PODCAST · music
Blues Progressions
by Karl Sorochinski
Blues Progressions, the podcast that delves deep into the heart and soul of one of the most influential genres in music history: the blues. I’m your host, Karl Sorochinski and together, we’ll embark on a rhythmic journey through time.So, whether you’re a seasoned blues aficionado or a curious listener, join us on Blues Progressions. Let’s groove, reflect, and celebrate the heartbeat of American music. 🎶🔵
Episodes
-
Leo Fender & George Fullerton: The Working Musician's Revolution
The episode's question: how did affordable, durable, electrified gear reach working musicians? Leo Fender — orange-grove kid, bookkeeper, radio repairman; Fender Radio Service (1938), public address systems, Doc Kauffman and K&F George Fullerton — machinist and weekend band player, hired February...
-
Episode 1 - Les Paul: The Studio as an Instrument (Series Opener)
A guitar made out of a four-by-four fence post, laughed out of Gibson as "a broomstick with pickups" — and the same man in his garage stacking his own guitar eight times over. The tinkerer who gave rock its guitar and its studio. Series setup: rock was built by a network of builders, not one...
-
Episode 6 - Drums: The Groove that Moves It
Clap on the two and the four — that push you just felt is the backbeat, the heartbeat of rock and roll. The finale: the instrument that turns a lonely blues into a whole band and decides if a room catches fire. The blues started without drums (solo Delta guitar + foot stomps); the drum kit is a...
-
Episode 5 - Bass Guitar: The Hidden Engine
Drop your attention to the very bottom of a song — that low, round thing you feel in your chest more than you hear. Almost nobody notices it, and it's holding the whole song together. The hidden engine. The bass's unique job: the hinge between rhythm and harmony — root notes define the chords…
more -
Episode 4 - Piano: Barrelhouse to Boogie
One beat-up upright, one player, and a left hand rolling like a freight train — and suddenly one person is the whole band. The most underappreciated instrument in blues rock: the piano. The barrelhouse: rough sawmill/turpentine joints where one pianist was the entire band The two-hand division of...
-
Episode 3 - Harmonica: The Pocket Orchestra
A few bucks, fits in your pocket, no strings or keys — and in the right hands, cupped around a mic, it moans like a sax and cuts through a whole band like a siren. The biggest small instrument in the blues. What a harmonica actually is: free reeds, the ten-hole diatonic, cheap Hohner Marine Band,...
-
Episode 2 - Electric Guitar: From Delta to Arena
The problem amplification solved: guitar from background rhythm to lead voice Pickups, sustain, grit — why an electric guitar is a new instrument, not a loud acoustic Charlie Christian invents the guitar solo; T-Bone Walker invents electric blues lead ("Stormy Monday") Muddy Waters' Delta muscle;...
-
Episode 1 - Slide Guitar: The Crying Voice
There's a sound in the blues that doesn't play notes so much as it cries them. That's slide guitar — the instrument that sounds most like a human voice weeping and singing at once. We start the series here. Why slide sounds like a voice: gliding between pitches, no frets, the notes between the...
-
Episode 6 - Blues Rock Now (Series Finale)
The finale brings it home to right now. Joe Bonamassa as the model for the modern DIY blues-rock empire (and his Royal Albert Hall night with Clapton); Gary Clark Jr. fusing the blues with everything modern ("This Land"); Kingfish carrying it straight out of Clarksdale, mentored by Buddy Guy —…
more -
Episode 3 - Guitar Gods (Corrected Upload)
The loudest, most virtuosic chapter. The power trio as an invention (Cream) that forces the guitar into godhood; the extended live jam traced straight back to call-and-response; "Crossroads" as a Robert Johnson song turned rocket; the Marshall-stack volume arms race; Clapton and Duane Allman's...
