The retroactive history we've seen promulgated for decades is contradicted by the long history of amity and respect between black, latin, island and white jazz musicians. To blow my own horn (and I play trumpet), I go into this in detail in "As Long As They Can Blow: Interracial Jazz Recording and Other Jive Before 1935."
An interesting piece that I would say gets 2/3 of the way there, because there is a far too often unacknowledged third category (caste?) in American art and culture. Things are not just black and white; they are black, white and *brown*. Latin people and their contributions are ignored *all the time* when American culture, especially music, is discussed. For starters, is Latin jazz jazz, or is it some other thing? Given Eddie Palmieri's oft-expressed love for McCoy Tyner, to pick just one example, there's a discussion to be had about other forms of inclusion and exclusion.
I would also add that there's a particular (not-so) new twist on this "you can't do that" discussion happening in the 21st century. For the last 40 years, the dominant form of American popular music has been hip-hop, and hip-hop has influenced every other form of American popular music, including jazz. (I have had some very interesting discussions with younger and older jazz players about how young drummers hear rhythm differently, because they grew up with the looped beats of hip-hop rather than the constant fluctuations of swing.) But some critics, I think particularly of Ann Powers at NPR though she's far from the only one, continue to condemn white pop performers like Miley Cyrus for incorporating elements of hip-hop into their work, as though this is some sort of thievery, rather than proof that culture is a buffet open to everyone. If you're under 40, hip-hop is the air you breathe, the water you swim in. It would be stranger for a young musician to choose *not* to engage with hip-hop.
A nice piece. There are a lot of hacks in jazz and jazz criticism trading off their backgrounds. Hacks who in any reasonable or healthy musical ecosystem would not have a place at the fire. I certainly can't remember a time in my life when it has been this bad. It takes a terrible toll on the music. Jazz is of course not alone: this is an affliction that is all over the arts in 2025.
Beautiful article Allen. Thank you for all the hard work and writing!!
Without getting too deep, I can just say that this is all stuff that I have felt to have understood intuitively for years (or I couldn't have taken the path I've taken, somewhat similar to yours I believe), but very much appreciate your having the intellectual diligence to take it on and write about it more thoroughly. Fight the good fight.
As I often say, "Discrimination is good!!" Discriminating between subtle distinctions of meaning, thought, music, and logic, that is... :-)
The Problem with White Blues is that most Whites believe that Joe Bonamassa, Eric Clapton and Steve Ray Vaughn are the holy Trinity of Blues.
None of the is a real Blues Singer.
The Problem is that „The Big White Hopes“ in that Field made 3 to 10 Times more Money than B.B. King and Taj Mahal for a Live Apperance.
If I could play an Instrument or Sing I would play African American Music too, but I wouldn’t make a big Story about if I‘d didn‘t get Inventors Credit.
People over the whole World don’t listen to Jazz for Bix Beiderbecke but for Louis Armstrong.
Play the African Music „White Boy“ but don‘t claim the King‘s Crown.
And what would American Popular Music about the Hawaiians? Definitively not the same.
don't forget Loren Mazzacane (Connors) & Robert Crotty!
point taken on the Hawaiians as well. When I interviewed Dizzy Reece, he was adamant that the blues come from everywhere, and every culture has it in some form or another.
Blues (lamentation) could be the common existential denominator of all men, whether expressed as religion, myth, art. Such a coincidence that the earliest known blues form traces back to ancient Greek drama and the satyr plays, from thence to Italian opera. The wonder to my mind are the commonalities of human expression rather than the differences.
(Does anyone else remember The Gospel at Colonus?)
See, that is what I call neglect of the cultural Merits of oppressed People by Ignorant People. The Blues as a Vocal Music Form was invented by African American descendants of Slaves in the USA. It was not invented by the Greeks, neither was Opera, which was invented by the Italians.
What you write is exactly what I call the White (wo)Man‘s claim of Inventorship or Co-Inventorship.
