#BBP - What Is It, Who is it and Why Does It Exist ? Your Questions Answered

Prior warning long read but please do read to the end.

Since around the start of the Blue Immersion Course, the use of the hash tag BBP started emerging within the BLIM Community but also in the wider JGC arena, hence this topic goes out to the whole Community, not just BLIM.

It would seem that some Community members have expressed concerns about our activities, who we are and why the implied secrecy. I do not know the full content of these complaints, neither how many and whether they have come from our relatively small BLIM village or the big city JGC.

Regardless it has been sufficient for one of the JGC Moderators to bring this to our attention. The main theme seems to be an air of exclusivity and this could not be further from the truth.

So it is both sad and necessary that I feel obliged to offer this explanation and address any concerns. Anyone who has known me in my 11+years on this forum, will know that I give it my 100% support and would not wish it harm or disrepute. And as I was the instigator of the BBP long before it got that tag, I feel it is my responsibility to explain.

WHAT IS THE BBP

At the start of the Blues Immersion Course, students were encouraged to form study groups. There were no real guidelines, objectives or even suggested group sizes just a suggestion for folk to get together and support one another through the duration of the course. Many such groups have been set up, ours is but one of them.

Entering into BLIM I was concerned that my playing level did not quite meet to publicized requirements for joining. So the idea of a support group was appealing to me and also that the smaller the group the better. I also wanted to team up with established JGC members who I know relatively well over a number of years (and in one case since day 1 here) so we could hit the ground running and not spend weeks getting to know one another and our playing abilities.

I had in mind a couple of folk that were in a similar position as me and a little nervous about the course and reached out to them first, then a couple of more experienced players who I had known through our JGC Open Mics sprung to mind. The idea being to have spread of experience to draw down on. Another long standing Community member was also discussed and we reached out and got them to join the team. We all felt that 6 was a pretty good and manageable number and that is how it has stayed.

This was all initially carried out using Direct Messages on the forum. Some Study Groups created open topic for everyone on BLIM to see but we continued to use DMs. The main reason was so we did not fill the BLIM pages up with unnecessary clutter ! There was enough of that already. At some stage I coined the phrase “Under The Radar” which my colleagues thought would make a great album title for a study group collaboration at the end of the course. So no clandestine reasons at all for our existence and the fact that the group is small, so yes you could say exclusive but with the Study Group remit.

WHY DOES THE BBP EXIST

Well as you can see it is a support group born of the Blues Immersion course and it has provided countless benefits to its members. We have been in contact daily and discuss course content, practice schedules, difficulties we are having suggestions of how to deal with them but most all a heck of a lot of banter and lots of laughs !

In fact we discovered that each Community DM system has a max of 500 posts. We are close to approaching DM #9 I am sure you can do the math.

Given the intensity of BLIM and the focus required there can be a lot of stress, so a small intimate group of folks who know each other pretty well is the ideal place to let off steam and have a good larf ! And at times another reason for being “Under The Radar”.

So if you are sharing that info with yourself, why not share it with your fellow Blimmers ?
Well guess what folks ? We have, since day one. Every member of #BBP has been actively involved and contributed to virtual all of the BLIM topics over the last 4 months, yes I include Unit 0. We have passed on our knowledge, ideas and given support to others on the course, while maintaining a presence in the wider JGC. So as I said at the start exclusive we certainly are not.

In fact one of the first things I started doing when the Prep Unit 0 started, was encouraging the Blimmers to visit and get engaged in the wider JGC and its great to see that quite a few have and now extoll its virtues. I would hope others would follow suit.

A quote from my fellow BBPer.

I hope that is know clear.

WHO IS THE BBP

Well if you’d been paying attention you will likely have realised it was me and these fellow reprobates and long time JGC members,

@mathsjunky
@Malz
@Majik
@twistor59
@Socio

We’ve been openly tagging ourselves and as much as I like Triads, we are not and have never been a secret society… just a study group.

And finally

WHAT DOES BBP STAND FOR

Well for starters best repeating what James said !

As for #BBP ? Well you know we have been teasing you for a while now and folks have been guessing away but still haven’t got there but when you see it, well it was all there to see.

In fact we have mentioned it several times in error @twistor59 let it slip in a post but only Blimmers would have seen that. I actually referenced it and called it out at my last OM performance. So its hardly been a secret.

In fact we have said several times that if you can’t guess, we would do a BIG REVEAL at the end of the course. But all this has taken the fun out of it and along with, what really is an unnecessary explanation for our existence so we’ve agreed to do that 3 months ahead of time.

If you want to keep having fun don’t click below :rofl:

What Does #BBP Mean

The British Blues Posse

There, wasn’t hard after all.

So I guess that’s it, I hope all the complainants now see we are just as inclusive and supportive as we have ever been and I for one will continue to be.

