best artists and songs or albums pls! Try some of these guys:
Robert Johnson (if you can actually find any of his stuff)
Muddy Waters
BB King
John Lee Hooker
Otis Redding
Sam & Dave (more old school R&B than blues but still good)
Stevie Ray Vaughn did some great blues songs
Eric Clapton did a bunch of blues stuff
The Rolling Stones did some great blues songs too
Kenny Wayne Sheppard Band isn't bad for a bunch of young white guys.
Led Zeppelin had some great bluesy sounding songs Janis Joplin sings white blues. She actually invented a style of the blues that actually sounds great, even better, with a white voice, and Otis Redding and BB King are also great. Also check out Muddy Waters. The White Stripes are grunge rock, but their music comes from the blues. They have some really bluesy, bluegrassy stuff.
Hope this helps. :) ray charles, aretha franklin, b.b.king, bo diddley, janis joplin, cream, the beatles, black sabbath, chicago, fleetwood mac, T-Bone Walker, chuck berry, jimi hendrixs,and elvis presley. Here are some classic blues artists and some of their more popular song. Now, if we got into blues-rock (such as Eric Clapton, The Yardbirds, The Black Crowes and the Rolling Stones) that would be an entirely different list. Hope this helps!
Big Bill Broonzy: "When Will I Get to be Called a Man," "Key to the Highway," "Big Bill Blues," "All by Myself"
Ida Cox: "Wild Women Don't Have the Blues," "Last Mile Blues," "Pink Slip Blues," "Cemetery Blues"
Bo Diddley: "Who Do You Love," "You Can't Judge a Book by its Cover," "Mona," "I'm a Man"
Willie Dixon: "Back Door Man," "I Can't Quit You Baby," "The Seventh Son," "You Shook Me," "The Little Red Rooster"
Fats Domino: "Walkin' to New Orleans," ""Blueberry Hill," "Ain't It a Shame," "I'm Walkin'," "Blue Monday", "The Fat Man"
Buddy Guy: "Broken Hearted Blues," "Stone Crazy," "Mary Had a Little Lamb," "Try to Quit You, Baby"
W.C. Handy: "St. Louis Blues," "Yellow Dog Blues," "Beale Street Blues"
John Lee Hooker: "Boogie Chillen," "I'm in the Mood," "Hoogie Boogie," "Boom Boom," "Baby Lee," "The Healer"
Lightnin' Hopkins: "Tim Moore's Farm," "Coffee Blues," "Lightnin's Boogie," "Hopkins's Sky Hop"
Howlin' Wolf: "Smokestack Lightnin'," "Moanin' at Midnight," "Evil," "Killing Floor," "Shake for Me"
Elmore James: "Dust My Broom," "The Sky is Crying," "Hand in Hand," "Shake Your Money Maker"
Robert Johnson: "Walkin' Blues," "Love in Vain Blues," "Come on in My Kitchen" "Terraplane Blues," "Cross Road Blues"
B.B. King: "Three O'Clock Blues," "How Blue Can You Get," "The Thrill is Gone," "Sweet Little Angel," "Paying the Cost to be the Boss"
Lead Belly: "Goodnight Irene," "Bourgeois Blues," "Scottsboro Blues," "Rock Island Line"
Muddy Waters: "Rolling Stone," "Honey Bee," "I Can't Be Satisfied," "Mannish Boy," "Got My Mojo Working"
Bessie Smith: "Lost Your Head Blues," "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," "'Tain't Nobody's Business if I Do," "Back Water Blues," "Broken Hearted Blues"
Big Mama Thornton: "Hound Dog," "Ball and Chain," "Just Like a Dog," "I Smell a Rat," "Stop Hoppin' on Me"
Sonny Boy Williamson: "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl," "Early in the Morning," "Whiskey Headed Woman Blues," "Shake that Boogie"
Skip James: "Crow Jane," "Hardtime Killing Floor Blues," "Lazy Bones" Some contemporary stuff includes, Jopnny Lang, Walter Trout, Anthony gomes. Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials.