To quote George Clinton:
There is no Partnership in the Ownership of the Mothership.
What you as well as the Herrenreiter Ali Farka Toure are obviously not ready to accept is the Fact that former Slaves and their Descendants were able to invent something so powerful as the Blues that was able to change the Direction of Music so profoundly that it touched People all over the World.
By the Way: Right now the NEA is cutting Federal Grants to important Jazz Promoters in the USA, coz they want to use the Money elsewhere.
The City Council of the City of Zürich is still giving Grants to Jazz Promoters.
But the Big Cultural Achievement to form it into a Vocal Art with Instrumental Accompanying is the “Triumph” of former Slaves, their Children, Grand Children and Grand Grand Children.
I object against the use of the Term “Desert Blues” applied to African Music from the Sahel. As much as I love that Music it rather resembles Country Rock than Blues.
Read Ali Farka Touree’s Down Beat Blind fold Test to learn what a Nitschean Übermenschen Herrenreiter this John Lee Hooker and Sam Lightnin Hopkins Copycat was.
His Concert I saw belonged to the lower 10% of Concerts I attended.
Playing the Blues is one Thing, everybody can learn it.
Singing the Blues is a whole other Ballgame. It has to do with Dialect and Life Experience.
And I do not see why the Rest of the World can’t give Credit to the Originators where Credit is due.
If i‘d be able to play and sing I‘d call my Band the Parabluesfunkrockestra, it would sound like a Mix of Stax Soul, the Julius Hemphill Big Band, James Blood Ulmer‘s Odyssey, Professor Longhair and Dizzy‘s Cubob with a shot of Sly Stone and Dolly Parton and Emylou Harris and Bob Dylan.
But it‘ll be PARA BLues.
Sadly I neither can sing nor play an Instrument so I never know whether I achieve what I dream of or would be a pretentious Failure.
But I know one thing for sure, everything I know about Music I owe to African American Music.
I know Billy Lee Riley, but I think he is good „Acting Singer“. I know some Singers who have learned to speak the African American English of the USA and know how and when to sing the Blue Notes, and I like them as „Substitutes“ but I go with Muddy Waters, who had a lot of White Instrumentals in his Bands that White People will not „have the Blues“.
They do not have to Fear to be transported to El Salvador because of their Looks.
They do not have to Fear to be arrested for their Skin Color.
They do not have to fear to be doubted as Doctors, Pilots and Busdrivers because they might be DEI appointed.
That requires African American Dialect from the USA and that special Feeling that your live is in Danger for nothing but your Color.
Some „White Singers“ can „Act“ the Blues Vocals quite good, and sometimes I allow me to listen to them, (Johnny Winter, Janis Joplin, Paul Butterfield)
I still think that the Movie Blues Brothers is a great Travesty and I have seen it about 3 Times. But it is not the real Thing.
Actually Billy Lee Riley, an old Sun Records musician who I played with about 25 years ago, and a white man, was one of the greatest blues singers I ever heard.
Back in the 80ties when MTV started the only „Black“ Video played was Rockit by Herbie Hancock, coz no Black Star was depictet in that Video.
In 1984 I saw Eric Clapton in the 12‘000 People Arena Hallenstadion Zürich at the same Time B.B. King had to play in 1500 to 3000 People Theaters.
2012 I pushed the Blues Recommendations on Spotify, the first 3 Recommendations were Bonamassa, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Eric Clapton.
Nr. 4 was B.B. King, than again Bonamassa, Stevie Ray Vaughn. Nr.7 was Muddy Waters, 8. was Johnny Winter, 9 Eric Clapton and 10 was Buddy Guy.
In 2012!
White Boys want their Blues Heroes to be enacted by their Look-A-Likes.
Maybe did Peter Green „introduce Blues“ to US American White Boys.
But B.B. King was a Star in Europe way before.
