So after playing guitar for 31 years I don't think I ever really listened to and actively tried to learn from the "original" blues players --- until I'd already been playing maybe 25 years or so
Kinda did it backwards - listened to my older brothers Black Sabbath / Led Zeppelin / Pink Floyd albums and emulated some of that
But it wasn't until I left Atlanta and started playing with some rural GA players -- that were all AT LEAST "very good" -- a few were truly Great Musicians......and they just were STEEPED in blues, you know?
Made me practice harder and finally start pulling up old blues musicians like classic literature
I listed to all the ones you can think of and tried to give some attention to anyone mentioned in rock bio's etc
Here are the ones that really stuck -- the classic blues players that, as far as I'm concerned, are at the top of the heap
Otis Rush
I believe he was considered part of the post WW2 "Chicago Sound" -- Otis continued playing long after that period and I always loved his phrasing.
His tone is a little more "stinging" than I like to play but it works for his bad, black ***.
Honestly, I don't know that anyone ever had a better blues VOICE either
Freddie King
(Best of the "Kings" IMO)
Freddie looked like a big *** offensive lineman playing his Gibson ES 235 (335?)
His voice sounded like it had more "gospel roots" to it than Otis and I do believe he was younger and came along a bit later......Freddie King is the total package with the voice, licks and groove with a kick *** backing band
-- here's one that I really didn't expect since he's mostly known to be a slide player (I'm not)
Elmore James
Pull up his version of "Rollin and Tumblin" sometime and play it back to back with Muddy Water's version
Muddy's sounds like classic delta blues - like something that would be in the Smithsonian showing us all an example of "Delta Blues"
(I realize Muddy wasn't really a Delta Blues sound -- but THAT SONG in his hands -- was)
Now put on Elmore -- here's a link
https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/...=92599c07177a7be95b4f6f0aec748889&action=view
DAMN -- it's like rock and roll and a Pentecostal Tent Revival paid a visit
Drum track gives it more life and the bass line walks the main melody
But his VOICE -- it's somehow younger, leaner, hungrier and more urgent
It's one of my top 3 blues tunes of all time
Elmore was considered the "master of the slide guitar" I believe but I listen to him for his FEEL
Check him out sometime
^^^ SO those are my MAIN GUYS that I can listen to all day^^^^^^^
There's so much good stuff out there though so here are the honorable mentions that are on the IPOD but don't quite stack up song after song IMO
1) Muddy Waters -- don't like his earliest stuff (heresy right?) -- "Crosseyed Cat" and "Champagne and Refer" are songs with humor that came later.....Muddy did have a great voice BUT you'll notice my top 3 guys are guitar players -- Muddy wasn't
2) Howling Wolf -- His voice was
untouchable (and sometimes a little ominous) --- but so powerful that I just can't sit and have more than 2 or 3 of Mr Burnett's tunes coming my way in one sitting......"Spoonful" and "Evil" are great tunes and you can almost smell the whiskey and brimstone in the room where that man belief it out
3)
Taj Mahal ---- even if it's only for ONE SONG -- "Caught the Kady" ......the arrangement builds nicely without having too much "paint on the canvas" and he had a style that was a bit different than all the others ---
I do believe he was from Harlem, NY as opposed to primary being southern men like the others
Others that are considered "great" that I sampled and just didn't like for one reason or another
BB King
Robert Johnson
John L Hooker (although his cameo on "The Blues Bros" was epic and too quick)
Lightning Hopkins
Little Walter
Albert King
^^ all great musicians --- but they don't give me the damn chills
I"m probably forgetting someone and will update later - may add some links too
kay:
