I would have include Bukka White, but thats just my personnal taste. Add Arhoolie Records: Sonny Boy Williamson II King Biscuit Time and Big Mama Thornton In Europe, Add: Chess Records Drop Down Mama (Nighthawk, Shines, Edwards, Jones, etc) and Elmore James/John Brim Whose Muddy Shoes?. Though the LP garnered mixed critical reviews, From The Cradle topped the US and UK album charts and also triumphed at the 1995 Grammy Awards in the Best Traditional Blues Album category. Anyway: thanks for your comment! Other highlights were Cuttin In, a chugging beat ballad with strings and the skipping R&B-flavored Broke & Lonely, where Watsons assured vocals are punctuated by dancing horns. I wish it was more than 100. Muddy Waters and Johnny Winter - Hard Again Incredible! so excited. Burnside's follow-up to his 1998 breakout album Come On In, Wish I Was In Heaven is a return to his earlier, roots-based Mississippi Hill Country blues sound. What about all the albums He produced on the Blue Sky label performing with Muddy Waters? Its AWESOME! for Seymour Solomons Vanguard label but his expressive falsetto voice, underpinned by gently undulating guitar filigrees, sounded better than ever. More significantly, the exotic 13-minute title song defined by extended improvisational passages over a mesmeric, open-ended groove lit the touchpaper for both acid and west coast rock. What about The Groundhogs? Fords guitar playing steeped in the blues lexicon but augmented by rock power and jazz harmonic sophistication is unimpeachable on a 12-song selection that includes a slow, sizzling version of Etta James I Just Want To Make Love To You.. Bad History Month - Old Blues The ambition behind Bad History Month's second album Old Blues is apparent from its first track, the 13-minute "Waste Not," an epic, continuously evolving piece of music that feels like four different songs in one. Despite being a compilation drawn from various late 50s sessions, T-Bone Blues had a unity of sound and intent that made it appear a coherent work. Albums were ranked according to their Metascore, which represents an aggregation of critic reviews. B. He has every right to a place on this list. Key Track: Gangster Of Love, Born in Fargo, North Dakota, of Norwegian descent, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter/guitarist Lang took his debut album Lie To Me into the Top 50 US albums chart at the tender age of sixteen. Spot on Harmonica Slim..with you all the way ! Eric Bibb ??? A double live album, Irish Tour 74 offers a vivid portrait of Gallaghers magnetic on-stage performances. However, lets not forget the blues was all but forgotten until musicians like Eric, Duane, Mick and Keith among others revived the genre. If so, one without open mindedness and compassion I would bet. ric ya damn skippy! He was born Aleck Ford in Mississippi and then took the name Rice Miller before morphing into Sonny Boy Williamson. The Charles Ford Band - The Charles Ford Band-(with Robbin Ford at his best) Amazing! Hurt possessed a distinctive singing voice: a light, airy, high tenor, which he underpinned with a delicate but rhythmically fluent fingerstyle guitar accompaniment. Born in Harlem and raised in Massachusetts, Mahal (real name Henry Saint Clair Fredericks) is a singer, guitarist and blues harp player who performed with a California-based band called Rising Sons with Ry Cooder before signing a solo deal with Columbia in 1967. I bought it, of course, and we went back to my place and played it several times. I like Leslie West. Tom Waits Orphans: Brawlers, (as you see, i like the movies of Jim Jarmusch ! Glad folks mentioned Duster Bennett and Rod Piazza, Gravetes, and Alex Koris. guess they assume its soul or r and b, but his early stuff was straight blues. Inventingthen immediately perfectingthe triumphant, breezy, bigger-than-rap mythology that Jay's wrapped himself in ever. Toler Bros Toler Brothers [1] [2] The album will be Raye's first project following her 2021 separation from Polydor Records. George Thorogood & The Destroyers self titled debut (1977) And I applaud you for alphabetical as opposed to a merit ranking. And everyone has their own opinion and thats great. Its always nice to read contemporary opinions of new poles