First Chris Barber promoted Muddy Waters in 1958 and then 4 Germans, Promoters Lippman and Rau, Producer Sigi Loch and the Radio and TV Producer Joachim Ernst Behrendt sent Real Blues Artists under the Banner American Folk Blues Festival from 1962 to 1970 through European Cities and Broadcastet them on Radio and TV. That is where Peter Green learned about the Blues.
No Peter Green was needed to make great Blues Musicians known to Europeans,
but as soon as some cute „Look-A-Like Boy from next Door“ Whities could play a lil‘ bit those Great White Hopes were pushed by the Promoters.
In Boxing those Great White Hopes lasted 2 to 3 Years and than they were Toast. This kind of Justice does not work in the Pop Business.
Look I really like Mike Bloomfield and Ray Anderson the Trombone Player and I like your Work. You sound good in the African American Tradition, but the Story that Racism does not hinder Black Artists to make as much Dough as the Whitties is a „Faux American Dream“.
that's not really the point - nobody made SRV or Clapton money except a tiny minority. BB King got rich; so did Albert King. The white kids made them rich - George Clinton said the same thing. So did Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry. And Buddy Guy has made a ton of money. More than I ever made as a musician. Can you find me a single quote where those musicians complained? Yes they made less than rock and rollers, but they did extremely well BECAUSE of the white blues rockers. Also, the rock/blues revival kept Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf alive. Also, remember Jimi Hendrix?
Bo Diddley said: R&B stands for Rip of and Bullshit, the White Man want to reserve Rock‘n‘Roll for the White Boys.
I promoted Him as well as Link Wray, sure I had to pay slightly more for Bo than Link but it was still a low amount of Money. I payed Taj Mahal 8000.-- Swiss Franks 1983 to be the Headliner for the Winterthurer Musikfestwochen.
Stevie Ray 1989 would have gotten 90‘000 in 1989 if he didn’t die few Days before his Appearance.
As much as I love the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, I still wonder why Buddy Guy and Junior Wells were not invited to Monterey 1967 and Woodstock 1969.
George Clinton in the 70ties was big in the USA because of the Sales to the African American Fan Base.
When he started to Tour regularly in Europe from the mid 80 ties on he played Locations from 1000 to 4000 Peoples.
The Interest was sparked by the Success of Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Prince.
Earth Wind and Fire didn’t Tour in Europe in their Heyday coz no Promoter wanted to take the Risk.
Who knows: They might have made it.
But Promoters didn’t believe in the Commercial Potential of Musicians who didn’t look like the expected Audience.
The Gatekeepers are still a big “Glass Ceiling” Problem, since Promotion Budgets are significantly smaller.
I am not promoting Concerts anymore so I can talk about today only on the Basis of visibility, but It doesn’t look much better now than in the 80ties and 90ties.
See Switzerland is a small Country with a high Density of Festivals and Concerts.
So since the early 80ties I can compare what kind of Gigs the the Originals in one of the richest Markets of the World get and what kind of Gigs the Copycats get
And even though the Situation for the Originals is in Europe relatively better for the Originals it is still much better for the Copycats.
I got Eyes to see and Fingers to count and that is why I stand Firm on this:
African American Musicians are relatively under payed no matter what the American Dream wants you to believe,
Even till today lotsa People believe W. Dixon is a Pseudonym for Jimmy Page.
No, what ever you want to believe Racism still rears its ugly Head in the Realm of Pop, Rock,Blues and Jazz.
there is absolutely no truth to the allegation that in current music black musicians are paid less than white. In the field of jazz, which I know especially well, I see no discrimination or pay inequity. None. And as for pop music look at the Grammys. If black musicians were being underpaid we would have heard about it. As for jazz, once more, ALL musicians are underpaid; many African American players work more and earn more than I do, and I have been playing professionally for over 40 years. I am lucky to gig for money maybe 6 times a year, and I have worked with Julius Hemphill, David Murray, JD Allen, Roswell Rudd, Doc Cheatham, Matt Shipp, Marc Ribot, Nels Cline. I certainly have no racial advantage on the current scene. I am not pretending that the USA is not racist, but that what you are talking about does not exist.
