Nov 262009
I am a 16 year old and I have a big passion for music. I am an avid performer on piano, vocals and harmonica. To kinda increase my music knowledge I have explored to roots and stuff. The only thing I really don’t know about is blues and what to listen to in order to understand basic 12 – bar blues and so on. Can you name any blues musicians other than B.B. King who were significant and their essential recordings I should listen to? Thank you very much!!
Go over to Allmusic.com the best place to find what you ar looking for. Then go to YouTube and put a face to the music.
Try “Smokestack Lightning” by Howlin’ Wolf, “Wang Dang Doodle” by Koko Taylor “All Blues” by almost any artist, ” Stormy Monday” and “The Gut Bucket Blues” by various artists. Try some record stores, maybe store that are jazz oriented and you may find some blues in there. A public radio station may also be a good source to learn more. “The Sermon” by Jimmy Smith is a heavily blues-influenced song; Jimmy Smith did do quite a few blues songs. He is known as “The King of the Hammond B3″ organ. Good luck. This art form, blues, is not as appreciated as others are, but it is by any means no less influential.
There’s really alot of stuff out there, difficult to narrow it down;but,I recommend the following;
Chess Blues (4 CD Set) Chess/MCA # CHD4-9340. Contains many of the greats in blues history (Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Lowell Fulson, Memphis Minnie, John Lee Hooker to name a few). As an avid piano and harmonica performer I believe you’ll enjoy hearing the harp playing of Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson and Howlin’ Wolf along with Otis Spann, Henry Gray and Sunnyland Slim on piano.
“Hoodoo Man Blues” Junior Wells – Delmark DD 612. Junior on harp and Buddy Guy on guitar, doesn’t get much better than this.
“Hound Dog Taylor and The Houserockers” Alligator CD 4701
(Wanna know what a rockin’ Chicago blues bar sounds like?)
Hope this helps.
You have been given many great suggestions. I recommend that you listen to Robert Johnson.
If music is a tree, he is one of the roots. Many of the people who have been suggested to you listened to, and were influenced by Robert Johnson.
It is very satisfying to know a young person is interested in Blues music. If you were to look at Mr. Charley Patton to start it would give you an idea what its all about. As I read your question I am listening to the much loved Taj Mahal. :^)
For the piano;
Memphis Slim ( Peter Chatman )
Self-titled album on MCA
Otis Spann
Album “Otis Spann’s Chicago Blues”
Professor Longhair ( Henry Roeland Byrd )
Album “Professor Longhair Anthology” on Rhino
For the harmonica;
Little Walter Jacobs
Album “The Essential Little Walter” on MCA
James Cotton
Album “High Compression” on Alligator
Charlie Musselwhite
Album “In My Time” on Alligator
I hope you find this short list helpfull.
“I’m A King Bee” by Slim Harpo
“Death Letter” by Son House
“Easy” by Big Walter Horton
“Poor Black Mattie” by R.L. Burnside
“I’m Ready” by Muddy Waters
“All Of Your Love” by Magic Sam
“Done Got Old” by Junior Kimbrough
“Burning Hell” by John Lee Hooker
“Too Much Alcohol” by J.B. Hutto
“Boogie Disease” by Dr. Isaiah Ross
I think you should check out Muddy Waters, if you had to pick one guy. So many of the later rock icons were influenced by his music. If you have time… Stevie Ray Vaughn, Otis Redding, Etta James, Bobby Bland.
Since yoy like Harmonica music, try Little Walter, Charlie Musselwhite and Sonny Boy Williamson. There are actually two of them, I prefer the second aka Rice Miller.
Stevie Ray Vaughn is a great one!
I also have a passion for the blues!
I play the guitar.
Hi young man. It’s great that you are feeling interested in the blues.
About your question, B.B. King is perhaps the most known, but there are other great blues musician. If you’re looking for electric guitarists, which is known as Chicago blues, I can quote the following masters:
John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Albert King. Those are the true great and widely known inside the blues scenario, so I suggest you start listening to them.
But, many years ago, before the electric guitar was widely used, there was the Delta Blues, called like that because it originated in the poor area of Mississippi Delta, southern US. That kind of blues greatly influenced other blues, like Chicago Blues, Texas Blues and much more. True Delta Blues masters can be quoted:
Robert Johnson, Scrapper Blackwell, Charley Patton, Son House, Willie Brown, Leadbelly. Again, those are the most famous, but there are several of them.
For more info on those artists, you can try and visit http://steadyrollinblog.wordpress.com/2009/04/02/4-extremely-important-bluesman/ , a blog post about important bluesman, their biographies, and how they contributed to blues itself. Check tune into http://www.bluesradio.co.uk/playing.html to listen to the artists I’ve quoted, and many, many more.
Thanks, good day.
Listen to the Doors man, not only are the great as a blues influence, but in ever way possible.