If you’re looking for gifts for a blues lover but know little about the classic music style, chances are you’re overwhelmed by the number of sites online that claim to offer great gifts for blues lovers. But the blues is a lifestyle as much as it is a music category, and there’s more to the genre than dark sunglasses and a black suit or New Orleans crooning. Here are ten great gifts for Blues lovers:
Living Blues Magazine 23.95 from http://www.livingblues.com is a six-issue magazine that focuses on the Blues. Since 1970, Living Blues has been informing and entertaining readers with stories, photographs, and in-depth articles about well known as well as new blues artists. With a related website focusing on highlights from the magazine, archived issues, and current news.
PBS’s incredible series, Martin Scorsese Presents: The Blues 7pk DVD 139.98 from http://www.shoppbs.org is one of the most incredible DVD collections on sale today. It offers special biographies, commentaries, live performances, and director interviews as well as all the incredible footage from the original series. You can also purchase the companion book in hardcover, the 5 CD set, or VHS. It’s 900 minutes long and is in Widescreen format with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound audio.
IBC (International Blues Challenge) tickets http://www.blues.org for February 1-3 in Memphis Tennessee is a wonderful expression of adoration for any blues lover. The IBC is one of the US’s favorite blues festivals, with both fantastic blues well-knows as well as some up-and-coming artists. It is a contest as well as a gathering of fantastic artists from around the country.
Out of Print Blues & Jazz Singers Stamps once offered by the USPS are now one of the most highly sought after collectibles by blues fans everywhere. The stamps debuted in 1994 for twenty-nine cents each. Currently, the stamp sets close on eBay for around $15 a set.
Blues Festival Tickets are a great gift. There are several blues festivals annually in locations all over the country. For traditional Blues, consider the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, one of the biggest jazz festivals in the US. If your blues fan friend can’t attend, consider buying Jazz Fest Live, a compilation of thirty songs from this year’s Jazz fest. http://www.nojazzfest.com
Blues for Peace merchandise available at http:bluesforpeace.com is an organization dedicated to the unknowns and the well knowns with the concept that if more people took up music, there would be a more peaceful world.
A personalized Blues poster like those available from http://www.mojohand.com is a great gift for blues lovers. These posters are traditional vintage style 11 x 17 blues concert fliers that portray classic blues figures along with a name of your selection. Also available is a vintage style blues personalized record label for a 78 and a Crossroads University diploma. Prices vary from $15 to $25.
Blues Brothers Action Figures available from Entertainment Earth are a great addition to the gift of a Blues Brothers 25th Anniversary DVD. Six inch versions of Elwood and Joliet Jake Blues are incredible likenesses of Belushi and Akroyd. With a blacktop base and a license bearing the names Elwood and Jake, this pair is priced at around $30.
Darker Blues is a two-CD compilation of unknown blues artists recorded by Fat Possum Records. With a 100-page hardcover book of striking photographs to accompany the collection and captivating bios, these discs are full of stories, music, and even a comic book.
Many Blues fans appreciate the gift of Concert Tickets for favorite performers. Don’t know what artist is their favorite? Buy a Ticketmaster gift certificate. Ticketmaster gift certificates can be redeemed nationwide at any Ticketmaster box office and can be purchased for any amount from $5 to $100.
If there happens to be a blues fan on your holiday list, consider these ten gifts to make the moments a little merrier. Happy Holidays!