Grammies and other Accolades say nothing about Money Income or Sales.
Willie Mabon who opened for Taj Mahal in 1983, had a No. 1 R’n’B Hit, something Muddy Waters never had, but for a long Time most of the Gigs he had were Solo Gigs.
I think Tyler Swift is okay, but she makes a multitude more Money than the obviously higher talented Beyonce Knowles.
It is not her Fault that her Ethnic Fanbase is much bigger as that of Beyonce, but if it went for Quality alone she might not earn more.
And again: The Spotify Algorithm I mentioned in an other Answer shows exactly how Stuff still works.
In the Field of Guitarplayers it is still obvious till today, the „Heroes” are predominantly White.
Near Smothies like Julian Lage get the Front Covers of Guitar Magazines.
And if in the Case of Jazz the Income should be bigger, than maybe People believe that they like African American Jazz a little bit better.
And I think I made it clear, I like your Music very much.
I hope you can sell a lot of Recordings and make enough Money to risk a Flight to Europe again.
It is definitively not a Question of Quality that you don’t sell more Records.
A German Football Player once said: First we had no luck and then we had only bad Luck.
In Art, it can happen that for whatever Reason besides Talent, Dedication, Hard Work and quite good Connections, not enough „happens“.
But maybe good Luck all of a sudden Strikes and you get the Recognition you should have.
The retroactive history we've seen promulgated for decades is contradicted by the long history of amity and respect between black, latin, island and white jazz musicians. To blow my own horn (and I play trumpet), I go into this in detail in "As Long As They Can Blow: Interracial Jazz Recording and Other Jive Before 1935."
I do have your book.
I'm gonna email you the updated version.
Artists care about the art. Others care about a lot of other stuff.
An interesting piece that I would say gets 2/3 of the way there, because there is a far too often unacknowledged third category (caste?) in American art and culture. Things are not just black and white; they are black, white and *brown*. Latin people and their contributions are ignored *all the time* when American culture, especially music, is discussed. For starters, is Latin jazz jazz, or is it some other thing? Given Eddie Palmieri's oft-expressed love for McCoy Tyner, to pick just one example, there's a discussion to be had about other forms of inclusion and exclusion.
I would also add that there's a particular (not-so) new twist on this "you can't do that" discussion happening in the 21st century. For the last 40 years, the dominant form of American popular music has been hip-hop, and hip-hop has influenced every other form of American popular music, including jazz. (I have had some very interesting discussions with younger and older jazz players about how young drummers hear rhythm differently, because they grew up with the looped beats of hip-hop rather than the constant fluctuations of swing.) But some critics, I think particularly of Ann Powers at NPR though she's far from the only one, continue to condemn white pop performers like Miley Cyrus for incorporating elements of hip-hop into their work, as though this is some sort of thievery, rather than proof that culture is a buffet open to everyone. If you're under 40, hip-hop is the air you breathe, the water you swim in. It would be stranger for a young musician to choose *not* to engage with hip-hop.
This was very interesting to me (WAY over 40!), especially your observation on drumming.
A nice piece. There are a lot of hacks in jazz and jazz criticism trading off their backgrounds. Hacks who in any reasonable or healthy musical ecosystem would not have a place at the fire. I certainly can't remember a time in my life when it has been this bad. It takes a terrible toll on the music. Jazz is of course not alone: this is an affliction that is all over the arts in 2025.
Beautiful article Allen. Thank you for all the hard work and writing!!
Without getting too deep, I can just say that this is all stuff that I have felt to have understood intuitively for years (or I couldn't have taken the path I've taken, somewhat similar to yours I believe), but very much appreciate your having the intellectual diligence to take it on and write about it more thoroughly. Fight the good fight.
As I often say, "Discrimination is good!!" Discriminating between subtle distinctions of meaning, thought, music, and logic, that is... :-)
The Problem with White Blues is that most Whites believe that Joe Bonamassa, Eric Clapton and Steve Ray Vaughn are the holy Trinity of Blues.
