Notes From the Undrground

Samantha Fish: A Modern Blues Sensation

/ Benn Bell / Leave a comment

The Journey and Achievements of a Contemporary Blues Artist

Introduction

Samantha Fish, a name that has become synonymous with modern blues, is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter who has taken the music world by storm with her electrifying performances and soul-stirring compositions. Born on January 30, 1989, in Kansas City, Missouri, Fish has carved out a niche for herself in the blues genre, blending traditional sounds with a contemporary twist.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Fish grew up in a musical family, with her mother playing piano and her father occasionally strumming the guitar. Her passion for music was ignited at a young age, and by the time she was 15, she had started playing the guitar seriously. Inspired by the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bonnie Raitt, and Sheryl Crow, Fish immersed herself in the blues and honed her craft through relentless practice and performances.

Career Breakthrough

Fish’s big break came in 2009 when she recorded her debut album, “Live Bait,” which showcased her raw talent and potential. Her follow-up album, “Runaway,” released in 2011, earned her the Blues Music Award for Best New Artist in 2012. This accolade was a testament to her prowess and marked the beginning of her rise to fame.

Signature Style and Musical Evolution

Fish’s music is characterized by her powerful vocals, intricate guitar work, and a unique blend of blues, rock, and Americana. She is known for her ability to convey deep emotions through her music, whether it’s the heartache of a slow blues ballad or the fierce energy of a rock-infused anthem. Over the years, Fish has continued to evolve her sound, experimenting with different genres and pushing the boundaries of traditional blues.

Notable Albums and Collaborations

Throughout her career, Fish has released several critically acclaimed albums, each showcasing her growth as an artist. Some of her notable works include:

  • Black Wind Howlin’ (2013)
  • Wild Heart (2015)
  • Chills & Fever (2017)
  • Belle of the West (2017)
  • Kill or Be Kind (2019)
  • Faster (2021)

Fish has also collaborated with various artists and bands, further enriching her musical repertoire. Her collaborations include working with Mike Zito, Ruf Records, and Buddy Guy, to name a few.

Live Performances and Tours

One of Fish’s defining aspects is her dynamic live performances. Known for her electrifying stage presence, she has captivated audiences worldwide with her energy and passion. Fish has toured extensively, performing at renowned venues and festivals such as the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Chicago Blues Festival, and the Byron Bay Bluesfest. Her live shows are a testament to her dedication to her craft and her ability to connect with her audience.

Awards and Recognition

Fish’s talent has not gone unnoticed, and she has garnered several awards and recognitions throughout her career. In addition to the Blues Music Award for Best New Artist, she has received nominations and awards for her albums and performances, solidifying her status as a leading figure in the blues genre.

Influence and Legacy

Samantha Fish’s influence extends beyond her music. She has become a role model for aspiring musicians, particularly women in the blues and rock genres. Fish’s determination, creativity, and relentless pursuit of excellence serve as an inspiration to many. Her legacy is one of innovation and passion, and she continues to shape the future of blues music.

Conclusion

Samantha Fish is a modern blues sensation whose journey from a young aspiring musician to a celebrated artist is a testament to her talent and hard work. Her contributions to the blues genre, characterized by her distinctive style and emotional depth, have earned her a special place in the hearts of music lovers. As Fish continues to evolve and create, her impact on the music world remains profound, and her future shines brightly with promise.

All pictures were taken by Benn Bell at the Mercury Ballroom in Louisville, Kentucky May 6, 2025.

Every Picture Tells a Story

/ Benn Bell / 6 Comments

The Real Lives Behind the Lens and the Pen

In the quiet corners of everyday life, ordinary people often find themselves immortalized in ways they never imagined—through the viewfinder of a photographer or the ink of a writer’s pen. Whether captured candidly in a photograph or reimagined as a character in a story, these individuals unknowingly lend their lives to art. They become more than just passersby or background figures; they transform into muses, metaphors, and living echoes of human experience.

