The Blues, we get ‘em, we give ‘em and we love ‘em.
Any great music collection has to have a corner dedicated to the Blues. There’s electric blues, acoustic blues, Chicago, Delta and Southern blues but regardless of the label all blues begins in the southern USA and so will we.
Blind Lemon Jefferson known as the “Father of the Texas Blues” back in the 1920’s had a high-pitched voice and picked a flat top acoustic. Pick-up “Black Snake Moan” for a taste of this pioneer.
Robert Johnson’s legend has him at a dusty rural crossroads in Mississippi where he met the devil and traded his 27-year-old soul for blues fame. Try “Sweet Home Chicago” for a sample of his Delta Blues percussive acoustic style.
Bessie Smith was one of the earliest women to record the blues and “Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl” makes me blush, even 80 years later.
By the 1950’s the Blues was moving from the rural south to the urban north and artists like Sonny Boy Williamson 1 (aka: John Lee Curtis Williamson “Good Morning Little School Girl”) who brought the harmonica to the rural southern blues in the 1930’s was eclipsed by Sonny Boy Williamson 2 (aka: Aleck Ford “Bring it on Home”) who began to electrify his harmonicas bringing grit, dirt and sustain to his powerful playing to audiences in Chicago.
The Three Kings
Albert King and Freddie King influenced all the rock gods of the 1960’s through the 80’s from Clapton and Hendrix to Stevie Ray Vaughn and Joe Walsh. Check out “Born Under a Bad Sign” from Albert’s stinging Gibson Flying V guitar and “Have You Ever Loved a Woman” recorded by Freddie playing with a plastic thumb pick and metal finger pick.
B.B. King is famous for his single note lead lines on his red Gibson 335 nicknamed Lucille. Check out “Don’t Answer the Door”.
“White Boy” Blues
Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomberg came along in the 1960’s as one of the first “white boys” to play the electrified Chicago Blues. Spin “Born in Chicago” to catch the fever.
The Blues swept across the Atlantic to invade Britain and local boys like John Mayall and his Blues Breakers became the training ground for guitarists Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor and Harvey Mandel. Recently Mayall released a killer track off In the Palace of the King called “Canonball Shuffle” featuring Robben Ford on guitar.
Blues Heros
Muddy Water’s may be the world’s best known blues player but joining him are icons of the genre including Willie Dixon, Lightning Hopkins, Howling Wolf, John Lee Hooker, and Lonnie Johnson to name only a few. iTunes can hook you up with some of their best musical moments.
In the 1980’s and into the 1990’s Dr. John, Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Colin James, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray, Kenny Wayne Sheppard, Buddy Guy, Arc Angles, Big Sugar and Derrick Trucks kept the blues alive and took it to a younger audience.
Today’s Blues
Paul Reddick Canadian and perfect. If you want to catch a rising blues star this is the guy. Sample “John Lennon in New Orleans” from Sugarbird or “Waitin’ ” from Revue.
Kelly Joe Phelps known for playing the guitar flat on his lap with a heavy steel. Phelps brings a level of technical playing equal to most jazz players. Try “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues”.
Kaki King is a stunning acoustic guitar player. “Everybody Loves You” will make you re-think the blues-based guitar.
Amos Lee sweet with a pop and folk bent. Try “Night Train”.
Mason Casey irreverent and witty, he is where blues is at. “You Make it Hard” leaves little to the imagination.
North Mississippi Allstars Bringing rap, hip-hop and a jammy, swampy attitude to the blues try “No Mo”
Dirty Dozen Dozen Brass Band badass horns from New Orleans try their funky bluesy take on the Marvin Gaye tune “What’s Going On”.
The Perpetrators yup, you can’t deny that this Winnipeg trio has a bad case of the blues.
The Next Steps
Once you’ve explored some of these blues legends you can take a dive and go deep into Billy Boy Arnold, Etta James, Darrell Scott, Doug Sham, Doyle Bramhall II, Drive by Truckers, Gov’t Mule, John Hammond, King Biscuit Boy, Moreland and Arbuckle, The Sidemen, Big Joe Turner, Roosevelt Sykes, Charlie Musslewhite, T-Bone Walker, Jimmy Witherspoon, Big Walter Horton, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, and Sue Foley.