None of the is a real Blues Singer.
The Problem is that „The Big White Hopes“ in that Field made 3 to 10 Times more Money than B.B. King and Taj Mahal for a Live Apperance.
If I could play an Instrument or Sing I would play African American Music too, but I wouldn’t make a big Story about if I‘d didn‘t get Inventors Credit.
People over the whole World don’t listen to Jazz for Bix Beiderbecke but for Louis Armstrong.
Play the African Music „White Boy“ but don‘t claim the King‘s Crown.
And what would American Popular Music about the Hawaiians? Definitively not the same.
But who writes their Story?
don't forget Loren Mazzacane (Connors) & Robert Crotty!
point taken on the Hawaiians as well. When I interviewed Dizzy Reece, he was adamant that the blues come from everywhere, and every culture has it in some form or another.
Blues (lamentation) could be the common existential denominator of all men, whether expressed as religion, myth, art. Such a coincidence that the earliest known blues form traces back to ancient Greek drama and the satyr plays, from thence to Italian opera. The wonder to my mind are the commonalities of human expression rather than the differences.
(Does anyone else remember The Gospel at Colonus?)
See, that is what I call neglect of the cultural Merits of oppressed People by Ignorant People. The Blues as a Vocal Music Form was invented by African American descendants of Slaves in the USA. It was not invented by the Greeks, neither was Opera, which was invented by the Italians.
What you write is exactly what I call the White (wo)Man‘s claim of Inventorship or Co-Inventorship.
To quote George Clinton:
There is no Partnership in the Ownership of the Mothership.
What you as well as the Herrenreiter Ali Farka Toure are obviously not ready to accept is the Fact that former Slaves and their Descendants were able to invent something so powerful as the Blues that was able to change the Direction of Music so profoundly that it touched People all over the World.
By the Way: Right now the NEA is cutting Federal Grants to important Jazz Promoters in the USA, coz they want to use the Money elsewhere.
The City Council of the City of Zürich is still giving Grants to Jazz Promoters.
😂
The Word Blues comes from the British Islands.
But the Big Cultural Achievement to form it into a Vocal Art with Instrumental Accompanying is the “Triumph” of former Slaves, their Children, Grand Children and Grand Grand Children.
I object against the use of the Term “Desert Blues” applied to African Music from the Sahel. As much as I love that Music it rather resembles Country Rock than Blues.
Read Ali Farka Touree’s Down Beat Blind fold Test to learn what a Nitschean Übermenschen Herrenreiter this John Lee Hooker and Sam Lightnin Hopkins Copycat was.
His Concert I saw belonged to the lower 10% of Concerts I attended.
Playing the Blues is one Thing, everybody can learn it.
Singing the Blues is a whole other Ballgame. It has to do with Dialect and Life Experience.
And I do not see why the Rest of the World can’t give Credit to the Originators where Credit is due.
If i‘d be able to play and sing I‘d call my Band the Parabluesfunkrockestra, it would sound like a Mix of Stax Soul, the Julius Hemphill Big Band, James Blood Ulmer‘s Odyssey, Professor Longhair and Dizzy‘s Cubob with a shot of Sly Stone and Dolly Parton and Emylou Harris and Bob Dylan.
But it‘ll be PARA BLues.
Sadly I neither can sing nor play an Instrument so I never know whether I achieve what I dream of or would be a pretentious Failure.
But I know one thing for sure, everything I know about Music I owe to African American Music.
I suspect that Allen's version of "White Blues" is more Frank Hutchison than Joe Bonamassa.
yes - but also Peter Green in his early years, and Bloomfield any time.
I know Billy Lee Riley, but I think he is good „Acting Singer“. I know some Singers who have learned to speak the African American English of the USA and know how and when to sing the Blue Notes, and I like them as „Substitutes“ but I go with Muddy Waters, who had a lot of White Instrumentals in his Bands that White People will not „have the Blues“.
