Category: Jam Session
So, how many blues fans do we have on the zone? My personal favorites are the classics. Most of today's blues revival doesn't do it for me. So here's a partial list.
First, the blind guys. Lol seriously, I know it seems ironic to put that first on the list on the zone, but back in those days there were quite a few blues artists that were reportedly blind, and made no secret of it: Blind Boy Fuller, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie McTell, and Blind Blake are the ones I know of, and like to listen to whenever I get in the mood to listen to the blues.
Other artists from that era I really enjoy are Billie Holiday (obvious choice), Henry Thomas, Curly Weaver, Bessie Smith/Lucille Bogan (there was actually a very funny story as to why she changed her name, and I'd like to see if anyone knows it), Tampa Red, Barbecue Bob, and others. Those are just the names that are coming to my head at the moment, names that have been in heavy rotation on Winamp for the past few days for me. I don't get in the mood to listen to this stuff often, but when I do it's a powerful experience. There is something about the simplicity of the music--often either just a guitar or piano backing the often repetitive lyrics--as well as the general fragility both of the recording quality and of the people themselves. Lots of these artists died young, whether of alcohol abuse or of as a result of the rough lives they lived, and it's easy to tell that just by listening to the music.
I don't actually own any blues records. I neither have the cash nor the time to invest in restoring old 78's. But it is a dream of mine someday to one day be able to do that. Mp3's suffice for now though.
So, post away. What do you all think of the blues?
ah man, robert johnson, sun huse, charlie pattern, blind willie johnson, those guys were beyond amazing. I have a couple of willie johnson 78s and the sound from the original disks just amazes me.
A few weeks ago a friend gave me a fair deal of the output on document records. There is so much good blues there i'm seriously conciddering starting some kind of radio station with it.
I'm a little more of an early jazz fan myself, that's what i collect, king oliver, johnny dodds, all those amaing washboard bands and in my travels i came accross a 78 of tamper red, not singing the blues but with a hocum jug band. My god, that is beautiful stuff! I also like a lot of the gospel from that time, especially rev. a.w nix, j.m gates, the early golden gate quartet stuff etc.
I absolutely love the blues.
I'm a big fan of the old chicago blues (muddy waters and the like).
The blues was what got me into playing guitar.
It was the first real musical style I grasped, and I still love to play it.
Nothing like a twelve bar jam with everybody taking a lead, got the harmonica going and the slide guitar.
Love it!
ah, it's all about elmore james, could listen to that slide for hours, and howlin wolf obviously. More a fan of the delta stuff myself but it's all great music.
Yep, I agree. When I was first taking guitar lessons, the blues was the first style I learned to play. And that Document Records stuff sounds great. What were some of the artists?
there are 4 volumes called rare country blues 1 through 4 on there, if you don't buy any other cds in the entire year get these! document records cds are actually very very cheep on their web site, i've bought a lot of them before but it's always nice to have digital copies.
here are some of the artists.
Beale Street Sheiks
frank stokes
Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe
William Harris & Buddy Boy Hawkins
Kokomo Arnold
Ishman Bracey
lots more, pm me or something if you want a full list or just to talk, or ask here
Sweet, I'll check the website out for sure. I thought that they would be expensive, but that's good to know they aren't. Do they offer digital downloads or just cd's?
Well, I do enjoy the blues although I only know of a handful of artists. I suppose I prefer more the electric Fifties and Sixties blues like Jimmy Reed and Howlin Wolf. I also enjoy a lot of British artists who were influenced by and took up the blues. Some of the Yardbirds material is like that although they did some psychedelic things too, and the original incarnation of Fleetwood Mac with Peter Greene. Good stuff that.
Oh yeah, Fleetwood Mac were great when they started out, although I also enjoy pretty much all their 70's material as well. Anything after that, not so much. While I do like some electric blues artists such as Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Howlin Wolf, that's in the minority of blues stuff I listen to. It doesn't have quite the same effect.
document do have stuff as digital downloads on emusic, but i'm a cd guy, personally and the remastering on those cds is nice, too. Just all round good guys.