Blues Portrait – A Profile of the Australian Blues Scene by Pauline Bailey Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

The Blues Portrait book series provides an overview of the contemporary Australian blues scene. It consists of five volumes in which 212 musicians discuss their musical experiences, their introduction to the blues, and its significance to them. Each artist’s story is accompanied by photographs taken by some of Australia’s leading music photographers.

About Blues Portrait

In November 2019 I self-published my first book, Blues Portrait. This was followed by Volumes 2 and 3 which were released simultaneously in November 2021, Volume 4 which was published in 2023 and the most recent instalment, Volume 5 released in Aporil 2025. I’ve always had a passion for Australian music – blues music in particular, and I’ve always believed that Australian blues has been overlooked in the musical landscape. When I started looking for books on the subject, I was surprised to discover that no one had properly documented this genre, so in 2017 I decided to track down some of this country’s blues legends to record their stories. Once I started interviewing people it quickly became evident that the blues scene was far more diversified and expansive than I had anticipated and I discovered many more people keen to tell their stories. The end result is a collection of 212 people spread across five books, illustrating this country’s broad and impressive blues culture. Because the books also discuss how blues has affected and influenced other musical styles, I’ve included people who aren’t technically “blues”; individuals with a variety of backgrounds, influences, and inspirations, but who all have one thing in common: the desire to make music. I’m extremely grateful to every one of these incredible musicians for generously sharing their time, stories, and perspectives on what it means to be a musician.

Testimonials:

“Blues Portrait is an incredible book which documents the Australian blues music scene and it’s amazing musicians.” – Peter D. Harper

“Pauline Bailey’s “Blues Portrait” book series has every artist telling their story in their own words. The insights, philosophies, outlooks and tales make for a great read. Her choices for inclusion are interesting and diverse, the variety gives the book a wonderfully rich texture, and her interviewing style obviously made every one of them feel relaxed enough to open up.” – Craig B.

“If you collect music biographies (or just want a good read) you need this book. It fills a big void in any collection because there are so few books about blues musicians – especially Australian ones. Even if you’re not a blues fan (God forbid!), the book is full of great down-to-earth chats with the likes of Kevin Borich, Bob Spencer, Phil Para and Kerri Simpson, to name but a few.” – Sharon B.

“I learnt so much and filled in a lot of gaps that I didn’t even know were gaps in this wonderful music scene we have here. So grateful to have this book.” – Grant

“Can certainly recommend this book to any music enthusiast, no matter what their preferred genre is – the blues is where it all began for the music of today.” – Lee

“An unparalleled reference on blues music in Australia. Part 4 of this excellent series of books about the Australian blues scene does not disappoint and goes a huge way to furthering the knowledge base of this widely variable genre of music and those who keep it alive for now, and for future generations. Pauline Bailey has taken on this monumental task with gusto, and along the way has created an unparalleled reference of those who eat, breathe, live and play the blues.” – Andrew F.

“As per the previous volumes this edition is akin to the music it’s based on, a rough and tumble, warts and all life’s journey of Australian musicians (guitarists, drummers, harpists, vocalists, bassists and keyboardists) feeling the blues.” – Phil S.

Reviews and Interviews:

