Block Magazine
Encyclopedia
BLOCK Magazine is a quarterly magazine about the African-American blues
tradition. It is Holland's oldest blues periodical. The magazine has been founded in Almelo
, in the east of The Netherlands in 1975, by Rien and Marion Wisse. They frequently tour the United States
and visit record companies and artists. They have interviewed over 200 blues artists, including Solomon Burke
, Robert Cray
, Bo Diddley
, Al Green
, and Zora Young
. Rien and Marion own a collection of approximately 30,000 blues related images.
In 1995 they produced the acoustic CD 'No Less Than Wireless', containing recordings by Maybe It's The Blues, The Taildraggers, Greyhound and Champagne Charlie.
In January 2010 Block Magazine will receive the prestigious KBA (Keeping the Blues Alive) Award from the Blues Foundation
in the category of Print Media.
According to the board of the Blues Foundation: Print Media: Block, Netherlands:
'What began as a small fan magazine in 1975 has grown into one of Europe’s finest blues magazines. Block, an amalgam of blues and rock, was first published 35 years ago by Rien Wisse and his wife Marion in the Netherlands. Like most of these efforts, the magazine is mostly financed by their love of the blues and their own money. In 1982, Rien dropped rock coverage and turned Block into THE Dutch blues magazine. The magazine is published four times a year and features articles written by American blues journalists like Bill Dahl, Dick Shurman and Scott Bock. The beautiful photos are part of Block’s 30,000 photo file which dates back to its early days. Finally, its 64 pages concentrate on profiles, reviews of records and performances, and the Wisse’s travels throughout the American blues landscape.'
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
tradition. It is Holland's oldest blues periodical. The magazine has been founded in Almelo
Almelo
Almelo is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands. The main population centres in the town are Aadorp, Almelo, Mariaparochie and Bornerbroek....
, in the east of The Netherlands in 1975, by Rien and Marion Wisse. They frequently tour the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and visit record companies and artists. They have interviewed over 200 blues artists, including Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. Burke was known as "King Solomon", the "King of Rock 'n' Soul", and as the "Bishop of Soul", and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul", and as "the most...
, Robert Cray
Robert Cray
Robert Cray is an American blues guitarist and singer. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he has led his own band, as well as an acclaimed solo career.-Career:...
, Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
, Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
, and Zora Young
Zora Young
Zora Young is an American blues singer. She is a distant relative of Howlin' Wolf.Young's family moved to Chicago at age seven and sang gospel at the Greater Harvest Baptist Church...
. Rien and Marion own a collection of approximately 30,000 blues related images.
In 1995 they produced the acoustic CD 'No Less Than Wireless', containing recordings by Maybe It's The Blues, The Taildraggers, Greyhound and Champagne Charlie.
In January 2010 Block Magazine will receive the prestigious KBA (Keeping the Blues Alive) Award from the Blues Foundation
Blues Foundation
The Blues Foundation is an American nonprofit corporation, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, that is affiliated with more than 175 Blues organizations from various parts of the world....
in the category of Print Media.
According to the board of the Blues Foundation: Print Media: Block, Netherlands:
'What began as a small fan magazine in 1975 has grown into one of Europe’s finest blues magazines. Block, an amalgam of blues and rock, was first published 35 years ago by Rien Wisse and his wife Marion in the Netherlands. Like most of these efforts, the magazine is mostly financed by their love of the blues and their own money. In 1982, Rien dropped rock coverage and turned Block into THE Dutch blues magazine. The magazine is published four times a year and features articles written by American blues journalists like Bill Dahl, Dick Shurman and Scott Bock. The beautiful photos are part of Block’s 30,000 photo file which dates back to its early days. Finally, its 64 pages concentrate on profiles, reviews of records and performances, and the Wisse’s travels throughout the American blues landscape.'
External links
- Block Magazine.nl, magazine's official website
- The Blues Foundation
- http://www.timholekblues.ca/