Looking to widen my blues collection with ‘authentic’ blues artists and their recordings. So far JLH, BB King, H Wolf, M Waters, R Cray are my limit, but I know there’s a well of good stuff out there.
Suggestions?
Thanks
G
Looking to widen my blues collection with ‘authentic’ blues artists and their recordings. So far JLH, BB King, H Wolf, M Waters, R Cray are my limit, but I know there’s a well of good stuff out there.
Suggestions?
Thanks
G
Albert Collins - The Master of the Telecaster.
‘At Onkel Pö’s Carnegie Hall – Hamburg 1980’ is a good one.
Also a brilliant hook-up with John Zorn called Spillane (on Qobuz).
Willie Dixon, Robert Cray, Lou Rawls, Koko Taylor, Jonny Lang, Junior Wells, Etta James, Buddy Guy…
Thanks - I’ve lots of R Cray albums…it’s a bit ‘sanitised’. Looking for the earlier artists.
G
There is a virtually limitless quantity of great blues albums, as well as various sub-genres (such as Chicago![PNG image 9|512x305](upload://c6iwi4kpY1zFQpAoYrxfMh9dJs4.png)
electric blues, Piedmont blues, Texas electric, etc.). Some favorites:
Note that the sound quality is almost never as good as contemporaneous jazz or classical albums, but these are great albums.
Great, thanks!
G
I would suggest give Willie Dixon a try. One of my favorite albums from him is ‘I Am The Blues.’ He perfomed as well as wrote a ton of music, he is worth exploring…
BTW: have you checked out the movie Cadillac Records which I believe is on Netflix it features a lot of the early blues artists…
My pleasure.
Both Charlie Musselwhite and Buddy Guy are still alive. Buddy Guy is still touring, not sure about Musselwhite. I’ve seen both, albeit a while ago, and worth the price of admission.
Absolutely. Many of Howlin Wolf’s were written by Dixon, who often played bass on those albums. Dixon both recorded for and served as a producer etc for Chess Records.
Champion Jack Dupree, Elmore James, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Rev. Gary Davis, Sister Rosetta Tharpe…
Takes me back to my teens.
Also look out for the Martin Scorcese DVD set “presents The Blues”.
Thanks - Iv’e on Sonny Terry & BM but will check out the rest.
G
Almost forgot, Blind Blake, Charley Patton, most of my collection are on cassette tape in storage so I’m sure a couple more names will surface.
I’ve been rummaging, my books must also be in storage, one author I remember is Paul Oliver, his archive is held at Oxford Brooke’s University. You can find one book here Google Books
Son House’s ‘Forever on my mind’ new posthumous album out on March 18 is causing quite a stir in the latest music mags this month.
Originally recorded back in 1964 and then shelved since.
Ordered my copy on prerelease.
Do not miss out on the Grand-daddy of them all, Robert Johnson. You may recognise some of his lyrics - cough Led Zep, and some chap called Clapton!
Many years ago there was a “magazine plus CD” part works called “The Blues Collection”, 90 odd issues which I dutifully collected.
Sometimes the SQ would leave a bit to be desired for these modern times - mainly those from 80 year old recording, ROFL!
But the quality of the music left nothing to be desired!
So if you really want to get into The Blues
Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup
Albert King
B.B. King
Bessie Smith
Big Bill Broonzy
Big Joe Turner
Big Joe Williams
Big Maceo
Blind Boy Fuller
Blind Willie McTell
Bo Diddley
Buddy Guy
Bukka White
Carey & Lurrie Bell
Cecil Gant
Champion Jack Dupree
Charles Brown
Charlie Patton
Chuck Berry
Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown
Clifton Chenier
Dr. Ross
Earl Hooker & Junior Wells
Eddie Boyd
Eddie Vinson
Elmore James
Eric Clapton & the Yardbirds
Fats Domino
Frank Frost
Fred McDowell
Furry Lewis & Frank Stokes
Howlin’ Wolf
J.B. Hutto
J.B. Lenoir
James Booker
Jimmy Johnson
Jimmy Reed
Jimmy Rogers
Jimmy Witherspoon
Jimmy McCracklin
John Lee Hooker
John Mayall
Johnny Copeland
Johnny Shines
Koko Taylor
Leadbelly
Leroy Carr
Lightnin’ Hopkins
Little Milton
Little Richard
Little Walter
Lonnie Brooks
Lonnie Johnson
Louis Jordan
Louisiana Red
Lowell Fulson
Luther Allison
Magic Sam
Magic Slim
Mance Lipscomb
Memphis Jug Bands
Memphis Minnie
Memphis Slim
Muddy Waters
Otis Rush
Otis Spann
Peetie Wheatstraw
Phillip Walker
Piano Red
Professor Longhair
Robert Cray
Robert Johnson
Robert Nighthawk & Forrest City Joe
Roosevelt Sykes
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
Sleepy John Estes
Snooks Eaglin
Sonny Boy Williamson
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
Tampa Red
T-Bone Walker
Victoria Spivey
Walter Horton
Willie Dixon
Wynonie Harris
Nice list SW. Freddie King is a howling omission tho’…
The 3 Kings are essential. Graeme has Some BB, now needs some Albert and Freddie IMO.
Ah ha forgot the third King - got “Going Down” & “Pulpwood” playing now
The list was my “The Blues Collection”. They didn’t do a Freddie King CD but I’ve a couple of tracks on other compilations.
A serious omission in my library, methinks. Do you have a recommendation for an exemplar FK album/compilation?
Edit: grabbed a cheapie FK compilation from AMZ.
Currently playing King#2 -Albert’s magnificent “I’ll play the Blues for You.”