Review by Des Cowley – Rhythms Magazine Nov/Dec 2022

Like many, I came to blues music via a circuitous route. If you’d quizzed me about Willie Dixon’s classic ‘Spoonful’, I’d have cited Cream. Robert Johnson’s ‘Love in Vain’? Easy, Rolling Stones. It was Canned Heat who first introduced me to John Lee Hooker via Hooker ‘n’ Heat. I recall Hooker’s voice and guitar on that record was so alien, I didn’t know what to make of it. But I t proved enough to whet my appetite, and, like others before me, I set off in search of the roots of this music. Writer and visual artist Pauline Bailey confesses she loved music from an early age, her eclectic tastes eventually running to the raw sound of slide guitar and harmonica. Not unlike my own experience, she first encountered blues via local acts like Billy Thorpe and Lobby Loyde, or by listening to records by the Stones or Johnny Winter. Later, the more authentic blues of Chris Wilson and Southern Lightning motivated her to embark upon her own journey of discovery, diving deep into the blues catalogue. Bailey’s first venture into writing and publishing came about when she collaborated on musician Kim Volkman’s autobiography The Devil Won’t Take Charity (2017). The positive experience led her to conceive of an ambitious project to document Australian blues music, resulting in the present series of volumes. The significance of her work can’t be overestimated, given the overall paucity of books on the subject. All up, bailey’s Blues Portrait runs to a whopping 1000 pages, comprising first-hand accounts by some 130 musicians, most running to around 5-10 pages, along with photographs and brief career overviews. Bailey has cast her net widely, embracing those who play blues, as well as those inspired or influenced by blues music. While its focus is on Australian musicians, it does spotlight the occasional overseas act, such as Chuck Leavell or Nikki “D” Brown, who have toured here. A select checklist of names featured in the first volume provides a snapshot of coverage: Ian Collard, Dave Hole, Kevin Borich, Fiona Boyes, Phil Manning, Lloyd Spiegel, Geoff Achison, Ross Wilson, Jeff Lang, Matt Taylor, Kerri Simpson, Ash Grunwald, Shane O’Mara Chris Wilson. Bailey’s modus operandi for the first volume was to carry out face-to-face interviews, starting off with a prescribed set of questions, but allowing the conversation to roam, the equivalent of a fireside chat. These were then transcribed and edited before being provided to interviewees for final edits and approval. The strength of this approach is that the end result reflects the musician’s own stories, told in their own words. It is a testament to Bailey’s project that only two of some hundred-and-sixty musicians she approached declined to be involved. The onset of the pandemic, and subsequent lockdowns in 2020-2021, necessitated a shift in approach, and interviews for the second and third volumes were largely conducted by phone. One unexpected outcome is that these volumes broach the impacts of COVID upon local musicians. For many, the experience of gigs drying up, or enforces personal isolation, was a negative one; for others, such as Joe Camilleri, it “allowed time to stop and do something that I’ve always loved”, in this case, playing the saxophone. With their density and heft, Bailey’s books are best considered reference works, to be dipped into, or taken down from the shelf as need arises. While her later volumes include a roster of significant names – Tim Rogers, Kerryn Tolhurst, Jeannie Lewis, Margret RoadKnight, Jim Conway, Kim Salmon, Russell Morris, Steve Tallis – they equally include many lesser-known figures, testifying to her depth of coverage. As Jeff Lang notes in his introduction to the third volume, the book embraces “many younger performers who are each in their own way taking the music forward into the future”. Can we expect a further volume in the series? According to Bailey: “I still have a lot of artists I’d like to interview, including Buddy Knox and CW Stoneking, but I haven’t been able to connect with them yet, unfortunately… I’m currently working on Volume 4… stay tuned!” In the interim, post-lockdowns, she’s returned to her favourite Melbourne haunts: “The Catfish, The Rainbow, Way Out West, Memo, The Corner, The Forum, Lyrebird, George Lane, and the long0running Sunday Cherry Blues at the Cherry Bar.” In a nutshell, like any inveterate music lover, she concedes she’ll go anywhere to see a blues band. To label these volumes a labour of love doesn’t do the project justice. Bailey has devoted several years of her life to documenting several generations of Australian blues and blues-related musicians, filling a much-needed gap in the record. The fact that Australian blues music developed decades after its U.S. counterpart means that, within these pages, Bailey has been able to capture the voices of Australian pioneers of this music. In ten or twenty years, many of these voices will be silenced, ensuring her work is crucial to our understanding of the development of blues music in this country. Within a local context – and I know this sounds like a stretch – it’s analogous to an American counterpart talking down the words of Charley Patten, Robert Johnson, Son House, Lead Belly, or M Rainey. Kerri Simpson goes so far as to refer to her as an “Alan Lomax type figure”. Blues historians will undoubtably owe Bailey a debt of gratitude.

