Born from the pain of slavery, the blues is the single most important musical genre in American music. The blues gave birth to Jazz, Soul and Rock 'n Roll. Its finest artists inspired many of the great British artists of the sixties and without it there would be no rock, R&B or indie.
I discovered the blues by tracing the origins of the artists like the Rolling Stones. What was revealed to me was music so rich in emotion that I couldn't help but be captivated. So let's go on a short trip to the Mississippi Delta and beyond.
Robert Johnson - Crossroad Blues The legend of Johnson meeting the devil at the crossroads to sell his soul is surely one of the greatest in all of music. As the story goes, Robert Johnson was a poor exponent of the blues until that fateful meeting. When he returned to the circuit he was a guitar virtuoso, an emotive singer and was the new king of the delta blues. The song's a perfect example of the raw sound of those original blues men.
Elmore James - Dust My Broom Producer and consumer of moonshine whisky, Elmore James had the colourful life that made for a great blues man. 'Dust My Broom' is the typical subject matter for blues singers, a cheating woman.
John Lee Hooker - Boom Boom John Lee Hooker's staccato style of delivery is distinctive and unique in the blues. In 'Boom Boom' he tells a girl that he's going to knock her off her feet and take her home by the sheer power of his personality.
Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy The main inspiration for the Rolling Stones, Muddy Waters is one of the very best blues artists. The lyric of this song includes the line 'I'm a rollin' stone'. This is about as good as the blues gets.
Bessie Smith - Me And My Gin Bessie Smith is one of the all-time great singers and was a huge influence on a number of jazz artists who followed her. In this song she covers a popular subject for the blues, alcohol. She plaintively tells anyone who will listen that 'any bootlegger sure is a pal of mine.'
Howlin' Wolf - Smokestack Lightning A giant of a man with a powerful voice, Howlin' Wolf was another huge hero of British acts like The Animals and The Faces. This song with its hypnotic rhythm of passing train is his finest work.
Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup - That's Alright Mama The fact the first song that Elvis Presley released was a cover of this song speaks volumes about his influence of 'Big Boy'. Crudup was one of the black artists that helped to create Presley's style.
Sonny Boy Williamson - Don't Start Me Talkin' He was one of the best harmonica players of his generation and also a fine singer. In this song he comes across as the town gossip as he regales us with tales of infidelity, violence and scandal.
B.B. King - The Thrill Is Gone Riley 'Blues Boy' King is possibly the most famous bluesman on the planet. Now well into his eighties he still loves to strap on his old guitar 'Lucille' and play for audiences. His distinctive way of bending a guitar string and mellow voice have made him popular with artists such as Eric Clapton and U2.
The end of another list that was way too short, I could probably have created a top 100 of my favourite blues songs. I hope I've inspired you to discover the blues for yourself or if like me, you're already a fan then I hope you will be pressing play on your favourite blues tracks again.
My next musical blog will be about another of the blues children, the classic soul of the 1960's.
You can listen to my Blues Top Ten if you are a Spotify subscriber.
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