Greetings Blues fans! I just want to say a quick "hello" from me, René Mente, aka The New Guy on The American Blues Blog website team.

I will be updating this website periodically, including reviews of recent shows, announcements of upcoming shows and special events, and just about anything else related to The Blues.

I am personally located in the Southern California area, so naturally, I can post blog articles about events in my local area such as The Long Beach Blues Festival, The Doheny Blues Festival, etc.

In addition to being a fan of The Blues, I also play The Blues (guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, etc.) and occasionally sit in with some very talented players and various blues bands. I will post video links to YouTube.com of some of these performances, as well as other noteworthy performances.

I will also be posting information about how to submit blues-related articles from other parts of the world; so I encourage you to submit your posts and articles from Paris to Sydney, Nova Scotia to Auckland, and Tokyo to Buenos Aires.

As you know, The Blues evolved out of American jazz traditions, primarily from "The South" (slaves, ex-slaves, creoles, cajuns, gospel singers, preachers, etc.), but is enjoyed all around the world.

So stay tuned for some exciting updates to the website dedicated to discussing and promoting The Blues, as well as Blues artists.

This is my very first post, and I am still "learning the ropes"; please bare with me as I get up to speed and give this website some momentum.

Thanks everybody. I'm looking forward to meeting each one of you on the killing floor - at least virtually.

Sincerely,

René Mente