some older (not very) somewhat traditional blues: Otis Rush, Koko Taylor, Etta James Buddy Guy, BB King Start with Robert Johnson. Jimi Hendrix - Blues Some of my personal favorites -
Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings
Howlin Wolf - His Best (Chess 50th Year Anniversary)
Sam 'Lightnin' Hopkins - Bring Me My Shotgun
Memphis Slim - USA
Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup - That's Alright Mama
Elmore James - The Sky Is Crying (History Of Elmore James)
Little Walter - His Best: The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection
There are so many more. I hope this helps. Chuck Berry, Jay Hawkins, and James Brown for classic blues or Stevie Ray Vaughan and George Thorogood for newer rock blues. I've noticed that some other uses have posted musicans and performers who, although they may be good, really don't play blues (such as James Brown, who is soul/funk). Much of the more recent "blues" (like Kenny Wayne Shepherd) is simply copied from an older template, so it's good to have the basics first.
Robert Johnson is rightfully one of the best to start with. Son House is also good for country blues. Blind Lemmon Jefferson is also good for that genre of blues.
For electric blues, I would recommend T-Bone Walker, B.B King, Buddy Guy, Albert King, Muddy Waters, Elmore James, and Paul Butterfield for starters. Stevie Ray Vaughan, while he doesn't have my favorite style, is a excellent player who set the standard for many modern blues players. Definitely listen to Robert Johnson (the godfather of Blues) and Son House! Muddy Waters, and Howlin' wolf too. Better to start with the early stuff so that you can appreciate the new stuff. Stevie Ray Vaughn too. Stevie Ray Vaughn---the song,Texas Flood!!! wow there are so many...all the ones already mentioned are the classics, the rolls Royce's of the blues.but to me the blues just isn't complete without a good harmonica player. I will just add some that I didn't see already posted. John Mayall's blues alone album is a great one he actually played all the instruments on the album. Paul butterfield from the same era(the 60's early 70's) had a style all his own. Anything with charlie muselwhite is good. There is a new blues band that has been around for a couple of years from the Fresno Ca. area where I live and are going to do their first CD soon. If you want good modern blues they are called the Mo Fo party band. But the best out their today if you like blues with a little Cajun flavor you have to listen to some of Blues Travelers. John Poper is the lead singer and I have never heard anyone play the harmonica like he does and I have heard them all. And I have been playing for over 30 years and can usually copy anyone after awhile except him. I would have to say my favorite blues/rock song is one they do called "but anyway" Blues CD - Muddy Waters & Friends - Fathers & Sons
Blues Rock CD - Allman Bros. - Live At The Fillmore East
Blues Song - Stormy Monday Blues (T Bone Walker)
Blues Guitar - Mike Bloomfield, Roy Buchanan, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Johnson, Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Duane Allman, Albert King, BB King
Blues Piano - Otis Spann
Blues Harp - Paul Butterfield, Charlie Musselwhite, Little Walter, James Cotton, Magic Dick (J Geils Band)
Blues Singer (Female) - Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt, Koko Taylor, Big Mama Thornton, Billie Holliday (Jazz)
Blues Singer (Male) - Muddy Waters, Paul Butterfield, John Lee Hooker, Albert King, Bobby Blue Bland, Stevie Ray Vaughn. BB King, Howlin Wolf Allman Bros. Beginnings will knock your socks off! Especially " It's Not My Cross To Bear". Of course, any Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter, Roy Buchannan, you know the drill. OK. After looking at previous answers I must admit some people are a little less schooled in the blues category of music. If you want to get past the blues that children can listen to (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny Lang, etc.) you will need to find some of the lesser known blues artists. They are lesser known because you don't really ever hear their stuff on the radio. I will give you a few names and you can find their stuff just about anywhere. Ok, here you go. Enjoy.
Robin Trower
Freddie King - Not really lesser known but he is great
Johnny Winter
Robert Johnson
Snooky Prior - Great Blues harp player
Rip Lee - Another Great Blues harp player
Roy Buchanan
Rory Gallagher
Son Seals
As for better known artists go with:
Allman Brothers
Eric Clapton
Cream
Led Zepplin - The earlier years of Zep
Black Sabbath - Again earlier music Eric Clapton's "From the Cradle" album is one of the best blues albums I have ever heard. I think a great artist currently who represents the best aspects of moth calssic and modern blues is Keb Mo' Paul butterflied blues band. Start with Eddie "Son" House. He influenced Robert Johnson.
Then listen to Bukka White
then Mississippi John Hurt
Then Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee
Then all the other ones mentioned.
It's a beautiful journey! |
