Juke? What is Juke?

Over the course of this blog we will examine the form of music known as Juke.  Where does it come from?  Where is it going?  Who listens to Juke?

You older folks in the audience will say that the term "juke" is as old as your grandparents parents.  You will say "didn't they use that term in "The Color Purple?"  Well, sure they did.  The term is as from the early 1920's and has been used periodically throughout the musical history of North America.  Jukejoint.  Jukebox. Juking.  There is nothing new under the sun.

Typically, Juke is around 150 to 160 BPMs (Beats Per Minute) and most times it is used as the catalyst for what is known in Chicago as "footworkers" due to its staccato beat.   Footworking is a form of battle dancing that developed in urban areas.  At one point Footwork was a component of the battledancing that started in Chicago during the 90s.  There were other components such as "animating" and "popping" plus other creatively named aspects.  Eventually the footwork aspect became dominant.

We will examine the culture, music and cities that encompass Juke.