a place for a non-corporate country sound in the sinister and self-serving music industry. Others, many others, are not so lucky. Not heard, not seen, rarely played on the radio - the plucky bands who maintain the link to the past and want to also plunge ahead are not at all respected in the money-conscious world of country music. They must find loopholes, alternative resources, and struggle to stay afloat while the most vile, vapid, listless music gets multi-million dollar record deals and all the airplay.

I asked a few people well-versed in the loophole world of alternative country what their opinions were on why and how mainstream country has become so dire. Jon Langford, who has played with the Mekons, the Waco Brothers and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts - all ensembles who have delved into the essence of country music - put it simply: "…Neglect, greed, indifference-take your pick…" He also says that he has a feeling that "Interesting music is only made out on the frontiers - sometimes it storms into town and has a string of hits, gets copied and assimilated etc. Your observant industry guy knows this pattern now and we can see plenty of manufactured, controlled rebellion dominating the youth market." He sees the decline as due to America's corporate monopolizing - nothing faintly unsalable has a chance to get heard. He says "Now the lid is on tight and the best talent from the fringes who deserve a moment in the spotlight are denied this by cynical corporate biz freaks who might as well be selling underwear down the open market." This man's been in the music business for 25 years, he knows whereof he speaks.

Jeb Bonansinga, singer and guitarist for the Riptones, feels that country music radio shoulders a big deal of the blame. He notes that radio is a commercial endeavor and isn't there to promote good music. "They are always going to defer to the safest, most inoffensive, bland music." He also thinks the decline of live music has aided the demise of quality in country. Because of all the broadcast technology, people go to see live music less and less; this promotes a decline of the sound. He also thinks that country music has always had an inferiority complex because of its clover-kicker image and when, around the late 50's, the opportunity to spruce up their image with slick production value and more urbane influence cropped up, many jumped on the bandwagon. But this eventually paved the way for people like Garth Brooks, Sylvia and Shania Twain to become mega-stars. The music became sterilized and "…gained respect from the populace, but lost a piece of its rural, working man roots."

Currently, Chicago is one of the hotbeds of non-corporate country. It makes sense - Chicago, and other Midwestern cities, were magnets for the down-and-out Southerners who were looking for better jobs during the Depression; many outstanding blues and country musicians and fans found their way to Chicago. Shows like Chicago's WLS Barndance were popular throughout the Midwest. Serving as a non-Nashville option, as Austin, TX. and Bakersfield, CA. have, Chicago's seen clubs like Schubas, the Hideout and the Abby Pub catering to and coinciding with a burgeoning alternative country scene. Bloodshot records (bloodshotrecords.com) provides a spiritual and physical center for this scene-recording many sterling alternative country bands and serving as a focal point for practitioners and listeners alike. Their artists are impressive and diverse, and they are all joined by the common thread of being exceptional. You can see why the level of quality is so high - Rob Miller, co-owner of Bloodshot, says " I could not promote music I do not love passionately." It seems a simple statement, but how many mainstream music executives could sincerely say it? Bloodshot is close-knit, sincere and focused on quality (as opposed to $$$), therefore every record is a gem, every band on the label is worth seeing. Unfortunately, the flip side of going the alternative route is that it's a struggle. I asked Rob if he felt satisfied with the position he and his label are in and he honestly answered "I feel satisfied that we are in business still. I say that not to be glib, but this is a tough racket." He makes it clear that although he'd like more acceptance, more airplay and more financial gain for his artists, it's not worth compromising their standards to achieve that. I asked Rob if he could foresee a time when the internet and self-promotion would get enough of a foothold to eliminate the need for the corporate middle men: "Not for a long time. There will always be a need for the clout to get stuff into the mainstream consciousness. The music racket is not a meritocracy, and the people with lots of money and lots of power will always be able to keep their artists in the forefront of media." But perhaps with labels like Bloodshot- small scale, manageable, sincere- more quality bands will get a chance to be recorded and heard. The problem is, though, that even though a record gets made, it's not necessarily going to be heard. It's dizzying to ponder a method to reinstate quality country music in its rightful position. The vapid drivel that passes for "country" maintains its dominance while the good stuff is tucked away in hidden corners. The general public is usually consistent - I don't believe that people had better taste 60 or 70 years ago, yet the quality of mainstream country was far superior at that time. I believe, rather, that the strain of commerce has caused most of the decline. We live in a vastly different world today from 100 years ago - there is not much wilderness left, not many pockets of people living in remote areas, untouched by technology and the industrial culture. The situation could only be just right once for the genesis of our American music - a time when cultures came together, the ability to record sound was invented, when the climate was just right for the birth of a particular kind of music. Unfortunately, this perfect climate morphed into something dark, greedy, diffused, and utterly predictable. When one grows accustomed to mediocrity, it seems acceptable - especially when no other options are known.

Put the word in the street: there is still a good country sound, there are still those who believe that good music transcends all monetary influence. Around the corner, in the street (literally, I discovered one of my favorite bands, Twang Bang, playing in the street. They evoke Carl Perkins, the Hoosier Hot Shots and They Might Be Giants all at once), on college and public radio, at South By Southwest (the growing, spectacular music conference in Austin), at small clubs and bars-where ever good music is played, go SEE it, pay for it, demand it. Like Jon Langford points out, the suits in the music industry are dense about a lot of things, but not about supply and demand; if we stop accepting crap music and only settle for the best, that is what we will get. Of course, some people do just have bad taste-how else can you explain the popularity of Michael Bolton? But I think it's possible to reclaim the type of fans that danced to Bob Wills, hummed along to Bill Monroe and boogied to the Maddox Brothers and Rose. When the standard is raised, the bands that deserve to make a decent living off of their talents will flourish, and no-talent hacks who can't play, write or sing will be the ones having to look for work as barbers and waitresses. Until then, give thanks to the hearty souls who continue to embrace the soul of country music, in spite of diminishing financial returns. The tide can be turned, and the success of bands like Uncle Tupelo, the Old 97's, Lucinda Williams, Dwight Yoakam, the Bottle Rockets and others proves that it is possible that logic can prevail and the best music will be supported and heard.

No Depression, a bimonthly magazine covering alternative country, is a good source of information and resources.

www.bloodshotrecords.com

www.twangbang.com

David C. Morton, "Deford Bailey: A Black Star in Early Country Music"

"The Encyclopedia of Country Music" Edited by Paul Kingsbury

Douglas B. Green, "Country Roots: The Origins of Country Music"

Nick Tosches, "Country"

Bill C. Malone, "Country Music U.S.A"

Duncan McLean, "Lone Star Swing"

The incredible documentary "High Lonesome" (available on video) by Rachel Liebling. The story of Bluegrass music.

My thanks to Rob Miller, Jeb Bonansinga and Jon Langford for their thoughtful and helpful input.