Blues in pictures from Iraq

Bluzapalooza, a 12-day tour of blues musicians to Kuwait and Iraq ended the first of the month -- it took a number of performers for a second version of a blues tour earlier in the year.  but this time it took a photographer along to document the shows, and Joe Rosen writes that his work has been displayed in a gallery on the New York Daily News Web site. Take  a look; they're great photos.

Here's how Joe describes his photographic journey:

The trip was an amazing event that will be with me for the rest of my life. It was a special experience which I want to share. The people I traveled with were a wonder and a joy. I consider myself lucky to have spent this time with them. The effect of the music they performed for the troops was indescribable. That’s where the photos come in. The good people at the New York Daily News have posted a gallery on their web site. I am very grateful to them. I believe it conveys the sense and spirit of the tour;

One of the performers on the tour, blues singer Shemekia Copeland, has also posted some photos from the trip on her Web site. The singer said that the tour "was the hardest but the most rewarding thing I've done in my career."