For photographers, the world is a living gallery of moments waiting to be captured. A weathered man sitting on a park bench, the way light dances across a child’s laughing face, or the tension etched into the shoulders of a woman walking alone—each scene is a potential story. Often, the subject has no idea that they have just stepped into the pages of a visual playbook. Their gestures, expressions, and the energy they radiate become a part of something greater—a reflection of mood, culture, or emotion. The photograph freezes their reality and elevates it into art.

Writers, on the other hand, weave people into narrative form. A conversation overheard on a train, a barista’s nervous smile, or an old friend’s resilience in grief—these fragments of life often become seeds of inspiration. The people we meet or merely observe become the blueprints for characters, sometimes in exact likeness, sometimes stitched together from multiple souls. Writers borrow bits of reality to create fiction that feels true. In doing so, they honor the people who left a mark, however briefly.

But this transformation from real life into art raises questions of representation and authenticity. Do we owe something to the people who unknowingly inspire us? Can we ever truly separate observation from invention? Photographers and writers alike walk this fine line, striving to capture truth while also interpreting it through their own lens of feeling and intent.

There is something sacred in this quiet transaction between life and art. Most people will never know they’ve been captured in a fleeting frame or mirrored in a fictional life. But perhaps that is part of the beauty. Their existence, however small in the context of a wider story, becomes part of a legacy—proof that the ordinary is worth remembering. They live on not as anonymous figures, but as meaningful presences in someone else’s vision.

Ultimately, art imitates life not just in grand gestures, but in the subtle details of everyday existence. The people we pass on sidewalks, sit beside in waiting rooms, or share a moment of silence with in elevators—these are the characters of our collective narrative. Photographers and writers are merely the witnesses, the translators. And through their work, these real lives continue to speak.

The Hard Problem: Consciousness

/ Benn Bell / 1 Comment

I have been thinking a lot lately about the hard problem, consciousness. I have been reading about it, watching videos, and listening to podcasts. Recently, I listened to a podcast with Annaka Harris and her husband, Sam Harris. First off, I didn’t know they were married. That was a pleasant surprise. I had previously watched a video with her on Big Think where she talked about consciousness as a “felt” experience. This has given me a pause. I had always thought of consciousness as an “awareness” of experience. I decided to do a little research. Turns out we were both right, as the following explanation describes it.

Consciousness is both felt and an awareness, depending on how you approach it.

Felt Consciousness (Qualia)

From a subjective, first-person perspective, consciousness is felt—we experience emotions, sensations, and thoughts directly. This is what philosophers call qualia, the raw, subjective feel of experience (e.g., the redness of red, the warmth of sunlight, the taste of coffee). This aspect of consciousness is what makes it deeply personal and difficult to explain purely in physical terms.

Consciousness as Awareness

On the other hand, consciousness is also an awareness, meaning it involves cognition, perception, and the ability to recognize oneself and the environment. This definition aligns with how many neuroscientists and cognitive scientists approach consciousness—as a state of being aware of internal and external experiences. This awareness allows us to think, reflect, and make decisions based on our perceptions.

Blending the Two

While consciousness involves feeling (subjective experience) and awareness (cognitive recognition), the two are deeply intertwined. Some theories suggest that the ability to reflect on our own experiences (metacognition) gives rise to our rich inner life. Others argue that raw feeling, without structured awareness, is still a form of consciousness (as seen in dreams or deep emotions).

So, in essence, consciousness is both felt experience and awareness—two sides of the same phenomenon.

Nothingness

/ Benn Bell / 2 Comments

Anguish is the apprehension of nothingness.

Vertigo is the anguish not of falling over a cliff

but the thought of throwing oneself over.

What should I do?

Throw me off a bridge or jump out a window?

Decisions. Decisions.

Perhaps I’ll fly a kite instead.

Stop Elon Musk

/ Benn Bell / 16 Comments

I recently attended a Stop Elon Musk Rally at the IBEW Local Union Hall here in Louisville, Kentucky.

There were many speakers there including Kentucky Congressman Morgan Mc Garvey who spoke out against Musk.

The crowd was quite energized and gave me hope that we might prevail against the tyrants who would dismantle our government and destroy our democracy.

