The Blues Brothers was more than just a comedic concept: Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi were real life fans of jazz and blues, and now the former is starting a blues label with Judy Belushi (John's widow) under the Blue Note label. The imprint will appropriately be titled Blues Brothers Records.
It might sound like a vanity project but Aykroyd has a great foundation in place for promoting new acts. The actor and comedian has hosted a syndicated radio program, Elwood's BluesMobile (named after his Blues Brothers character), for more than 22 years. He was also one of the founders behind the House of Blues venue chain, now owned by Live Nation. He told Billboard that he aims to promote performers by booking them on tours around the chain.
He's also got the most important piece on his side already: Someone with experience and previous success in selling acts from a less-than-mainstream music form. Blue Note's president Don Was will handle A&R for Blues Brothers Records, at least for the first few years.
Aykroyd and his classic film have more influence than one might realize. At the time of the film's release during 1980, many a viewer was turned on to the music of legends (and guest stars) Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, James Brown and John Lee Hooker for the first (your correspondent first discovered the latter blues icon when he viewed the film as a child). Aykroyd still tours with his costar's brother, Jim Belushi, as The Blues Brothers on occasion. As a recognizable face in the entertainment world, he could attract attention to the genre from those otherwise uninterested.
"Danny has been a beacon for decades for the blues, one of the most challenging to get into the commercial marketplace," manager Eric Gardner said. "In the digital age a lot of labels don't have the wherewithal or the financing to have strong digital strategies and I think that has led to the paucity of strong blues labels. We're almost thinking of this as a public service for dedicated blues enthusiasts."