Blues Portrait Volume 5 book review by Phil Shepperd – Harmonica Riff Raff Online Blog – April 2025

Then there was five. Visual artist and blues connoisseur Pauline Bailey has presented pertinent questions to another forty artists from varied backgrounds and vintage, all bound into a mighty impressive publication – Blues Portrait Volume 5. The launch has come and gone and a copy managed to find its way into my mail. Chores were left on hold (longer than intended) as I began to examine the contents. Where to begin was quickly resolved, at the ‘begin’ as Dan O’Sullivan (Tomcat Playground/Frank Sultana) a fabulous harp player was first cab off the rank. Andy Cowan, ivory tickler was next in line so that was devoured feverishly having been a fan of Madder Lake back in the day. Dorothy ‘DJ’ Gosper Canberrian harpist was further in, so I skipped a few and, before you knew it, I had read ten! Had a peek at Doc White’s to see if good friend of HRR Steve Williams rated a mention. He did! Although I have to make a correction Doc – Steve played harmonica with Chad Morgan not guitar. Steve informs me that Chad called him ‘Gobbo’ derived from a colloquial term for the harmonica, ‘Gob Iron’. Not sure which is worse this or John Farnham’s nickname for Steve, ‘Rusty Buns’. Also you should do yourself a service and check out these tunes with Steve, Doc & Tobasco Tom – Baby Please Don’t Go and St. James Infirmary. Evan Whetter and Erica Graf from Lazy Eye (also good friends of HRR) were a must read. Better throw Ev into the harp players mix to those listed in last month’s blog, even though he’s predominantly a fabulous Hammond exponent. He can huff and puff amongst the best of us. Hear here Black Hill. I’m still recovering (a Bex and a lie down) from Sugarcane Collin’s definition of the Blues (you’ll have to buy the book). As per the previous volumes this edition is akin to the music it’s based on, a rough and tumble, warts and all life’s journey of Australian musicians (guitarists, drummers, harpists, vocalists, bassists and keyboardists) feeling the blues. Oh! There’s a chapter on a regular visitor to our shores as well, the living legend Charlie Musselwhite. Head to Pauline Bailey’s store to have yourself a copy.

Volume 5 Review by The Barman at 1-94 Bar – 26/6/25:

More reviews and interviews:

