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Posted

There are all kinds of blues. I mostly like blues with a very good blues guitar player. I’ll give you some options here. You can listen to the samples and decide what you like. All of the choices below are only my humble personal opinion. Someone else might not like them and that’s fine. It’s all a matter of what sounds good to you.

 

A fine place to start is with the Bluesbreakers album. This is Eric Clapton with John Mayall. The bass player is John McVie. Once they were done with this group, Clapton formed Cream and McVie became a part of Fleetwood Mac. This is the album where Clapton set the standard he had to live up to in the future. His playing on Hideaway is a masterpiece.

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=glance&s=music

 

There are at least three Kings in the blues. Most people have heard of BB King (The Thrill is Gone). My favorite King is Albert King. The other one I like is Freddie King. Here are a couple of choices for Albert King:

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=glance&s=music Try tracks 1,3,5,7,8

 

Albert King Live:

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=glance&s=music

 

When Albert King connected with Stax Records in Memphis he really did his best work. He basically had Booker T and the MGs as his back-up band. He’s a trip.

 

For a different flavor, you could try Freddie King:

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=glance&s=music He did a hell of a version of Don Nix’s “Goin’ Down”. Jeff Beck does a great job on that song too.

 

If you like a bit of jazz mixed in with the blues, you could try this recent release from Larry Carlton. Larry is a jazz player. He made a name for himself with the Jazz Crusaders (Put it where you want it) and he did a lot of great solo work with Steely Dan. Listen to a few of these tracks and see if you like his style:

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=glance&s=music

 

One of the very best that ever existed has to be Muddy Waters. He isn’t a guitar slinger like the guys above are known for. As a matter of fact his solos are unique expressions of joy more than anything else. I love the way he sings. Try the songs “The Same Thing” and “Rollin’ and Tumblin’”see what you think. The Rolling Stones worshiped him and names their band after one of his songs.

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=glance&s=music

 

If you like some humor mixed with the blues (and you love dogs) you could try Dog Party by Scott Henderson. This man can play.

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=glance&s=music

 

I know I left a lot of names off of this list like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robert Johnson. I totally admire Vaughan because he took the time and energy to take the playing style of Albert King to the masses. It is hard as hell to play like Albert King and SRV did an awesome job of getting it down.

 

Albert played a Gibson Flying V named Lucy left handed, with the strings upside down. Then he tuned it to an open chord and strung the guitar about two and a half steps lower than a normal guitar so he could bend the strings like they were rubber bands. I saw him a few times live. The best time was at Jerry Reed’s Golden Bear Club in Huntington Beach, Ca in 1979. He was in the top of his form and for what seemed like an older guy to me at the time, he played loud as hell. He just kept turning it up between songs when he wasn’t yelling at his band to play better. Albert was a mechanic, then a bulldozer driver, then and a drummer for Jimmy Reed before he picked up Lucy. He had to play the blues because after all, he was Born Under a Bad Sign.

 

That’s my little bit on the blues for now. Write me @ gregory.nikiel@bearingpoint.com if you’d like to discuss the above or get more recommendations.

 

Enjoy !

Posted

Thanks for taking the time out for the suggestions! I added a bunch to my Amazon wish list. You might be interested in this:

 

http://www.kingstonmines.com/flash/main.html

 

Kingston Mines has live broadcasts from 10-midnight every Thursday night.

 

Definately check out that link- its continuous Blues from previous live performances at Kingston Mines- awesome!

Posted

"I was born to sing a good-time song, You know that nothin' used to bring me down; 'Til the day I fell in love with you,--- And baby, that's the day---I found

You had me singin' the blues, --- Singin' the blues, ------But a good time man like me ain't got no bus'ness singin' the blues..."

 

Jim Croce

 

Applicable to any BILLS fan. :lol:

Posted

Nice list.

 

I like the blues a lot also. One blues band that is overrated and underrated at the same time is The Moody Blues.

 

Nights in White Satin is a good blues tune but does lack the signature guitar of your favorite style of blues.

Posted

Nights in white satin, never reaching the end,

Letters I've written, never meaning to send.

Beauty I'd always missed, with these eyes before,

Just what the truth is, I can't say anymore.

 

 

I'll tell you what. These are some down and out blues lyrics. This guy is beyond hurtin'. His bunions is killin him.

 

Today ... the band changed its name to The Moody Booty Blues.

Posted
Nice list.

 

I like the blues a lot also.  One blues band that is overrated and underrated at the same time is The Moody Blues. 

 

Nights in White Satin is a good blues tune but does lack the signature guitar of your favorite style of blues.

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It's funny you mention the Moody's as they started out as a Kinks-esque kind of English R&B. The difference between Go Now (their first album) and Days of Future Passed is staggering.

Posted

"Nobody loves me, but my Mother. And she could be jivin', too!"

 

"They call it stormy Monday, but Tuesday's just as bad...."

 

My favorite blues artist is Bobby Bland.

Posted
"Nobody loves me, but my Mother. And she could be jivin', too!"

 

"They call it stormy Monday, but Tuesday's just as bad...."

 

My favorite blues artist is Bobby Bland.

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Excellent"

 

How 'bout

 

"I don't care what the people are thinkin'

I ain't drunk, I'm just drinkin'"

 

-Albert Collins

Posted
Excellent"

 

How 'bout

 

"I don't care what the people are thinkin'

I ain't drunk, I'm just drinkin'"

 

-Albert Collins

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We used to have a lot of fun playing that one. Another classic from Albert Collins (one of three songs we used to let our bass player sing): "Brick baby, that's what I'm gonna throw upside your head." :lol: All tongue-in-cheek really. His wife, Gwen, helped write many of his songs (though not that one, but she did write the classic "Master Charge") and was very active in encouraging him. Actually, thinking about Albert brings up a great album with him Johnny Copeland and Robert Cray called Showdown.

Posted
I dig Paul Butterfield's Blues Band, and following that, anything by Mike Bloomfield...

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East-West is my favorite. Bloomfield was an underrated blues great.

Posted
Excellent"

 

How 'bout

 

"I don't care what the people are thinkin'

I ain't drunk, I'm just drinkin'"

 

-Albert Collins

494492[/snapback]

 

~ or ~

 

You see me walkin’ as I pass you by

Don’t talk about me ’cause I could be high

Just forgive me

If you will

 

I live the life I love

And I love the life I live

 

Just let the door knob hit you

Where the dog shoulda bit you

 

(Willie Dixon)

Posted
East-West is my favorite.  Bloomfield was an underrated blues great.

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I agree Bloomfield was great. If you don't have it pick up the CD " The essential Mike Bloomfield" great CD.
Posted
I agree Bloomfield was great. If you don't have it pick up the CD " The essential Mike Bloomfield" great CD.

496092[/snapback]

 

 

I've got a pair of these studio albums Bloomfield did for Limelight? records. One is called Root of Blues, the other Root of Gospel. They are awesome, you can pick either up for about $6 bucks. That is if you can find em...

Posted
If you like humor with your blues check out  Chick Willis " Stoop down Baby"

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If you really want to go off the deep end, there's always Screamin' Jay Hawkins. His one "hit" ("I Put a Spell On You") was probably about the only song of his they would play on the radio. He was whacked too, would enter the stage to sing his signature tune while stepping out of a coffin...

 

If you're adventurous, check out his "Consipation Blues" sometime....don't say I didn't warn ya! :ph34r:

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