They do not have to Fear to be transported to El Salvador because of their Looks.
They do not have to Fear to be arrested for their Skin Color.
They do not have to fear to be doubted as Doctors, Pilots and Busdrivers because they might be DEI appointed.
But as Players and not as Singers.
And Blues is first a Vocal Music.
That requires African American Dialect from the USA and that special Feeling that your live is in Danger for nothing but your Color.
Some „White Singers“ can „Act“ the Blues Vocals quite good, and sometimes I allow me to listen to them, (Johnny Winter, Janis Joplin, Paul Butterfield)
I still think that the Movie Blues Brothers is a great Travesty and I have seen it about 3 Times. But it is not the real Thing.
Actually Billy Lee Riley, an old Sun Records musician who I played with about 25 years ago, and a white man, was one of the greatest blues singers I ever heard.
"The Problem is that „The Big White Hopes“ in that Field made 3 to 10 Times more Money than B.B. King and Taj Mahal for a Live Apperance."
Unless you can prove this, I am doubtful. King in particular became a rich musician because of the advocacy of Mike Bloomfield.
Back in the 80ties when MTV started the only „Black“ Video played was Rockit by Herbie Hancock, coz no Black Star was depictet in that Video.
In 1984 I saw Eric Clapton in the 12‘000 People Arena Hallenstadion Zürich at the same Time B.B. King had to play in 1500 to 3000 People Theaters.
2012 I pushed the Blues Recommendations on Spotify, the first 3 Recommendations were Bonamassa, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Eric Clapton.
Nr. 4 was B.B. King, than again Bonamassa, Stevie Ray Vaughn. Nr.7 was Muddy Waters, 8. was Johnny Winter, 9 Eric Clapton and 10 was Buddy Guy.
In 2012!
White Boys want their Blues Heroes to be enacted by their Look-A-Likes.
Maybe did Peter Green „introduce Blues“ to US American White Boys.
But B.B. King was a Star in Europe way before.
First Chris Barber promoted Muddy Waters in 1958 and then 4 Germans, Promoters Lippman and Rau, Producer Sigi Loch and the Radio and TV Producer Joachim Ernst Behrendt sent Real Blues Artists under the Banner American Folk Blues Festival from 1962 to 1970 through European Cities and Broadcastet them on Radio and TV. That is where Peter Green learned about the Blues.
No Peter Green was needed to make great Blues Musicians known to Europeans,
but as soon as some cute „Look-A-Like Boy from next Door“ Whities could play a lil‘ bit those Great White Hopes were pushed by the Promoters.
In Boxing those Great White Hopes lasted 2 to 3 Years and than they were Toast. This kind of Justice does not work in the Pop Business.
Look I really like Mike Bloomfield and Ray Anderson the Trombone Player and I like your Work. You sound good in the African American Tradition, but the Story that Racism does not hinder Black Artists to make as much Dough as the Whitties is a „Faux American Dream“.
You can not doubt that Eric Clapton made X Times more Money than B.B. King and Albert King, are you joking me?
Do you really believe Buddy Guy made the same kind of Money than Stevie Ray Vaughn did.
Or Junior Wells as Paul Butterfield!
Come on!
that's not really the point - nobody made SRV or Clapton money except a tiny minority. BB King got rich; so did Albert King. The white kids made them rich - George Clinton said the same thing. So did Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry. And Buddy Guy has made a ton of money. More than I ever made as a musician. Can you find me a single quote where those musicians complained? Yes they made less than rock and rollers, but they did extremely well BECAUSE of the white blues rockers. Also, the rock/blues revival kept Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf alive. Also, remember Jimi Hendrix?
Bo Diddley said: R&B stands for Rip of and Bullshit, the White Man want to reserve Rock‘n‘Roll for the White Boys.
I promoted Him as well as Link Wray, sure I had to pay slightly more for Bo than Link but it was still a low amount of Money. I payed Taj Mahal 8000.-- Swiss Franks 1983 to be the Headliner for the Winterthurer Musikfestwochen.