Michael Limnios Interview, Blues.GR, 10/12/19

Review by Sharon Brookes at What‘s My Scene, 10/2/20

The Writer’s Show Podcast with Geoff Hughes, 24/3/22

Love That Album podcast with Maurice Bursztynski, 25/9/23

Interview with Neil Rogers on The Australian Mood, Triple R FM 19/10/23

Interview with Phil Sheppard for the Harmonica Riff Raff Blog, 16/7/22

January 2020: Feature in Issue 20 of MEGAscene Magazine

Trad & Now Magazine reviews by Tony Smith

BLUES PORTRAIT VOLUME 5 – Trad & Now, Issue No. 171 Review by Tony Smith: In the previous volumes of the Blues Portrait, Pauline Bailey performed an important service to Australia’s blues performers and their fans. This fifth edition (2025) of 363 pages continues the fine achievement, providing profiles of some 40 musicians. Bailey’s outstanding contribution was recognised in 2024 when she earned the Allan Stafford Award for Service to blues music. The award was instituted by the Melbourne blues Appreciation Society and previous winners have included administrators, radio presenters, venue owners, record label managers and photographers. Bailey is the first author recognised for writings on the blues. There is a note about virtuoso guitarist Nick Charles, who won the 2025 Lee Oskar award for best guitarist at the Memphis International Blues Challenge. The award will not surprise Australian fans. This volume includes some tributes, including a list of recently deceased blues performers. Several friends and colleagues wrote eulogies for Allan Stafford, and there are also tributes to the late Dave “Max” Meredith. While the blues is generally a broad and diverse genre, the profiles raise some interesting observations about style. Performers have their origins in all corners of Australia and perform on various instruments, including piano, guitar, harmonica, drums and bass, and most sing. They do covers and write their own material. Some have succeeded overseas while others are still establishing local reputations. Their births range from the 1940s to 1980s. Half of the performers are from Victoria (12 from Melbourne), 10 from NSW (seven from Sydney, and the rest from Western Australia, Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, England, New Zealand and the USA. There are six female performers in this collection. Most play guitar and sing. D.J. Gosper is a rare female blues harp player. The social circumstances of the practitioners help explain their interest in the blues. Generally, they were not born in privileges circumstances. The blues here and abroad has been a working-class expression of frustration and sadness, hope and pride. You need a little rough experience to appreciate the genre. Family influences are important. Most performers remember their parents listening to the music of the day, usually not the blues. Some even got a start because their parents were performers, again in a variety of genres. Some sang in church for example. A few started their musical careers with siblings. Most performers recall music in their homes. Kathleen Halloran, youngest of nine, appears to have been the first musician in hers. A good few mention having music lessons early, usually on piano, but also on guitar. Another few mention having encouragement at school, but more often it was classmates with whom they shared their interests outside school. Pauline Bailey’s editorial touch is light. This maintains a respectful relationship with the interviewees. In any case, blues performers are not necessarily trained or aspiring orators. Their preferred mode of expression is through their music. Amid all the thinking out loud in these pages, there are words of wisdom. Willie Maxwell describes blues as the purest form of passion and self-expression. Michael Charles describes bringing out the emotion you feel while performing. Tim Burnham notes the importance of connecting with listeners. Several interviewees emphasise the two way flow of energy between performer and audience. A couple of interviewees describe a long struggle to survive playing music full time. Is it better to think of music as an occupation or as an expensive hobby? A few performers mentioned mental and physical illness brought on by the strain of constant pressure to travel and perform. Some names come up more than once as providing inspiration. The harmonica playing of Chris Wilson got a few started and so did the songs of Lucinda Williams. One theme on which performers muse is whether there is an Australian blues style. While most acknowledge the usual overseas influences, they are also comfortable in their specialised forms. One young guitarist even suggested that for our sports mad nation, an obvious requirement is teamwork. Playing with your mates raises the emotional content of the tunes. While the diversity performers means it is difficult to generalise, there are always a few who stand out. William Crighton born 1985 in Dubbo, and growing up in Wiradjuri country, is a revelation. William has used his skills and confidence to teach guitar in prisons, and inevitably the sessions have given rise to songwriting, poetry and band work. This clearly demonstrates the healing power of music. Volume 5 is lavishly illustrated with colour photographs and the arrangement of the material into easily readable chapters means that anyone interested in the blues must continue to feel gratitude for Pauline Bailey’s continuing diligence as interviewer and editor.

