In the 1950s and '60s, Bobby Bland parlayed a personal blend of gospel, swing and blues into an exciting new genre that became the horn-spiked rhythm-and-blues sound.
"We just called it blues because that's the only thing we knew to call it," says the singer. "Little Richard, Sam Cooke . . . they were all out there around that time. I had a lot of influences: Lowell Fulson, T-Bone Walker, Big Joe Turner, Roy Brown, Jimmy Witherspoon. . ."
Today, "R&B;" connotes an urban musical collage bearing little musical resemblance to the early, down-to-earth brew developed Bland and his musical cohorts -- many of whom had Southern gospel roots. Mr. Bland accepts this as part of a natural cycle he's seen throughout his career.
"They have so many different things going on now, you know, and you don't have the rhythm and blues, per se," he says. "They have rap, and . . . reggae, and what have you. But R&B; is nothing like it used to be.
"I don't think that they give their respects to the music that I know, like they used to. So I guess we have to just wait our turn again," he continues. "It's a different trend, and we'll be the last ones to be heard from. I've been doing the same things that I've been doing all the time. . . I've never really gotten out of the blues circuit. I never changed from what I been doing the best I know how to do. I don't change with the trend because it's not my style."
Mr. Bland is no stranger to success. In the early '50s he hooked up with the famed Johnny Ace Revue in Memphis, and in 1954 traveled with the legendary Blues Consolidated package featuring Little Junior Parker. Then, in 1957, his recording of "Farther Up the Road" shot to No. 1 on the R&B; charts. In the ensuing years, "I Pity The Fool" went to No. 1, "Turn On Your Love Light" to No. 2 and "That's the Way Love Is" to No. 1.
These hits climbed the charts without making commercial compromises and became genre classics. In addition, his association with B.B. King brought Mr. Bland to the attention of the blues audience. In 1981, he was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame; in 1992, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame added him to its rolls.
"At one time, I had about 14 hits in a row," Mr. Bland says, "and that was when I first started out. We did pretty good. . ."
In the 1960s, his career took a slight down cycle. "You know, I mean that's life. You go through a lot of different changes and you get involved in some things that you're not familiar with, and I think that everybody has that kind of experience throughout their career."
Mr. Bland is also no stranger to Baltimore. He remembers when Charm City was part of a vibrant national black music circuit.
JTC Asked if he played Baltimore's famed Royal Theater, Mr. Bland says: "Did I? Yeah! That's the only place that we played . . . black artists basically. We played the circuit -- you know, like the Howard in Washington, the Royal in Baltimore, the Uptown in Philadelphia, the Apollo Theater [in New York] . . . That was the circuit for that time. We played with artists like Etta James, Jimmy Reed, Jackie Wilson, Wilson Pickett, and we did some things with the Godfather [James Brown]".
Mr. Bland, who just turned 65, feels good about the future. "Well, I'm looking forward to trying to get a good LP out there and I'm trying to get something to cross over if we possibly can. I feel pretty good about myself at the age of 65. Things look pretty good."
Bobby "Blue" Bland
Where: Eight by Ten Club, 10 E. Cross St.
When: Tonight, two shows: 8 and 11
Tickets: $15
Call: (410) 625-2000
"Years of Tears"
To hear excerpts from Bobby Bland's album "Years of Tears," call Sundial, The Sun's telephone information service, at (410) 783-1800. In Anne Arundel County, call 268-7736; in Harford County, 836-5028; in Carroll County, 848-0338. Using a touch-tone phone, punch in the four-digit code 6154 after you hear the greeting.