The Blues and R&B Scenes in the UK

There was a split in the British jazz community between those who liked traditional Dixieland jazz and those who liked modern jazz. There was a similar split in their tastes in blues and R&B. The trad people, when they listened to blues, liked music that sounded primitive to them just as they liked primitive sounding jazz. Their tastes were very heavily influenced by Alan Mommax, who came to the UK for a crucial period in the 50s to escape McCarthyism. And he brought over, in particular, blues musicians. These people liked Robert Johnson, Big Bill Brunzi, Led Belly and Lonnie Johnson's early recordings before his later pop success. They liked solo male performers