The Blues reaches out to all of us in some ways. It comes from deep down in your soul.
Blues is a music genre and musical form which was originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1870s by African Americans from roots in African musical traditions, African-American work songs, spirituals, and the folk music of white Americans of European heritage. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads.The blues form, ubiquitous in jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll, is characterized by the call-and-response pattern, the blues scale and specific chord progressions.
It was an expression of self. Was played as a release. It was born and reborn. And stills carries on in many forms.
I will start out with BB King because he brought it back to the modern era. And then add one by Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Before Clapton, Jeff Beck, Paige, The Stones there was John Mayall.
In the 1960s, he was the founder of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, a band which has counted among its members some of the most famous blues and blues rock musicians. They include Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Jack Bruce, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Taylor, Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Harvey Mandel.
While the blues came long before Robert Johnson, the blues wasn't the blues until Robert Johnson. Maybe I'm overstating it, but to me I feel I owe Robert Johnson thanks for everything I've heard growing up from Clapton to Zepplin to Stevie Ray. He is my blues idol.
And the very song that helped enforce the rumor that he sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his gift of his blues technique.
For those who may not know the story of the crossroads and the rumor that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil, here's the back story.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
While not considered a blues band by many of its fans, the first real blues I listened to in my youth had a great impact on me and was the main inspiration for me learning about and listening to the blues moving forward in my life..
While it's only my opinion, I give The Allman Brothers credit for causing my generation to to have a renewed interest and cause us to search for the roots and beginning of the blues. Without them, I may never known about Robert Johnson and all of the great blues artists before and since.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
Having lived in the South I got plenty of the Allman Brothers. Gregg one of the truly great blues voices.
I went to Kent in the early seventies. 15-60-75 the Numbers Band were a house band at the Kove and JB's.
Bob Kidney the leader singer was dating the best friend of my girlfriend. He was a "Blues man". We became friends. I always felt that if he was willing to travel he would have become famous. He was really talented. Great voice and man he could play the harp. He taught me about the Blues.
Buddy Guy - I have seen him live. Even at his age he slays the guitar in a way that the heaviest and thrashiest metal guitarists take note and watch in awe.
Taj Mahal - great acoustic blues
Roy Buchanan - amazing and relatively still unknown white blues artist who felt the blues. A sad tale and death.
Canned Heat - "Living The Blues", for sure, but with a John Lee Hooker boogie twist. They felt it more than most and all their members were the real deal.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
I'll try and add one or three that we haven't discussed before. I like this number because it was such a huge influence on guys like Hendrix, The Allman Brothers, etc.
Those threads did well. It seemed like quite a few of us really like the blues. Maybe we can talk about some of the more influential blues artists and/or those who are lesser known? I think there are some women who are real good and haven't been mentioned. Or, we can just talk all of them again.
PDX mentioned Buddy Guy earlier. He's one of my favorites. This particular song is very light-hearted in nature and is a great example of shucking and jiving in the old-school sense. Check it out:
Quote:
What Kind of Woman Is This Buddy Guy The gates of Heaven must be open I think I saw an angel just walk by Hey, the gates of heaven must be open I think I saw an angel just walk by I heard a blind man screamin', say Now there goes a sight for my sore eyes There goes a sight for my sore eyes Now there goes a sight for my sore eyes What kind of woman is this? You should be locked up, pretty girl In my bedroom with me Hey, you should be locked up, pretty girl In my bedroom with me So we can do the same thing that Adam Did under that old apple tree What he did under that apple tree What he did under that apple tree Well, well, well, well, well, well Choke out Here I come again There's always some good lookin' girls Hangin' 'round this famous place Well, hey, there's always some good lookin' girls Hangin' round this famous place, talkin' bout legends now Aww, but this particular one Looked like somethin' from outer space She looked like somethin' from outer space What kind of woman is this? Hmm, what kind of woman is this? What kind of woman is this? Ooh, what kind of woman is this? Look at that, she shakes all over when she walk She made a blind man see Made a dumb man talk What kind of woman is this? Hmm, shucks Tell me, hey, what kind of woman is this, man? Somebody gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta Gotta, gotta, gotta tell me, tell me What kind of woman is this?
Another of my favorite Buddy Guy songs that is a bit off the beaten path is Miss Ida B. The guitar is slow and sweet. The vocals are restrained and a bit haunting. The lyrics are almost absurd.......such as "looks something like a Japanese" and "another man snoring in my baby's face." LOL
But damn man, this song is so sweet and soulful. I absolutely love it.
One more that involves Buddy Guy and then I will move on. This one is one of my favorite songs of all-time. Ain't No Sunshine that the legendary Bill Whithers made famous back in the day. This version also features Tracie Chapman, who is another of my personal favorites.
This is nice bluesy [w/a hint of funk] rendition of one of the all-time classics:
I have played this before, but I dig slow blues. It's kinda like making love. You can go fast and shoot your load, or you can have a slow hand and ride it all night long.
Speaking of slow blues and guys that aren't as popular as others, this guy fits the bill even though his voice isn't very good. The instrumental parts of this song are very good, in my opinion.
One of the reasons I love the blues is because of how blacks were able to express their emotions through music. The roots of singin' in the fields and the continued pain of living in a world dominated by Jim Crow laws, segregation, and separation.
This guy doesn't get a ton of recognition, but Led Zeppelin says "thank you."
I love listening - and have been to a couple of Blues Festivals but I'm not a connoisseur ... That said the guys that stand out to me have been mentioned: Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughn, George Thorogood ... I have a couple of compilation albums with various artists that I enjoy.
Some others that I did not see above: Jeff Healy, Bo Diddly, ZZ Top and Fleetwood Mac.
Some of the tracks I love:
Lord she was so lovey dovey !
And fav ZZ Top song of all time:
The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
Speaking of slow blues and guys that aren't as popular as others, this guy fits the bill even though his voice isn't very good. The instrumental parts of this song are very good, in my opinion.
Wow - I have never heard of Sonny Black before and listened to the song you posted. I liked it, but the thing that jumped out at me was how much his intro and his guitar sounded like Dire Straits ! I wonder if anyone knows if this guy was a major influence on Mark Knopfler ?
The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