-
Episode 5 - The Lean Years and the Revival
The wilderness and the morning after. How disco, punk, new wave, and hair metal pushed blues rock to the margins (Muddy Waters died in '83; the industry called the blues a museum piece) — and how it survived underground in clubs, festivals (the Chicago Blues Festival launched in '84), and the…
more -
Episode 4 - Texas and the American Answer
The hinge of the series — the blues comes home to America, to Texas. The Lone Star blues bloodline (T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday," Lightnin' Hopkins, Freddie King); ZZ Top as a ferocious blues-rock power trio hiding inside MTV fame ("La Grange" off John Lee Hooker); the Austin scene at Antone's...
-
Episode 3 - Flags and Myths
Episode 4 is the legacy episode — the beautiful parts and the complicated parts both. How "classic rock" radio (AOR → tested song libraries c.1980) froze a handful of songs and shrank the genre to a postcard. The "Free Bird" meme and "Sweet Home Alabama" as shorthand. Then the hard center: the...
-
Episode 2 — The British Blues Boom
The fuse from Episode 1 catches. How a generation of British kids fell for American blues records and handed the music back louder: Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated as the hub; the underground club scene (the Marquee, Eel Pie Island); the race-and-radio reason it took outsiders; the Rolling...
-
Episode 1 - Electric Church: What Blues Rock Really Is
The opener of a brand-new six-part series — with a warm welcome back to the Southern Rock (Southbound) crowd and an open door for newcomers. We define blues rock (the blues plus rock volume, drums, and attitude), then lay the foundation: the 12-bar form and the bent blue note; the Great Migration...
-
Special Announcement - Coming July 17
Fresh on the heels of my series on Southern Rock, I am launching the next series on Blues Rock starting July 17!
-
Episode 6 - Modern Sourthern Rock
A band like Blackberry Smoke or the Marcus King Band walks out to a sold-out room tonight — and you can’t quite name what it is. Southern Rock? Blues-rock? Country? Americana? All of it? The finale brings the whole story home: who carries it now, how it evolved, and how a porch sound went global.
-
Episode 5 - Decline and Revival
1980: Capricorn Records goes bankrupt and the press writes the obituary — Southern Rock is dead. They got it completely wrong. It didn’t die; it went underground, and the faithful kept the fire lit in the small rooms. The host was one of them — behind the board for a Jersey cover band.
-
Episode 4 - Flags and Myths
The same five Southern Rock songs play on every classic rock station, forever — but somebody chose them, and somebody froze this music in place. What got frozen along with it — the flags, the myths, the arguments — is the hardest, most honest episode in the series. And the host doesn’t dodge any…
more -
Episode 3 - The 70s Explosion
Everybody knows “Free Bird” — it’s a punchline now, the thing people yell as a joke. But that song, and a dozen like it, came out of one white-hot five-year explosion of Southern music. This is the peak: Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker, Charlie Daniels — and the fire that took some of the best of them.
-
Episode 2 - Macon RIsing
A grieving manager who’d just buried Otis Redding bets a whole record label on a band with two lead guitarists and two drummers. The town is Macon. The label is Capricorn. This is the room where Southern Rock got its name.
-
Episode 1 - The Roots of Southern Rock
Welcome back! After a long absence, I would like to welcome you back to Blues Progressions. With the help of AI, I am now able to keep up with work and my side projects. This is the first of a six parts series of the Sub-Genre: Southern Rock. As a long time fan I am thrilled to have it's histroy...
-
Episode 4 - It's Jazzy!
The Blues are the roots of a tall musical tree. One of those branches is Jazz. In this episode we take a short journey through the influence of the Blues on the creation and evolution of Jazz.
-
Second Announcement
Another quick update prior to relaunch
-
Announcement - Sorry for the Delay
Quick note on the delay of new episodes
-
Episode 3 - Go West Young Man!
In this episode, we again explore the Great Migration as we look at how the Blues traveled from the Deep South to the West Coast. We also look at how the genre changed and took on a region flavor along the way.