BLUES PORTRAIT VOLUME 4 – Trad & Now, Issue No. 162 -Review by Tony Smith: It is by no means certain that Volume 4 will be the final in the Blues Portrait series. Previously overlooked musicians keep on turning up and new devotees are finding a musical home in the blues. Volume 4 has 389 pages, the longest of all, and has profiles of another 42 musicians. It was published in 2023 and has dedications to departed musicians: ‘For all the musicians who have recently left us, thank you for the incredible gift of music’ days Pauline Bailey. It is pleasing to see younger musicians taking up the blues and keeping the tradition going as well as developing new approaches. Anyone under 50 is relatively young in blues terms. There are a number in this volume including  Alison Ferrier, Clayton Doley, Jules Boult and Jodie Digney (all born 1974), Grant Cummerford (1976), John McNamara (1979), Lisa Baird (1981), Pete Cornelius (1984), Aaron Gillett and Jesse Redwing (1988), Nathan Beretta (1989), Joe Glover (1992), Aaron Schembri (1993) and Bill barber (1997). Some well-known artists in this volume include Buddy Knox, Mike Rudd, Carl Pannuzzo, Alison Penney and Brian Cadd. It would be easy to say that internationally renowned Brian Cadd needs little introduction.  He confesses to playing keyboards for 55 years and still gets a buzz from live performance, especially of his own compositions. Along the way ha has earned the respect of prominent performers in the USA, has been inducted into the Aria Hall of Fame and collected an Order of Australia (AM). Buddy Knox was mentored by his Father Roger Knox and some other Indigenous artists, and now takes pride in encouraging other young players. A Tamworth based Gomeroi man, Buddy Knox comes from a line of Indigenous country-rock singers. He has played with some greats such as Bobby McLeod, Gordon Parsons, Vic Simms, Uncle Jimmy Little, Troy Cassar-Daley and the Warumpi Band. He was the Sydney Blues Society’s performer of the year 2011 which should have given him the opportunity to be the first Indigenous artist to compete in Memphis, but a delay in his visa application denied him that chance. Buddy admires musos like those blues artists of old who could make do with what they had. . Indeed it is always interesting to see the early musical influences of people who settled into the blues. Sally King (Sydney) remembers diverse influences including Irish music. Peter Howell’s father in Melbourne was a jazz guitarist. Barry Hills’ father led the Salvation Army Band in Ulverstone, Tasmania, and his mother sang alto in the church choir. In this volume there is an achievement of note. In early 2023, Frank Sultana represented Australia at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. He won the Solo/Duo category, the third Australian to do this, following in the footsteps of Fiona Boyes (2003) and Jimi Hocking (2005). At the end of this book are tributes to Greg ‘Sleepy’ Lawrie, Billy Kavanagh and Noel Goodwin. Speaking of absent friends, quite a few musicians mention the ‘Godfather’ of Australian blues, Dutch Tilders. Indeed, it would be interesting to know which musicians get the most cross references either as role models or mentors or because they are so active. The other one probably mentioned more frequently is the late Chris Wilson. It would be a great opportunity for a doctoral researcher to write an index to these volumes, with individuals, groups, song titles and events included alphabetically. Together, the volumes provide an encyclopaedia of Australian blues. Perhaps Pauline Bailey had this in mind already and is merely waiting for the completion of the series and another volume or two. She probably has everything in a database and would have ahead start on anyone else. Another tempting thought is a double CD ‘sampler’ for each volume. In the foreword Phil Manning of ‘Chain’ says that Pauline Bailey supplies a wonderful service to all those musicians whose names are included in these books. He might have added to all fans of good music everywhere.

BLUES PORTRAIT VOLUME 3 – Trad & Now, Issue No. 161 Review by Tony Smith: Jeff Lang’s foreword to this volume notes that Pauline Bailey’s approach to the blues is ‘gratifyingly broad and inclusive’. He observes that our geographical and cultural isolation have given local musicians the freedom to either accept new influences or keep traditions alive. So the language of the blues runs through our musical landscape in ways ‘overt and camouflaged, traditional and idiosyncratic’. It is all valid and results in rich diversity. Volume 3(2021, 355 pages) of 42 musicians includes household names Joe Camilleri, Russell Morris, Nick Charles, Mal Eastick and Steve Tallis. It follows Volume 2 as a post-covid portrait. It reveals that quite a few musicians were born overseas; Camilleri (Malta, Henry Rollins (Washington), Shane Pacey (Yorkshire), Chris Stockley (UK), Harry Brus (Austria), Ric Hall (Chicago), Susannah Espie (London – parents from Perth), Rudy Miranda (Chile) and Ian Ferguson (England) or have exotic ancestry such as Michael Vdelli’s Greek background. Rollins makes interesting comments about Australian distinctiveness. He notes that the wide open spaces are ‘blues country’ and also observes that ‘the scene in Australia isn’t nearly as contaminated with the idea of radio play, video play, units shifted, etc., it’s more music for the sake of music. “When you’re not looking to make a ‘hit’, you might just make something good instead”. Michael Vdelli detects a ‘hardness and toughness’ about Australian bands especially of his generation and a certain professionalism about road crews. Ron (harmika) and Jeff (guitar) King have been mainstays of the ‘Foreday Riders’ since its formation in 1967. Dubbed ‘Sydney’s university of the blues’ the group has helped launch the careers of many blues musos. Meanwhile Nick Charles has managed to maintain a solo career which has seen the release of 20 albums and work with internationally acclaimed musicians. No doubt, his philosophy of being obsessed with being a better musician has been the key. Initially, Nick tried to emulate his heroes but then found his personal interpretation which was more significant. Mish Davies has performed in some unusual bands. ‘Mother’ was all female and ‘HER’ sounds as though it should be. Penny Ikinger admits to a peculiar relationship with the blues. When she started playing, Penny felt that it was an all male world. Male musicians tended to use the electric guitar as a phallic symbol and e were only a few women such as Joni Mitchell using the instrument. Penny later discovered a world of women playing the blues, but generally the genre seemed unwelcoming. When Ikinger began her musical career, women were stereotyped as singers rather than instrumentalists. She recalls that being in rehearsal with four men was ‘terrifying.’ The upside of this prejudice has been that women do their own thing rather than attempting to fit a mould.  “They weren’t copying other people; they were just following their own instinct. When that happens, you get original music”. Ikinger notes that “Women move outside the template more than men and bring a different energy to music”. Small wonder Chrissy Amphlett interviewed Penny for a documentary by Rachael Lucas called ‘Electra: The Music of Penny Ikinger’. Ikinger also makes the interesting observation that “when you play music you’re in a different state of mind”. She also reckons that she sometimes feels as though she’s chipping away at a huge mountain with a little toothpick” but that “every artistic person should keep striving to move into the new”. Joe Camilleri, leader of ‘Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons’ and ‘Black Sorrows’ says that he started playing blues in the sixties without knowing it. Over time he has noticed the development of a “don’t bore us, get to the chorus” attitude in audiences as attention spans have shrunk. While every day might be a struggle, Camilleri’s final word probably speaks for most blues musicians: “I’m so happy that I took this road”. No doubt blues musicians and fans are just as happy that Pauline Bailey took to the portrait road as well.

