Hi everyone,
I’m fairly new to the blues genre and would like to ask for some recommendations here. I love Jimi Hendrix’s “Red House”, as well as that 12 bar blues bit in Vanilla Fudges’ “Break Song”. I’m looking for more similar music. Something with a powerful guitar would be nice, Hammond organ is also a big plus. Heck let me know if you know of any nice bluesey Hammond Organ albums too.
Thanks!
Stevie Ray Vaughn should fit the bill, for powerful blues guitar anyway.
Ok I just found something else that fits the bill.. I didn’t know there were Hendrix blues compilation albums.
http://www.amazon.com/Blues-Jimi-Hendrix/dp/B000002OSK/ref=cm_lmf_tit_18/105-9327850-5250846
http://www.amazon.com/Martin-Scorsese-Presents-Blues-Hendrix/dp/B0000A0VA4
Try Eric Clapton’s “From the Cradle” - a good mix of classic blues tunes and styles. It’s one of my favorites. And I agree with the previously mentioned suggestions too. Good stuff there. I’ve been a fan of Hendrix since day one.
But, don’t limit yourself to just, what I would call, modern blues-
Check out folkstreams.net for some good films on “the blues”.
Google for examples of originals like Son House, Robert Johnson, Blind Willie Johnson, Howlin’ Wolf, Big Momma Thornton, etc. move on up to B.B. King, Buddy Guy etc. You can find a surprising number on youtube.
There’s lots of different styles within the style.
Right now I’m working on St. Louis Blues (on joanna piano) . Lot’s of fun! Gotta get the blues and gotta love 'em.
I don’t really listen to the blues, but I do have a Skip James cd because the way he played guitar fascinates me. It’s more kind of country-blues than what you normally think of as the blues, but it’s good stuff.
Here’s an old video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytVww5r4Nk0
Muddy Waters
BB King
Albert Collins
Fabulous Thunderbirds
Big Bill Broonzy
Johnny Winter
Freddie King
Howlin’ Wolf
John Lee Hooker
Bonnie Raitt
Little Milton
Sonny Boy Williamson
Albert King
Buddy Guy
Sonny Terry
Luther Allison
Life’s too short to explore it all…
Red House is great.
Stevie Ray Vaughan was brilliant, despite the Hendrix tribute fixation…
I’m not much as much a pure blues person, I’m much more fond of rock that’s heavily rooted in the blues. My favorite blues albums:
Willie Dixon, “I am the blues”
John Lee Hooker, “Live at the Cafe a Gogo”
A Big Momma Thornton album that I can’t remember the name of
Robert Johnson, “King of the Delta blues singers” (May not be what you’re looking for)
I’ll just suggest a few Hammond organ ideas. Early Jimmy Smith is all great but his Live at Small’s Paradise is really turbo-charged. There was a whole genre in the 60s of organ/guitar/drums trios which sometimes added a tenor sax. They were very groove-based; they weren’t trying to produce ground-breaking jazz, just swinging, foot-tapping, bluesy music. The guitar players are all bluesy in a jazzy way and not a rock way but if that isn’t a turn off there’s a lot to enjoy. Favourites of mine in this genre are Jack McDuff and Big John Patton but Freddie Roach, Shirley Scott and Jimmy McGriff all made good albums. There used to be a great sampler from Patton’s albums available but I’m not sure if you can still get it.
In more of a rock vein, the Brian Auger Trinity with Julie Driscoll made Streetnoise which is a great example of organ jazz gone rocky. You might also enjoy albums by Colloseum and the Graham Bond Organisation which featured the young Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. Bond was perhaps the best Hammond player in rock—you can get his studio albums as a twofer—from memory they are called The Sound of '65 and There’s a Bond Between Us.
When you’re ready for organ jazz that is beyond the bluesy—there isn’t much of it—Larry Young’s Unity is probably the greatest Hammond album ever made but one of a kind. Well, perhaps not quite one of a kind. Young teamed up with Jack Bruce and John McLaughlin in Tony Williams’ Lifetime and made the most raucus organ/guitar music ever made.
Great post, Wombat. Such memories! Tonight I dig out my old vinyl!