-
Episode 2 - Let's Talk About the Kids
An exploration of the youth movement of the Blues. We will discuss the number of Blues artists that were discovered as kids and often mentored by the previous generation(s). Lookin forward we see the Circle has been unbroken as the next generation gets a boost as well
-
Episode 1 - Blame it on Society
Welcome to Season 2! In this episode we talk about Blues Societies and thier role in keeping the Blues relevent
-
Season 2 - Announcement
Season 2 is coming soon! We will be concentrating on the Blues Community. We're are looking for artists, blues societies, broadcasters, venues, historians, fans, retailers, educators and anyone wishing to promote nor share a story related to the Blues. If you have a suggestion/connection or would...
-
Episode 10 - Spoonful of Blues
In this Episode we will highlight the late Hubert Sumlin. We will also recap Season 1 and Preview Season 2. This is the Season finale of Season 1. Please visit our website for playlists and other information How to listen to / Add the accompanying music playlists on your Phone Apple Music Open...
-
Episode 9 - It's Electric
In Episode 9, we explore the Electronification Blues Music and how it changed and grew the genre. How to listen to / Add the accompanying music playlists on your Phone Apple Music Open Music App Tap search in the lower right corner Type Blues Progressions in search box (make sure Apple Music is...
-
Episode 8 - On A Mission From God
In Episode 8 we explore the Blues Brothers (Band and Movies). We will discuss who they were and why they are so important to the genre
-
Episode 7 - Cover Me
With the recent release of the Slash (and friends) album 'Orgy of the Damned', it brought forward some fantastic Blues covers. Along this vein we will explore great and most common covers of Blues songs. How to listen to / Add Playlists on Phone Apple Music Open Music App Tap search in the lower...
-
A Tribute to John Mayall
This is not a traditional episode but is a tribute to the late John Mayall whom we lost this week. We will cover his amazing impact on the Blues (specifically the British Blues).
-
Episode 6 - "Reeling" In The Years
This episode will cover the historical record of the Blues through a review of the visionaries that saw the importance of this part of American History
-
Episode 5 - Oh, Yes She Did! - Part 2
The very long part 2 of our exploration into Women of Blues Music
-
Episode 4 - Oh, Yes She Did! Part 1
Episode 4 covers the early women of the blues and the incredible impact they had on the genre
-
Episode 3 - The Road to Chicago (Remastered)
This episode explores the Great Migration of both the population and thier music from the deep South to Chicago - This episode has been remastered. Due to some mic issues it is a bit rough.
-
Episode 2 - 12 Bar Blues (Remastered - Again)
The 12-bar blues is the canvas for so many music genres, shaping their harmonic structures, rhythms, and emotional expression. Updated again as the music sample was missing
-
Episode 1 - Robert Johnson (Remastered)
Robert Johnson is the obvious starting point for any discussion of the blues. From the crossroads, his true story and the his legend are embedded in so much of the blues and other forms of entertainment. This is being released on the his birthday - May 8th and is the start of our journey Further...
-
Blues Progressions - Podcast Trailer
Introducing Blues Progressions the podcast examining the history, legends and impact of the Blues. Bi-weekly we will share our insights and opinions on how the American musical form has impacted the world. Blues Progressions - Where Every Note Tells a Story
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Blues Progressions, the podcast that delves deep into the heart and soul of one of the most influential genres in music history: the blues. I’m your host, Karl Sorochinski and together, we’ll embark on a rhythmic journey through time.So, whether you’re a seasoned blues aficionado or a curious listener, join us on Blues Progressions. Let’s groove, reflect, and celebrate the heartbeat of American music. 🎶🔵
HOSTED BY
Karl Sorochinski
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Blues Progressions have?
Blues Progressions currently has 41 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Blues Progressions about?
Blues Progressions, the podcast that delves deep into the heart and soul of one of the most influential genres in music history: the blues. I’m your host, Karl Sorochinski and together, we’ll embark on a rhythmic journey through time.So, whether you’re a seasoned blues aficionado or a curious...
How often does Blues Progressions release new episodes?
Blues Progressions has 41 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Blues Progressions?
You can listen to Blues Progressions on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Blues Progressions?
Blues Progressions is created and hosted by Karl Sorochinski.
URL copied to clipboard!