BLUES PORTRAIT VOLUME 2 – Trad & Now, Issue No. 160 Review by Tony Smith: Coping with the Coronavirus ‘lockdown’ threw musicians back into their resourcefulness. Blues musicians are eminently qualified to cope with such emergencies. As their entries show, most have been self-reliant and independent right through their careers, being either completely or predominately self-taught. The pandemic hit emerging and fringe artists harder than established ones perhaps as they relied to a greater extent on live performance and travel. No doubt one development during the lockdowns was greater reliance on co-operation over the internet. Prominent names among the 42 in the second (2021) volume of 351 pages include Tim Rogers, Darren Jack, Jeannie Lewis, Margret RoadKnight and Jim Conway. It would be ideal to list every name, but at least those who contributed to this volume must have felt the support of all the 88 musicians so far represented in the first two volumes. Again the diversity of performers and their interests are obvious. Tim Rogers was not born when some of the veterans began working, so you would not expect the pattern of his career to be the same. Nevertheless, he has crammed a wealth of experience into a relatively few years. His time with the band You Am I took him on several overseas tours including four to the USA. Rogers was born in Kalgoorlie, a reminder that blues musicians are found all around Australia, including regional areas. Moreover they tend to move around to seek venues and for purposes of collaborating with other artists. In this regard, they resemble the troubadours of old. While travel was not possible at the height of the Covid emergency, the artists again speak about going back to their roots. Apart from finding the biggest markets in America, blues artists look to the birthplace of the blues firstly as a place of pilgrimage and also to test their own credentials. If they are accepted in the blues capitals such as Chicago, Memphis and New Orleans, then they know they are doing something right. While the socio-economic circumstances of their families varied, one consistent factor about these musicians is that they were exposed to music at an early age. Indeed, some reckon they began to absorb music while still in the womb, which is not such a fanciful idea. Many are of an era when radio was an important source, and this meant a certain dependence on the big record labels. Many also report that their parents were of the era when 45 rpm records were popular, rather than more modern forms of sound reproduction. Nicknames, or more poshly professional sobriquets, are common among blues musicians. In this volume,’ Continental’ Robert Susz, Mark ‘Harpo’ Greenway, Peter ‘Boom Boom’ Beulke, Dennis ‘Salty’ Trevarthen, Nicole “Nikki D’ Brown. And if individuals lack names that immediately identify them as blues musicians, many of their groups have names derived from blues experience, such as ‘Blues Doctors’, ‘Blues Preachers’ ‘Big Wheel’ and ‘Backsliders’. Nor should it be thought that blues musicians necessarily stay in the same band for long. Many, such as harmonica virtuoso Jim Conway, are fine studio musicians and give first class support to some of Australia’s most successful performers across genres, not just blues, but rock, pop, and country, and some change directions for other reasons. Lockdowns also saw many musicians using their other skills such as art, illustrating and guitar building. The established Darren Jack comments that writing songs has provided his satisfaction and he gets a ‘buzz’ even when playing at home, which he does daily. That’s why he likes the blues, it is about feeling and emotion, and is not just a theoretical exercise. And Snooks La Vie says that Songwriting doesn’t always have to be so intellectual as long as the narrative is real and creates a mood. “It’s got to paint a picture and that’s what great songs do.” In the foreword, Kerri Simpson describes Pauline as an ‘Alan Lomax type figure’.  Indeed this is a good comparison, as like any good music editor or song collector, Bailey is bringing to print numerous anecdotes and previously unrecorded stories. In the process, she encourages others to think about what they might say if approached to describe their own experiences. Margret RoadKnight uses some Irish wisdom as her sign-off: “When you’re happy, sing. When you’re sad, sing louder!’ Paradoxically perhaps, singing the blues makes you feel better, and reading about these musicians certainly will.

