What do Chicago Blues have to do with Halcyon Days of Yore…one might ask? You are invited to listen our radio show scheduled for Satuday, December 15th at 5:00 pm (Alaska time) on KRNN Juneau Public Radio 102.7 fm or thtough live on air web stream via:
What is now referred to as the classic Chicago blues style was developed in the late 1940s and early 1950s, taking Delta blues, fully amplifying it, and putting it into a small-band context. Adding drums, bass, and piano (and sometimes saxophones) to the basic string band and harmonica aggregation, the style created the now standard blues band lineup. The form was (and is) flexible to accommodate singers, guitarists, pianists, and harmonica players as featured performers in front of the standard instrumentation. Later permutations of the style took place in the late 1950s and early 1960s, with new blood taking their cue from the lead-guitar work of BB King and T-Bone Walker, creating the popular West Side subgenre (which usually featured a horn section appended to the basic rhythm section). Although the form has also embraced rock beats, it has generally stayed within the guidelines developed in the 1950s and early 1960s.—(Erlewine, et al., eds. All Music Guide to the Blues. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Backbeat Books, 1999.)
Halcyon Days Adjective
Denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful.
The Halcyon Days also occur around this time. According to ancient legend, a grieving wife named Halcyon threw herself into the sea upon discovering the drowned body of her beloved husband, Ceyx. The gods took pity on the pair, transforming them into halcyons, a type of kingfisher bird, with the power to still the stormy seas for 14 days near the time of the winter solstice while they hatched their young. (The birds nest by the seas, so calm winds would protect the eggs during this nesting period.)
Doggedly Yours 