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The Blues

6K views 27 replies 17 participants last post by  clavichorder 
#1 ·
Who else got the Blues? If you love the Blues, post up some of your favorite piece, artists, and albums. This is, of course, the thread for all things Blues now

I'll get things started





 
#6 ·
I used to buy a lot of blues records by all the greats, and a number of contemporary artists. I had the good fortune to meet and hear some of the legends before they passed on. People like Albert Collins, Luther Allison, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Danny Gatton, and Robert Lockwood, Jr. And some who are still here like Johnny Winter, Otis Rush, Dr, John, and Jimmy Johnson. I sat on the lawn and had a smoke with Gatemouth Brown while listening to Robert Lockwood's band.

Some contemporary artists I enjoy include:

Mem Shannon
Larry Garner
Michael Hill's Blues Mob
Ronnie Earl
Duke Robillard
Robben Ford
Rory Block
Smokin' Joe Kubek

People I would have loved to have seen, but didn't have the chance include:

Freddie King
Albert King
Earl King
Johnny Guitar Watson
Muddy Waters
Mike Bloomfield
T-Bone Walker
Snooks Eaglin

The last blues album I bought was a Chess collection of Sonny Boy Williamson. If you want to see many of the greats in action, get the American Folk Blues DVDs. These are fantastic!

 
#8 ·
robert pete williams is withouth a doubt my favorite bluesman. Outstanding guitarist (and improvisator) but not in the traditional sense, he was not a virtuoso but his unique "free blues" style creates a world like no one else. His approach to rhythm and harmony is extremely original, sometimes he sounds like an african musician. He's the definition of deep blues.


Robert Pete Williams - Thousand miles from nowhere


Skip James - Hard time killin' floor blues

The eeriest singer of the blues, Dock Boggs's voice was defined "as if his bones were coming through his skin every time he opened his mouth"

Dock Boggs - Pretty Polly

Dan Smith had this way to play harmonica that is terribly exciting and soulful

Rev. Dan Smith - Babylon is falling
 
#9 ·
Dug this one out this morning. A 78 minute diverse compilation featuring slow burning psychedelic blues jams, traditional folk and gospel, and a famous Carmina Burana excerpt on banjo. An interesting listen. Recommended to fans of Lightnin' Hopkins or Fred McDowell's electric stuff.

 
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#10 ·
I like both the old delta and electric blues but have heard a lot of stuff from the last thirty or so years which is too smooth for my liking both in terms of playing and production. Blues is, I think, one genre which actually benefits most of the time from stripped-back production values (one of the reasons why I prefer George Thorogood's early Rounder material to the more polished-sounding EMI output). Some of the really old recordings from the likes of Charley Patton, Leadbelly, Bukka White and Blind Willie Johnson are quite eerie because of the sonic restrictions of the age - it's as if you are hearing their ghosts.







As regards the later electric style, Howlin' Wolf was THE man.

 
#14 · (Edited)
Kim Wilson, dubbed as "my son" by none other than Muddy Waters, is IMHO the greatest living exponent of blues harmonica. Wilson's harmonica solo here is done in "first" or "blow" position, meaning that the song is in the key of "A" and an "A" harp is used. This allows for certain high blow-notes to be played. Notice also the irregular measure structure, adding two extra beats (or half-measures) at the end of certain phrases (something Mozart would also do on occasion).
On the right is "Kid" Bangham, gtr; Preston Hubbard, bass; to the left is Duke Robillard, gtr; and the great left-handed drummer from British Columbia, Fran Christina.





 
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#15 · (Edited)




 
#18 ·
^ should had posted in "What non-classic music are you listening" topic. It's Jazz..

Are these blues? I don't know this genre much, but in last month I enjoyed from these songs and music:
Pee Wee Crayton - Texas Hop
Louis Jordan - Choo Choo Ch'boogie
Freddie Slack with Ella Mae Morse, vocal - Cow Cow Boogie
Frank Sinatra - Learnin' the Blues

and some more...
 
#20 ·
I am a big fan of the blues! Though I haven't listened much as of late to be honest. Favorites include Albert King, Rory Gallagher, and Lonnie Brooks. Chicago style blues is what I like the best. A couple artists I want to get into include Linsey Alexander, Magic Slim, Mississippi John Hurt, Lightning Hopkins, Otiss Spann and more. Really need to spend some more time on the blues again :)
 
#22 · (Edited)
Really glad Sonny Boy Williamson was mentioned, he's fantastic.

One of my favourite old style blues artists would be Belton Sutherland. There's the ruggedness of his music yet passion in it that you can only get through true circumstances. I'll always prefer the stuff true to it's nature, obviously it's a recognized genre of music and there's going to be artists who aren't of the descent where blues was life - but that's true to all forms of music and it doesn't mean they're any less talented.



Rory Gallagher and RL Burnside, two other great artists. They put their own unique spin on their music and it was immediately recognizable. I've included a full concert from Rory Gallagher's 1974 Irish Tour as well for anyone who's interested.

 
#23 ·
I also have quite alot of blues records, bit of a mixed some of the American legends and some 60's brit and newer other stuff.
Iove players like Albert Collins with his ice sound, even screaming J Hawkins, of course Muddy Waters, BB King etc but Peter Green, Snowy White and even Zappa's blues (stuff tough in cheeky but still good Road Ladies and In france, not so much Captain Beffy - he had great voice and used it well but didnt like his music so much.

Some of my blues favs:

Albert Colins
Johnny Copeland
Peter Green
Jeremy Spencer (because he was crazy)
Snowy White
Rory Gallagher
Otis Rush
Lobby Loyde
Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs
Dutch Tilders
Matt Taylor
Phil Manning
Mike Rudd
Johnny Guitar Watson
Frank Zappa
Savoy Brown
Mick Abrahams
Clas Yngström
Zoot Money
Harvey Mandel
Muddy Waters
Albert King
BB King
 
#25 ·
I got the blues so bad black miriah is knocking at my door/ I got the blues so bad /
I got a feeling Blue's gonna be my only way Yeah, I got a feeling Blues gonna be my only way/ But when you're lookin' for somebodyI'm lookin' for somebody Tell me womanNow, how do you see a man like me?
You look so nice/ You feel so warm, yeah
 
#26 ·
Going hardcore at playing fingerstyle Delta and Slide at the moment. Son House is my current infatuation, his songs take 10 minutes to learn and at least 20 years of pain and women troubles to play. Considering changing my middle name to Vestapol.







and the stunning reworking:


Something a little more contemporary:
 
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#27 ·
^^^
That's the real deal! I do also enjoy some contemporary recordings of this stuff. Martin Simpson did a great version of Grinning In Your Face with droning electric guitar.

I also like Bruce Cockburn's recording of blind Willie Johnson's Soul Of A Man.



And Gove Scrivenor's recording of Mance Lipscomb's Sugar Babe.

 
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