The main takeaways were the three pillars of dissent: Litigate, Legislate, and Agitate.

It is said that when Fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a bible.

Congressman, Morgan McGarvey

All photos by the author.

Turtles All the Way Down

/ Benn Bell / 5 Comments

William James was giving a lecture about the nature of life and the universe. Afterward, an old woman came up to him and said, Professor James, you have it all wrong.”

“How so, madam?”

“Things aren’t at all like you said.” The world is on the back of turtles.”

“Hmm,” mused the professor. “That may be so, but where does that turtle stand?”

“On the back of another turtle.”

“But, madam, where does that turtle stand?”

The old woman replied triumphantly, “It’s no use, professor, it’s turtles all the way down!”

Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut

/ Benn Bell / 1 Comment

A book review

Timequake is a novel about free will. Vonnegut freely intersperses throughout the novel his own stream of consciousness. Oh, and there is also his alter ego, Kilgore Trout, who exclaims, “Oh Lordy, I am much too old experienced to start playing Russian Roulette with free will again.”

The premise of Timequake is that a Timequake, a sudden glitch in the time-space continuum, made everybody and everything do exactly what they’d done during the past decade a second time. It was déjà vu all over again for 10 years. The timeframe Vonnegut chose was February 13, 2001 – February 17, 1991. The Timequake would zapp everyone back in an instant to 1991. They had to “live” their way forward to 2001. Or you might say, back to the future again. Only when people got back to 2001 did they stop being robots of their past. Kilgore Trout would say, “Only when free will kicked in could they stop running an obstacle course of their own construction.” Free will. That is what the novel is about. Do we have it or not? That is the question. You would think that because the author mentions “when free will kicks back in” some 20-odd times he was arguing for free will. But no! Not so fast!  I’m not so sure.

Other pithy comments by Kilgore Trout would include, “If brains were dynamite, there wouldn’t be enough to blow your hat off!” and “Ting-a-ling, you son of a bitch!” which is the punch line to a variation on a joke having to do with Chinese doorbells.

So, it goes.

Vonnegut goes on to say, in his own peculiar voice, that writers of his generation had reason to be optimistic because of things like the Magna Carter, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, The Emancipation Proclamation, and Article XIX of the Constitution giving women the right to vote. He advocated for two more amendments that he would like to add: Article XXIII: Every newborn shall be sincerely welcomed and cared for until maturity. And Article XXIX: Every adult who needs it shall be given meaningful work to do at a living wage.

Another pithy saying he was fond of throwing around was, “I never asked to be born in the first place!”

Photo by the author.

https://amzn.to/42BZP58

Musings from 30,000 Feet

/ Benn Bell / Leave a comment

Star date 09242024

In his Critique of Dialectical Reason, (1960) Jean-Paul Sartre asks the following questions: 1) Why is violence so universal a feature of human experience, especially in politics? And 2) What becomes of man’s freedom in a world where human beings are constantly threatened by what he called the “practico-inert” (alienation)?  

Example: A motorist is caught in a traffic jam created by the increased availability of cars whose original intention was to enable men to move about more freely. Human beings are increasingly and inevitably held prisoner by their own creations.

In economics, this would be an example of diminishing returns. A concept I learned in the 5th grade, which struck me like a thunderbolt and has stuck with me ever since.

Another concept I learned a couple of years later in the 7th grade, was the concept of manifest destiny. Again, this was like a thunderbolt out of the blue, but I think it might have set me on the wrong path for years to come. If you don’t think that schools were indoctrinating students in the 1950s you are sadly mistaken. But I digress….

KAMALA HARRIS

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Photo by Benn Bell

In Sanskrit, the word Kamala means Lotus Flower. The Lotus is a symbol of purity and the simultaneity of cause and effect. Out of the mud rises the fragrant Lotus Flower. This is exactly the metaphor needed at this time in this place. Kamala, the Lotus Flower, rises from the slime and muck of Donald Trump and his ilk in triumph and exaltation. Go ahead, Kamala!