I would also add that at the start of BLIM I published a line in the sand episode of “The Blues Chapters” as part of my Madman Diaries saga. Today I planned to start recording for a mid course update “BLIM - The Story So Far”. However my passion and enthusiasm for doing that now has evaporated and all my practice time has been taking up, justifying what needed no justification.

But what’s done is done.

And the real finally.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO

James
Keith
Mal
Paul
Phil

My fellow #BBPers

We have made great progress in these few short months and I owe you a debt of gratitude for helping me get this far.

#nomorebbptags

@JustinGuitar @Richard_close2u @LievenDV @DavidP
In case any of our activities have breached Community etiquette, on behalf of our small team I humbly apologise,

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I’ve never even noticed the tag Toby, :rofl::rofl::rofl: but thanks anyway. :roll_eyes::joy:

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I can attest to that.
100%.

That is a shame and I hope it passes at super speed Toby.

That is such a positive and a recommendation for Blues Immersion and Justin’s course.

:slight_smile:

As ever Toby, your commitment and good manner around all things JG related is exemplary.

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Dear Toby,
The Taggs where a small ( and short) question for me but I quickly realized that it was a mutual thing between the six of you and that’s perfectly fine (for me), and sometimes you don’t need to know everything…right?

And writing such a long piece takes a lot of energy, but you will probably get something in return now :smiley:…at least from me …so :heartpulse: :people_hugging: :drum: :guitar: :microphone:

Greetings

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Bladimir Bladimirovitch Putin??

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I think you’d best click that drop down Alexei :rofl:

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Hmm??!!?? Who would complain about this and why?

@TheMadman_tobyjenner I had already sent you a DM saying something like “what on earth is happening”?

I just don’t get it.

It was clear from the beginning that this acronym stands for a group of friends or mates learning together. And that’s fantastic. I would love to have a study group with early Grade 2 beginners. I would love it. Learning together is always better than learning alone.

@TheMadman_tobyjenner and @Socio Remember, we have been joking a lot about what BBP might stand for and I think it was all good fun. Never ever would I have had the shortest moment of any suspicions or negative thoughts.

I’m still bit floored however that none of my ideas, what BBP could stand for, was even close to the truth - not even
Boozing Bar Players :nerd_face: :sunglasses: :grinning:

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Toby, I cottoned on to #BBP early on and think it is great. Just another form of collaboration. I’ve purposefully stayed out of all the BLIM topics, and never saw anything untoward nor did I receive any complaints. As always appreciate your care and concern for the Community.

Now would love to see that Under the Radar collection of songs/recordings when the course is done.

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I like my version better :sunglasses:

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I think this BBP sounds like a really cool club, and I for one can definitely understand and respect people who are serious about their learning and wants to form “study clubs” to get the most out of the material Justin posts. There should be no need for explaining, nor bad vibes of any form. Wish you guys all the best in your journey into the blues! :wink:

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I feel like the coconut that just fell from its tree

I have absolutely no idea of whats going on :sweat_smile:

But I with you toby !

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Toby @TheMadman_tobyjenner
Must say #BBP slipped “under my radar” never noticed it, no issues from me about it.
Michael

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I’m teetotal, but the answer’s in the post :wink:

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I had found out the answer some weeks ago by rewatching the Open Mic Recording… :grinning:

Hope you guys will keep having fun blimming and learning together.

And… The “Under the Radar thing”… I’m looking very forward to hearing your compilation at some point.

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As long as it doesn’t start to confuse users on a larger scale because it tarts to become a big entity within THIS entity (JG Community), it is all good and it’s intentions are sweet :wink:

Marketing/storytelling wise, you should have put the explanation for the name higher in your post.
The tease did not really contribute to a dramatic effect or something :slight_smile:

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I hadn’t noticed the tags either but read your post until the end :slight_smile:

I do like fun but couldn’t contain my curiosity by this point, just had to click the arrow :grin:

I hope you do get your passion and enthusiasm back. I’m sure I’m not the only one who would love to see your mid-course update

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Thx LDV but the answer was at the end so folks read the whole post to get to it and not just the headlines. As for Marketing, I’m with Bill Hicks on that one, :rofl:

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Toby and JG Blimmers out there: such a thought never crossed my mind not even once…just to re-assure you :blush:

  1. It’s good to know our Teacher is a human being and as such he has a genre that is special to him and if it’ s The Blues this is just a matter of fact!
  2. It’s good Justin designed this Course, both for him and for his students who love the Blues as well.
  3. Last but not least it’s just so so goood you’ve created a group to support eachother!

Shortly…Toby…it’s all good :blush:

P.s.: About the #BBP…I apologise, if I ever wonder what it meant I then thought I might as well live a happy life without knowing…I hope no one will be offended but…with all these tbt tbh btw wthooops…I never get meanings :laughing:

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No apologies needed Sylvia, after all its just a label at the end of the day, thanks for the kind words! :sunglasses:

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I, like others, hadn’t seen the tags but no issues from me.

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