| Sorry if this a rehash of an old subject, but the search engine at the bottom of the page doesn't work very well, (I typed in "blues" and only got two hits; and neither one of them was the recent posting about Clapton's take on Robert Johnson. I KNOW the term "Delta Blues" was used in that thread!).
Anyhow, what are your favorite blues artists and why? I've got too many to name them all, but here's a short list:
Robert Johnson - (of course!) The first time my buddy stuck an R.J. cassette in my car deck, (way back when), I was like, What is this garbage?. But, my friend patiently asked me to give it a couple minutes. By the time the first song was thru I was hooked for life... My first real exposure to the blues.
Big Bill Broonzy - (the early stuff, e.g. Horny Frog, Long Tall Mama). A lot of jazzy stuff in this era. Gotta love them well placed horns and piano bits.
Lightnin' Hopkins - Jake Head Boogie and Mojo Hand in all their rough glory!
John Lee Hooker - Especially the Boogie Chillun, Queen Bee, Dimples era.
Mississippi Fred McDowell - He said, "I don't play no rock n roll", but man he rocked better than most rock bands!
Who could forget the 4 W's from the Chicago Blues scene:
Walters, Little - How many blues bands have stolen his "harp" techniques?
Waters, Muddy - As my friend calls him, "The Voice of God"
Williamson, Sonny Boy (Rice Miller) - With Robert Lockwood Jr's understated guitar and Rice's emotional wailing... (I think I'm going to cry). The original Sonny Boy was no slouch either...
Wolf, Howling (Chester Burnett) Just how many rock groups covered his catelog? (actually mostly written by Wille Dixon)
And for white guys, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and Rory Gallagher were pretty down wit it!
And don't worry... I'm still sampling the psychedelic music you folks have so kindly suggested...
Thanks!
Mike
| 
