Discovering the Blues.

[cherryowen]

A quick search for R.L. Burnside led to this:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzC_rGX-XyM

Oh, I'm liking that!

[skahigh]

Some great suggestions, I'd add JJ Cale.

Cajun Moon my absolute favourite track.

[Stan the Bat]

Lots of good ( and some not so good) stuff on this thread.



http://www.bluestalk.com/forum/showthread.php?4899...

[Stan the Bat]

At the moment I can't get enough of these two sisters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQIewf7jPd8

[Graculus]

J.B. Lenoir

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfRqTQyHMTM&li...

Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Not strictly Blues, breaks into Gospel, Soul and Rock 'n Roll. Fabulous!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gELe5Rj_tXU

[FredClogs]

BB King is the best way into the blues, great sense of humour and much more pop and gospel feeling to his music that should put a smile on your face, if I had to go for a single record maybe John Lee hooker feat Van Morris on "don't look back". But anything from Robert Johnson to Led Zeppelin is "Blues" so it could take you a while to find your niche.
You're as well to work your way geographically through the states or record labels it'll give you a feel for what's out there.

[Grayedout]

If you want some of the best current UK blues then look up artists like

King King
Kris Barras Band
Stevie Nimmo Trio
Ainsley Lister
Marcus Bonfanti

[scushing]

For a contemporary take try

Supersonic Blues Machine
Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Going back a little The Fabulous Thunderbirds (with Jimmie Vaughan, brother of Stevie Ray on guitar. Different style though)

Also check out Josh Smith on YouTube. Though be warned he’ll just make you want to torch your guitar if you play.

[dandarez]

There used to be some paint daubed on corrugated iron in London during the 60s while Clapton was in the Bluesbreakers proclaiming Eric to be the high and mighty.

Clapton then left and Mayall got 'the' best British blues guitarist which caused this to be daubed and I agreed with it, as did masses of other blues fans.

It was not long after that Fleetwood Mac was formed. Their early blues stuff was what made them before they went 'commercial'. Great times! Just see what BB King said about Green.


This was New Year's Eve in Paris 50 years ago, not long after Danny Kirwan had joined!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8lme8he8WU
Green doing 'Homework'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmzB4b3M87c
Spencer was simply one of the best slide guitarists out there at the time. His Elmore James stuff is brilliant. Shake Your Moneymaker is probably better the James version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNqSEN6ORAc

There is simply tons of stuff out there re the Mac where Blues is a big part. Just see the stuff when they played with all the blues greats in the USA.

[hkz286]

house of the rising sun by unknown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNj_-RToScM

didn't care for the original song but a blues version seems to lend itself quite well to the lyrics.

First saw it on Jay lenos garage so I'm assuming it was produced for backing tracks for tv.

[rlw]

popeyewhite said:

Never understood why Clapton is revered as a bluesman. Little original stuff, and the covers he does are unexceptional. Agree with you about early Bonamassa.

Listen to "From the cradle" and you might understand. One of the best ever covers albums by probably Britain's, if not the world's, best living blues player.

[popeyewhite]

rlw said:

popeyewhite said:

Never understood why Clapton is revered as a bluesman. Little original stuff, and the covers he does are unexceptional. Agree with you about early Bonamassa.

Listen to "From the cradle" and you might understand. One of the best ever covers albums by probably Britain's, if not the world's, best living blues player.

It's covers, which is exactly my point. Britain's best bluesman is probably John Mayall. Clapton 'guested' on a couple of his early albums. But Ive got From the Cradle somewhere so I'll reacquaint myself with it and give you a verdict later.

[Pothole]

One of my favourites of the last few decades is Jonny Lang - check out his debut (?) album Lie to Me, recorded when he was only just 16...superb.

For home grown talent Ian Siegal goes from strength to strength. I saw him in a tiny blues club near Carnaby Street in about 1994 and he blew the roof off the place.

[popeyewhite]

Meant to post this earlier. If you like Bonamassa you'll love this wailing, tortuous guitar work. Bit better than old Joe though

Melvin Taylor - Blue Jean Blues https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnttI7aEI0g

[seiben]

Some excellent suggestions - I'm going to be raiding Spotify later!

Robert Cray Band and John Lee Hooker are two particular favourites of mine.

Anyone mentioned Taj Mahal yet?

[cherryowen]

dandarez said:

Peter Green stuff

Without a doubt, one of the greatest British blues guitar players ever. Need Your Love So Bad is a perfect example of how to stretch the blues envelope to its limit, with unexpected chords and seamlessly mixing up minor and major pentatonic scales. It is a masterpiece.

I think it's unfair, though, to compare Green and Clapton.

Green had a touch and feel that was wonderful. Clapton had (and sometimes, still has) an ability to come out with incendiary solos like Hideaway, Have You Ever Loved a Woman, Have You Heard, and All My Love. Not to mention his work on Got To Get Better in a Little While with its quickfire triads and minor 9th chords.

One is not better than the other; just different, and equally enjoyable in the Blues genre.

[Funk]

Popa Chubby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW9G_9nZlSM

[BIRMA]

If you are into internet radio try 'Bar Rocking Blues' from Addicted to Radio at the home of the Blues in Chicago Illinois. There are the usual dreadful adverts but they play a very good cross section of real Rythmn and Blues.

[Stan the Bat]

cherryowen said:

dandarez said:

Peter Green stuff

Without a doubt, one of the greatest British blues guitar players ever. Need Your Love So Bad is a perfect example of how to stretch the blues envelope to its limit, with unexpected chords and seamlessly mixing up minor and major pentatonic scales. It is a masterpiece.

Love Greeny and that rendition.

[ST565NP]

Funk said:

Popa Chubby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW9G_9nZlSM

Great !!