It was a cassette tape purchased at the University of Toledo Bookstore in 1983 that sparked Patrick Rynn's passion for the Blues music genre. The UT alum remembers the mind-blowing effect of the music.
"I knew right then that is what I really, really love," Rynn said.
Rynn has been playing Blues music professionally in Chicago as a part of a duo with San Diego native Chris James since 1990. On August 6, Rynn returns to the area for the first time in 10 years to play at the Maumee Indoor Theatre on Conant Street. This also marks the first performance that Rynn has ever played under his own name in Northwest Ohio.
Rynn describes their music as being traditional and aggressive Chicago Blues. Their high-spirited melodies are rich in energy and ache with a wisdom that only 50 years of combined experience can bring.
"We are really passionate about the pure form of Chicago blues and you'll never hear us bastardize it with a funk beat or rock," he says.
After graduating from UT in 1989, Rynn has been a part of the Blues music scene for the past twenty years. Rynn and James were nominated for a Blues Blast Music Award in 2009 as best new debut, a nomination that could not have been more tongue-in-cheek.
"When you've been in the business for twenty plus years, to get a best new artist debut after that many years, its kind of funny," Rynn said.
The duo has received numerous nominations, awards and praises for their music. This year Rynn has been nominated for a Blues Music award as best bassist, but he insists that it was never the prestige that drew him to Blues music.
"I don't do it because it's a popular thing, I do it because it's who I am," Rynn said. "It's inside of me. It's how I live; it's what keeps me going. I'm not married to my music because music is my life."
Like many blues musicians, Rynn bases his music off his everyday experiences, drawing upon what he describes as the "Blues man" lifestyle and mindset.
"Blues is a feeling," Rynn said. "It isn't always sad. It's up and happy. It's angry. Blues is a complete reflection of life. You live it everyday and you write it from your personal experiences of life."
Their latest album "Gonna Boogie Anyway" features playful jives that reminisce of old Chicago clubs of the forties, very much true to the duo's commitment.
Rynn hopes that Blues music will someday be a part of mainstream music, and for more college students to become excited about the genre.
Tickets for the concert are $15 and can be purchased at the Maumee Indoor Theatre or the group's website at www.TheBlueFour.com.
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