So much Blues it makes you wanna weep doesn’t it?
Blind Lemon Jefferson known as the “Father of the Texas Blues” back in the 1920’s had a high-pitched voice and picked a flat top acoustic. Pick-up “Black Snake Moan” for a taste of this pioneer.
Robert Johnson’s legend has him at a dusty rural crossroads in Mississippi where he met the devil and traded his 27-year-old soul for blues fame. Try “Sweet Home Chicago” for a sample of his Delta Blues percussive acoustic style.
Bessie Smith was one of the earliest women to record the blues and “Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl” makes me blush, even 80 years later.
By the 1950’s the Blues was moving from the rural south to the urban north and artists like Sonny Boy Williamson 1 (aka: John Lee Curtis Williamson “Good Morning Little School Girl”) who brought the harmonica to the rural southern blues in the 1930’s was eclipsed by Sonny Boy Williamson 2 (aka: Aleck Ford “Bring it on Home”) who began to electrify his harmonicas bringing grit, dirt and sustain to his powerful playing to audiences in Chicago.
The Three Kings
Albert King and Freddie King influenced all the rock gods of the 1960’s through the 80’s from Clapton and Hendrix to Stevie Ray Vaughn and Joe Walsh. Check out “Born Under a Bad Sign” from Albert’s stinging Gibson Flying V guitar and “Have You Ever Loved a Woman” recorded by Freddie playing with a plastic thumb pick and metal finger pick.
B.B. King is famous for his single note lead lines on his red Gibson 335 nicknamed Lucille. Check out “Don’t Answer the Door”.
“White Boy” Blues
Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomberg came along in the 1960’s as one of the first “white boys” to play the electrified Chicago Blues. Spin “Born in Chicago” to catch the fever.
The Blues swept across the Atlantic to invade Britain and local boys like John Mayall and his Blues Breakers became the training ground for guitarists Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor and Harvey Mandel. Recently Mayall released a killer track off In the Palace of the King called “Canonball Shuffle” featuring Robben Ford on guitar.
Blues Heros
Muddy Water’s may be the world’s best known blues player but joining him are icons of the genre including Willie Dixon, Lightning Hopkins, Howling Wolf, John Lee Hooker, and Lonnie Johnson to name only a few. iTunes can hook you up with some of their best musical moments.
In the 1980’s and into the 1990’s Dr. John, Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Colin James, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray, Kenny Wayne Sheppard, Buddy Guy, Arc Angles, Big Sugar and Derrick Trucks kept the blues alive and took it to a younger audience.
Today’s Blues
Paul Reddick Canadian and perfect. If you want to catch a rising blues star this is the guy. Sample “John Lennon in New Orleans” from Sugarbird or “Waitin’ ” from Revue.
Kelly Joe Phelps known for playing the guitar flat on his lap with a heavy steel. Phelps brings a level of technical playing equal to most jazz players. Try “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues”.
Kaki King is a stunning acoustic guitar player. “Everybody Loves You” will make you re-think the blues-based guitar.
Amos Lee sweet with a pop and folk bent. Try “Night Train”.
Mason Casey irreverent and witty, he is where blues is at. “You Make it Hard” leaves little to the imagination.
North Mississippi Allstars Bringing rap, hip-hop and a jammy, swampy attitude to the blues try “No Mo”
Dirty Dozen Dozen Brass Band badass horns from New Orleans try their funky bluesy take on the Marvin Gaye tune “What’s Going On”.
The Perpetrators yup, you can’t deny that this Winnipeg trio has a bad case of the blues.
The Next Steps
Once you’ve explored some of these blues legends you can take a dive and go deep into Billy Boy Arnold, Etta James, Darrell Scott, Doug Sham, Doyle Bramhall II, Drive by Truckers, Gov’t Mule, John Hammond, King Biscuit Boy, Moreland and Arbuckle, The Sidemen, Big Joe Turner, Roosevelt Sykes, Charlie Musslewhite, T-Bone Walker, Jimmy Witherspoon, Big Walter Horton, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, and Sue Foley.
So much Blues it makes you wanna weep doesn’t it?
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