For me it's Son House. I think his deepest stuff goes even further than Robert Johnson in terms of emotion and inner-torment. "My Black Mama" gives me chills. Otis Rush is a close second. "Double Trouble" and "My Love Will Never Die" both hit a level that only the greatest of bluesmen can reach. Why do you think Stevie Ray named his band after the former?
Some others: BB King, Robert Nighthawk, Lightnin' Hopkins "I Can't Be Satisfied", "Long Distance Call", "Louisiana Blues", by Muddy Waters for starters.
"Fore Day Creep" (Ida Cox)
"Me & The Devil Blues" (Robert Johnson)
"The Sky Is Crying" (Elmore James)
"Need Your Love So Bad" (Peter Green/Fleetwood Mac)
"I'll Play The Blues For You", "As The Years Go Passing By" (Albert King)
"Broken Wings" (John Mayall)
"Have You Ever Loved A Woman" (Freddie King)
"Jumping At Shadows" (Gary Moore)
"I Asked For Water" (Howling Wolf)
"Shake Em On Down" (R L Burnside)
"When My Left Eye Jumps" (Buddy Guy) Buddy Guy bb king Stevie Ray Vaughn's guitar moves me the most. As far as lyrics, I don't know. I don't get "moved" by the lyrics like I do by the notes. If I had to choose, I'd go with individual songs like Five Long Years, Red House, and others. clapton, robert cray, muddy waters Billie Holiday Being a guitarist, the guitarists: Mike Bloomfield, Roy Buchanan, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Albert King, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Johnson, BB King, Johnny Winter, Duane Allman, Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Duke Robillard, Muddy Waters, Kim Simmonds (Savoy Brown), etc.
I also love "Double Trouble". Besides the original by Otis Rush, Eric Clapton also has a great version.
If you want to hear a great blues song check out BB Kings Live At The Regal version of "How Blue Can You Get". I can hear those tribes a-moaning
Hear the undertaker's bell
But I'll tell you one thing
Nobody can sing
The blues like Blind Willie McTell WOW...This is so difficult...so many come to my mind.
I have to put Buddy Guy first...just his voice gives me chills..not to mention the way he plays a guitar! He is without a doubt my favorite to see live!
But how can a person just pick one...blues moves me..and the greats all do..in many ways..!
John Lee Hooker..always has moved me..since I was 12..the first album I got was Hooker & Heat the double album..OMG..I was beyond moved. I was just a kid..with a lousy old record played way back then..and I would play that over and over again!!! Still do..but it is the double cd now!!! LOL..Which I had to special order yrs. back. I could go on and on. I will just add one more..Muddy Waters..he moved a whole bunch of people..including Led Zepplin..Rolling Stones..etc. etc. It all started with the blues...may be called the blues..but nothin makes me feel so good!
Ciao! Big Mama Willie Mae Thorton
BB King
both Sonny Boy Williams
Lightin' Hopkins
Leadbelly
Shakey Jake
Bessie Smith
Robert Johnson
Mississippi John Hurt
Koerner Ray & Glover
Clapton
early Bob Dylan
Memphis Millie
Willie Dixon
and lots more Eric Clapton
Sue Foley
Jimi Hendrix
Susan Tedeschi
Stevie Ray Vaughan
and many others T-Bone Walker Some guitarists can play like lightning. Some always know when to hit the right note. Buddy Guy is the master of both. I cannot think of another player in any genre who moves me so much.
I've had the pleasure of seeing B.B. King live, and he's a close second, along with John Lee Hooker and Otis Rush. How do you narrow down the blues? So many... Larry Carlton, Stevie Ray, Clapton, Johnny Winter, Chris Cain, Robben Ford.. Mark Ford, Mark Hummel.. The list goes on. Volker Strifler too.. As a kid, B.B. and Duane Allman were two of my favorites. Loved the slide guitar work of Duane. Tab Benoit
Walter Trout
Marcia Ball
Eric Clapton
Delbert McClinton
Coco Montoya
Stevie R.V.
Tommy Castro
Deborah Coleman
Jonny Lang
Jeff Healy John Lee Hooker and Son House.
I'm Bad Like Jesse James by John and Son's Death Letter Blues get frequent replays from me. I love Billie Holiday too but I know she's NOT and NEVER considered herself a blues singer. She used to fight with misleading critics about that all the time. My two all-time favorites are Stevie Ray Vaughn and Susan Tedeschi. I can get lost in a whole different world listening to Stevie play (what a phenomenon he was to music)! And Susan is able to make you feel the exact emotion(s) that she wants you to feel when she sings. What a powerhouse voice she has!!! I believe that both of them have contributed something to the blues and even rock music that one ever has or will be able to contribute again.
Great question by the way!!!! Have a good one! taj mahall Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee, Willie Dixon I think BB King takes number 1. No doubt about it. His playing has inspired generations, even Hendrix. Muddy Waters is a great one as well. The most difficult question posed....
Well, long before I was enjoying heavy metal ride I discovered a record called 'Texas Flood'. This record forever changed my life and my perception towards music.
'Stevie Ray' is clearly one of the most powerful, insightful and best musician ever to embrace Blues music. He was born with a gifted musical ear and dedicated all his life towards the expansion of this genre. He teamed up with so many great players in his lifetime and dropped everyones jaws. He was not only quick at his playing but the emotion, truthfulness and love for the guitar and blues was so evident and effortless in his playing. How many times do you see people outdo their own personal heroes? Stevie clearly took blues music to another level and did remarkable work expanding his hero hendrix styles and ranges with jazz and blues. He stands as guitarist's guitarist 'One in a million, someone who will not be matched or compared but a beacon of inspiration and greatness..'
I have many other influences hendrix, duane allman, clapton, robben ford, bb king, and my beloved Rory Gallagher & many more but in a nutshell all i can say is --
'It will take a lot of god's blessing to produce a musician of this charisma and grace - it has been a long time since his passing away and there is no one who comes close his quality and execution. He has inspired a generation of musicians and will continue to do so. Not to forget his signature tone which will always remain spiritualy recongizable to the blues peers and listeneres until blues music will persist..."
I love you Stevie - 'Son of Texas Blues - Stevie lives forever..' I agree with you those are some deep MOFO'S but I also like LeadBelly. Buddy Guy, he plays like he's possessed. A couple years ago he played at a big hall in San Francisco, and he got so charged up that he took his wireless guitar, walked through the hall, and into the ladie's room (I read this, but I wasn't there), playing all the time. And Guy's playing influenced Hendrix, and I don't know any other blues artist who can say that. Stevie Ray can rearrange my chromosomes!
There's plenty of talent on the ladies' side that I can really get into like: Sapphire: The Uppity Blues Women, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Dawn Tyler Watson, KoKo Taylor and can we consider Joss Stone? Lately I've been grooving to Ry Cooder though he's not really a conventional bluesman. His slide work on the "Crossroads" soundtrack was inspired. And Stevie Ray Vaughan is a favorite of mine, particularly his wailing rifts on "Little Wing". It's a subjective matter of tastes, I know, but I'm courting some personal blues right now and they seem to fit together nicely. Good question. (I'll be checking out some of your recommendations as well). While I'll never,ever,ever understand why people are so crazy over Stievie Ray (he's pure s*!!t), I can say Peg Leg Sam had a few that moved me | 