BBC4 tonight at 12.25am Blues Britannia 

Can Blue Men Play the Whites Documentry

For those looking for contemporary blues performers, Tedeschi Trucks Band are worth a listen.

I tend to get stuck on particular Blues albums & play them a zillion times. Currently enjoying Nice & Warm, from a master of the Thinline.

And this energetic Strat player. Great spare, punchy sound on this disc, just the way I like it.

Surprised that so far nobody's mentioned this...

Or indeed this, which must have inspired thousands in the Dartford and Surrey deltas...

And this also from Muddy Waters.

This is so good on the AP 45rpm. Better than the original I own.

This thread has kind of lost it's way. We're really only listing our favourite albums and not discussing  what, to me, is one of the most important musical forms and certainly was the root of modern music.  If music is important to you you have to engage with it on an emotional level. You have to feel the emotion, and emotion is what the blues is all about.

I think the problem is that the field is so vast it is difficult to know where to start. Do we talk about the origins and history of the Blues or one of the many forms of blues that subsequently developed? Should we simply split it into Country and Urban blues? But then we would be missing out on many of the other blues forms. Do we include Jazz that developed basically from boogie-woogie, jump blues and bebop? The same would go for Soul music. Then there is the influence of the British blues explosion which resulted, finally, in recognition of the black blues artists within their own country. We could also discuss the merits and output of the various blues record companies like Chess, Arhoolie, Excello, Testament, Blue Horizon etc.

Maybe we could just use this thread to highlight some of our favourite blues albums and for any more in depth discussion maybe we should start a new thread devoted to a more specific area of the blues.

Steve

Willie Dixon is the godfather of Chicago Blues and was possibly more influential than Muddy Waters. His songwriting was exemplary. Just look at the songs on this one LP. How many have been covered by the likes of the Doors, Led Zep and the Stones? He was the arranger at Chess, bringing together the various artists for recording. He was also a mean double bass player.

Can you actually say why you like any particular piece of music ?

I certainly can't, any more than I can say why I don't  certain artists/tracks/albums. 

I do know there are certain pieces that bring me to tears, or immediately make stop and listen when on the radio or what ever.

It seems obvious to me at least that some probably chemical reaction is taking place.

Lyrics can't be the answer , because instrumentals can bring on the same "symptoms".

Blues does seem to have some fundamental essence, with regard non classical music.

Still if this "element" can be distilled we could spray it in music shops and sell any old rubbish and make a fortune...........hang on hasn't that already been done?

You're right Howard. Sometimes it's difficult to say why, you just know. Blues is very visceral, not only by the nature, and sometimes the origin, of the lyrics but also by construct of the music.

In the words of Little Walter it's 'Blues With a Feeling'. 

Steve

I'm currently playing this extremely rare LP by Lightnin' Hopkins recorded in Texas 1959 specifically for Dobells Jazz Record Shop in Charing Cross Road London. Only 99 copies were pressed. It's just Lightnin' and his guitar and must have been the first Blues album specifically recorded for the British market. There is a track called Blues For Queen Elizabeth! The pressing isn't brilliant but it kind of adds to the atmosphere.

Steve

Steve

I doubt such a thread would go very far. The only participants would be fellow blues aficionados, the the last thing an aficionado appreciates is being told something he doesn't know.

On this and similar threads some people seem to place great importance on the fact an artist was "influential". I don't actually see the point in suggesting listening to an artist because they where influential, surely suggestions should be based on the fact the artist is good and worth listening too. Influential doesn't  equal good.

Fatcat,

Willie Dixon was influential and good. Listen to the album above and you'll see. That is if you like Chicago blues.

I tend to like ALL genres of music, but like and dislike artists within each genre. Listened to five Willie Dixon tracks on Youtube and your right he is good, I did like them.

With regards to being influential. I can hear that others have copied his music and style, but to honest I don't actually like  zeppelin or the stones attempt at producing this style of music. Although I do like Creams version of spoonful.

Robert Cray is an artist who has covered a pretty wide range of musical styles within and perhaps beyond the boundaries of the blues and he can easily be dismissed as "Mr Smooth".

You can't argue with his guitar playing though and in this album he produced one of my favourite blues records of the last 30 years.

Olly

I'm in a Country Blues mood this morning and these are two fine albums from my Blue Horizon vinyl collection.

Steve

60s British Blues from Van the Man. 

The "Angry" Young Them! Decca 'Mono' Vinyl.

Reissued Vinyl (Originally released in 1967 by Bang Records)

G 

Now this one is special. A beautiful quality recording and acoustic guitar country blues.

Hard, and expensive, to find on vinyl. I don't think it's been issued on CD or reissued on vinyl.

This was a Blue Horizon issue of the US Fire LP. Includes 'That's Alright Mama'. My copy is in far better condition than the picture above.

Hi Dr Blues,

This is all good. Its like having a personal look around your fabulous Blues collection. Thank you very much

G

Now it's time for some electric Urban Blues.

The title describes it as it is.

You sure it isn't post pancreatic, urban, Pre-Raphaelite , scratch, blues? 

Bloody ridiculous genres, Blues, Rock , Jazz, Folk, Male, Female, Instrumental, Classical and maybe World should cover most albums. 

You're very cynical today Howard. 

Where would you put Prog? Maybe Rock shouldn't be called Rock and should just be Blues, from where it originated. There are more genres of Rock music than Blues and the Blues genres have more history behind them. I have seen you post about AOR groups. Isn't AOR a sub genre? 

Mellow out man. You've obviously eaten too many Easter eggs. 

One of my favourite blues singers.