Stevie Ray 1989 would have gotten 90‘000 in 1989 if he didn’t die few Days before his Appearance.
As much as I love the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, I still wonder why Buddy Guy and Junior Wells were not invited to Monterey 1967 and Woodstock 1969.
George Clinton in the 70ties was big in the USA because of the Sales to the African American Fan Base.
When he started to Tour regularly in Europe from the mid 80 ties on he played Locations from 1000 to 4000 Peoples.
The Interest was sparked by the Success of Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Prince.
Earth Wind and Fire didn’t Tour in Europe in their Heyday coz no Promoter wanted to take the Risk.
Who knows: They might have made it.
But Promoters didn’t believe in the Commercial Potential of Musicians who didn’t look like the expected Audience.
The Gatekeepers are still a big “Glass Ceiling” Problem, since Promotion Budgets are significantly smaller.
I am not promoting Concerts anymore so I can talk about today only on the Basis of visibility, but It doesn’t look much better now than in the 80ties and 90ties.
See Switzerland is a small Country with a high Density of Festivals and Concerts.
So since the early 80ties I can compare what kind of Gigs the the Originals in one of the richest Markets of the World get and what kind of Gigs the Copycats get
And even though the Situation for the Originals is in Europe relatively better for the Originals it is still much better for the Copycats.
I got Eyes to see and Fingers to count and that is why I stand Firm on this:
African American Musicians are relatively under payed no matter what the American Dream wants you to believe,
Even till today lotsa People believe W. Dixon is a Pseudonym for Jimmy Page.
No, what ever you want to believe Racism still rears its ugly Head in the Realm of Pop, Rock,Blues and Jazz.
there is absolutely no truth to the allegation that in current music black musicians are paid less than white. In the field of jazz, which I know especially well, I see no discrimination or pay inequity. None. And as for pop music look at the Grammys. If black musicians were being underpaid we would have heard about it. As for jazz, once more, ALL musicians are underpaid; many African American players work more and earn more than I do, and I have been playing professionally for over 40 years. I am lucky to gig for money maybe 6 times a year, and I have worked with Julius Hemphill, David Murray, JD Allen, Roswell Rudd, Doc Cheatham, Matt Shipp, Marc Ribot, Nels Cline. I certainly have no racial advantage on the current scene. I am not pretending that the USA is not racist, but that what you are talking about does not exist.
Could it be that Switzerland is more racist than the US? whether from over-or under-exposure I couldn't guess ;)
Absolutely no Truth? How will you know?
Grammies and other Accolades say nothing about Money Income or Sales.
Willie Mabon who opened for Taj Mahal in 1983, had a No. 1 R’n’B Hit, something Muddy Waters never had, but for a long Time most of the Gigs he had were Solo Gigs.
I think Tyler Swift is okay, but she makes a multitude more Money than the obviously higher talented Beyonce Knowles.
It is not her Fault that her Ethnic Fanbase is much bigger as that of Beyonce, but if it went for Quality alone she might not earn more.
And again: The Spotify Algorithm I mentioned in an other Answer shows exactly how Stuff still works.
In the Field of Guitarplayers it is still obvious till today, the „Heroes” are predominantly White.
Near Smothies like Julian Lage get the Front Covers of Guitar Magazines.
And if in the Case of Jazz the Income should be bigger, than maybe People believe that they like African American Jazz a little bit better.
And I think I made it clear, I like your Music very much.
I hope you can sell a lot of Recordings and make enough Money to risk a Flight to Europe again.
It is definitively not a Question of Quality that you don’t sell more Records.
A German Football Player once said: First we had no luck and then we had only bad Luck.
In Art, it can happen that for whatever Reason besides Talent, Dedication, Hard Work and quite good Connections, not enough „happens“.
But maybe good Luck all of a sudden Strikes and you get the Recognition you should have.
And I could see you Live in Concert.