BLUES PORTRAIT VOLUME 1 – Trad & Now, Issue No. 159 Review by Tony Smith: While Pauline Bailey can be modest about her important undertaking, others will describe appropriately this 2019 reference work of 369 pages not as ‘a’ but ‘the’ profile of Australian blues.  The compendium of 46 blues musicians is the first of four volumes. Bailey supplied her email address for others who wanted to be included in future volumes and was inundated with offers. As editor, Bailey has not attempted to strictly ‘define’ blues. The artists have self-selected according to their interest. Simply, the definition emerges as what people who sing and play with passion do. Each volume has a foreword and some pithy quotations about the blues, music and life. In the first volume, Max Crawdaddy says that the story is not so much about where you came from, but where the blues is taking you. Bailey’s touch is light. She supplies a succinct biography of each artist as a neat introduction to their autobiographical entry. These arose in interviews and there might have been a template to guide the participants, but their comments range widely and the variation in length suggests that they all gave expression to everything they wanted to say.  From the way in which the artists describe their influences it is clear that they either directly or indirectly acknowledge the great blues pioneers among African Americans of the early twentieth century. With such antecedents and role models, it is perhaps not surprising that the majority of artists featured here are white Anglo and male. Everyone will be able to think of blues musicians they would like to see included. More women and Indigenous artists would be very good. Perhaps, if there is a fifth volume, as there should be, these will feature, especially as younger musicians establish themselves in the genre. As well as text there are many excellent photographs of the artists either alone or with other performers. From these it is clear that as well as being primarily about singers and song lyrics, the blues involves virtuosic instrument playing. Guitars, electric and acoustic; slide guitar, lap and bottleneck, bass, upright and electric; piano, drums and harmonica feature prominently. This is not to disqualify other instruments, as woodwinds and brass also appear. The musicians are like Bailey herself, multi-talented. They have been involved in activities such as film and television and some have authored books. There are many award-winning musicians here and they have been welcomed to a variety of festivals. As well as the obvious blues fests, they have appeared at festivals of folk, jazz and rock. This shows the cognate genres where they are equally at home. It is not surprising that among Bailey’s talents, she is a painter, whose artworks include heritage hotels. While pubs are traditional venues for emerging and established rock groups, really, they would struggle to fill their programs without the enthusiasm of blues artists. It is difficult to do justice to the many artists in this first volume and every reader will have favourites. I have to admit to turning straight to the entries for Jeff Lang, Ian Collard, Dave Hole, Fiona Boyes, Dom Turner, Rob Hirst, Ash Grunwald, Kerri Simpson and Steve Lucas. Thes volumes would make excellent stocking fillers at any time of the year. At $40, this handsomely presented first volume would be welcomed by any blues fan. This volume and indeed the entire series should be in every library with a music section, public, high school or conservatorium. 

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