Blues suggestions

You could try Elmore James. To Know a Man on Blue Horizon label.

Savoy Brown Blues Band. Any of their albums up to and including Hellbound Train released in 1972 are worth a listen.

John Mayall - Laurel Canyon and Bare Wires are both excellent.

Few to get you started.

Just saw our PBS station American Masters an hour on BB King, I remember he hit popular radio back east in late 60s.  He was the master tho he never admitted to it.  Kept saying he had a sound in his head he could never reach.  He learned from the masters and knew the hard life. He travels and played beyond anyone else. One year he played 365days.  It was a manager that started booking him into the college circuit that the crowds were so taken with him and then it became the big auditoriums.  Charming man, smiling all the way 

I suspect you might be looking for deeper, rootier stuff, but if you appreciate a little rock influence to your blues Jimi patently kicks ass on this compilation aptly entitled "Blues".

I first got into Blues after hearing "Smokestack Lightnin'" by Howling Wolf on a well known American beer advert. Hate the product but loved the music. I'll also add Bessie Smith as probably my two favourites.

What sort of blues are you wanting to listen to?

Philip Walker - "Working Girl Blues" is fun. John Lee Hooker - "Boom Boom" is good. Howlin Wolf, Elmore James, Sonny Boy Williamson, Freddy King, T-Bone Walker are all worth seeking out.

Rory Gallagher and Albert King for rocky blues. 

I don't think that you can go far wrong with the likes of:

BB King; Buddy Guy; Albert King; Luther Allison; Albert Collins; Eddie Taylor; RL Burnside; Howlin' Wolf; Ian Siegal; Otis Rush; Robert Cray; Stevie Ray Vaughan; ZZ Hill.

There are loads more that you can find on Tidal/Spotify, etc. but maybe try getting hold of a blues compilation CD so you can get a sample of a few artists such as 

You have asked a massive question as there is a huge variety of American blues music from the 1920s onwards - as you can see from the answers so far. It might help if you post an idea of what you have been listening to and what you have liked. For example, if you really want to listen to the history of American blues, then the likes of John Mayall are not strictly relevant - try looking for general compilations that include country blues and the classic women singers like Bessie Smith. On the other hand if you want to hear amplified blues and the migration of that style into rock, then you need to start with Chess Chicago blues (Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, etc) and move on from there.

There have been threads on the Steve Hoffman forums that might help - try a search on Hoffman help-need-blues-essentials.

Clive

a few years ago Martin Scorsese did a multi disc dvd series on the blues and its many varieties. It had all the key people and key types included. It may be worth looking at it to just start to get a map of where and who people are. Then you can explore and get from BB King to Clarence Gatemouth Brown and Robert Johnson to Joe Bonamassa via all sorts of fab and wonderful people. And watch out for what the Honourable Ewemon of this parish may be listening to as well. 

james

From a great artist who died before his time (although got lucky with early recognition). Mixes soul and blues.

A more recent release .

http://youtu.be/hEnZEkThMZ8

http://youtu.be/OciGRpwJfkI

Kind of obvious but B.B King, Howling Wolf and Muddy Waters would be where I'd start. Robert Johnson is also well worth a listen of course, but the sound quality is pretty primitive. Buddy Guy is OK, but a bit "Grammy" if you get what I mean. Kind of like listening to Norah Jones to get into Jazz. 

Perhaps on the edges of blues, we also like Joe Bonamassa and Jeff Beck. Stevie Ray Vaughan, of course. The Winter brothers are also worth a listen.

Thank you all for the suggestions. Keep them coming. There is some new artist, to me, to check out in the coming days. That's really what I'm looking for. Like I said I know a little. I've always had blues around me growing up but I'm wanting to get deeper into it as get older. Love the guitar but also like good lyrics, stories and cool voices. I know it's a large genre so just looking for some favorites of others to get me going in new directions. Thanks again. 

An easy way in is with a non wallet busting box set : "The Perfect Blues Collection Box Set"  http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004J3QACQ  

I've personally found blues a harder genre to get into than jazz.

winkyincanada posted:

Kind of obvious but B.B King, Howling Wolf and Muddy Waters would be where I'd start. Robert Johnson is also well worth a listen of course, but the sound quality is pretty primitive. Buddy Guy is OK, but a bit "Grammy" if you get what I mean. Kind of like listening to Norah Jones to get into Jazz. 

Perhaps on the edges of blues, we also like Joe Bonamassa and Jeff Beck. Stevie Ray Vaughan, of course. The Winter brothers are also worth a listen.

Sorry but I don't agree with some of this. The Robert Johnson sound quality is actually very good compared with many early blues reissues which come from 78s. This is the most recent RJ reissue (Centennial edition) and has stunning SQ:

And Buddy Guy being a bit 'Grammy'! He is arguably the most influential genuine electric blues guitarist still alive - ask Eric Clapton! His more recent CDs may be more in the rock/blues style but try his older material, like this: 

Or a Chess compilation - he of course played guitar on Chess sessions with the likes of Muddy Waters. This is the one I have, but I see it is expensive now on Amazon:

This is an intense live recording of one of the Chess titles, 'First Time I met the Blues':

And if you want two for the price of one, try this classic album, issued at around the same time as the Magic Sam suggested above (which I agree is excellent)

Clive

If you ever have any Robert Johnson on vinyl, you need to slow the speed down by 8 % as most of his early recordings have been cut too fast  .

He's already been mentioned by several folks as a classic Chicago electric blues artist, but for something a little different, here he is playing some of his repertoire acoustically, accompanied by Buddy Guy on second guitar, Willie Dixon on bass, and Clifton James on drums..................a cracking album!

Many good suggestions above (Joe Rand, I ordered that Hendrix CD already) - and I would also like to give some props to Albert Collins; the "Master of the Telecaster."

And with the Buddy Guy stuff, I agree with Winky - just stick with his older releases for a more authentic product.

A good introduction would be Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green era). It's not as raw as the real blues men and helped me to explore the F Mac influences once I became familiar with the different genres. "The Pious Bird of Good Omen" was my way in.

For BB King recordings, Clapton said BB King - Live at the Regal was one of the recordings that inspired him

And of course, BB King often said that Peter Green (early Fleetwood Mac) is one of the very few guitarists who could make him cry (in a good way!)

If you would like a more modern, slightly more refined take on acoustic Blues, then I'd recommend any of the following:

Eric Bibb, Keb' Mo' or Guy Davis, or possibly even Rory Block. 

I found the Martin Scorsese documentary and box set an invaluable education.  Led me on to some real gems.  Ive got to give a mention to Mississippi John Hurt  great picker with a great story behind his discovery.  His album Today is regularly on my system along with others. Sounds sublime.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Today-...ississippi+john+hurt

Hellhound on my trail - the songs of Robert Johnson is another personal fave but there is so much! J.B. Lenoir, blind blake, blind willie johnson. some fine pickers and many sub genres which is why i found the box set so interesting.  Enjoy, you have a great journey ahead of you.

http://youtu.be/NyEmry7oJfs