but the affection adios would surely out number you nominal listing and statistically disagree with this list posted in the idem.. Music has always played a role in helping to define cultural moments throughout history. Bomba Estreo, 'Deja' The Colombian duo Bomba Estreo released "Deja" as a series of EPs tied to the ancient elements: water, air, fire, earth.. Also, no Lonnie Mack. there is: the blues of Jimi Hendrix. The pioneering multi-racial quintet formed in 1963 and two years later released its self-titled debut, which consisted of original material alongside the groups turbo-charged interpretations of songs by Elmore James, Little Walter, Muddy Waters, and Willie Dixon. Texas Flood is the first album from the blues master, and one of the most important and influential. Will probably be one of 2023's best albums. Magic Slim The essential Saw him in Sydney, early 1980s from memory in a club in Balmain & he was incredible !!! Consisting of just voice and guitar, the LP captured the visceral intensity of Hopkins performances via tracks such as the mournful Penitentiary Blues and livelier boogie-style Come Go Home With Me., Slims real name, Otis Hicks, just doesnt have the same ring as his electrified stage moniker. Add: Testament Records Modern Chicago Blues.. In SF I met a girl from The Netherlands in maybe 70 or 71. Especially leadbelly. Hes another haunting, beautiful player who might not have come to your attention yet. By channelling the straight-talking soulfulness of Etta James and the no-nonsense imperiousness of Big Mama Thornton, Copeland forged her own declamatory style and showed that she could handle slow ballads and uptempo material with equal aplomb. Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin Wolf, Freddy King, BB King. Im checking him out at a small venue this August. The songs on the album loosely follow the story of Yoshimi as she (surprise, surprise) battles the pink robots. And I didnt know people were so mixed on Bonamasa. He actually did make the list, but only for one album? In fact, well shall never know who the truest bluesmakers were or where they came from. Jack Bruce. Missing: TODAY! If anyone can recommend artist like these players, thatd be cool too. John Lee Hooker Jr. Live at Soledad Prison. It showed Cray giving blues a modern makeover without sacrificing the musics traditional inner essence and confirmed his direct lineal descendent from legendary blues figures like Muddy Waters and Albert Collins. Possessing a voice that the LPs liner notes liken to gravel through a swamp, Taylor dishes up eleven tunes co-produced by and featuring the eloquent fingerboard work of guitarist Mighty Joe Young. New Orleans Piano Professor is a scintillating solo piano recital recorded in his hometown a year before his death. with Dutch band Living Blues. I am thinking that udiscovermusic is not living up to its name but being arrogant in essentially pushing the idea that blues is English-American. Key Track: Truckin My Blues Away, An influential purveyor of Piedmont blues who was blind from early childhood and famed for his fluid finger-picking style, South Carolina-born Davis was 64 when he recorded this seminal album in 1960 at the dawn of a folk revival. Check out Wild-Child Butler. As been noted, I cant see any list not including some Hendrix or Buchanan to be definitive, though this is subjective at best. Blues. Willie Dixon I am the Blues I LOVE it ALL. you cant win with a list like this . This anthology of his recordings for Eli Toscanos short-lived indie label Cobra includes Rushs Top 10 US R&B hit, I Cant Quit You Baby, later covered by Led Zeppelin. Such a list without any jimi Hendrix album sounds strange "Black Mascara." 5. Lead Belly, Josh White, and B. The other thing that amazes me is how everybody is an authority on how the bands such as the Stones, Cream , Mayall, Butterfield and on and on saved the music and brought it back to life. Snooks Eaglin New Orleans Street Singer However Im really disapointed in the 28 CD Box Set just released of Cuby. Ronnie Earl Language of the Soul New Releases. He cut some singles for Chess Records in the 50s and later achieved a cult following in England, where he cut an album in 1964 with Eric Clapton on guitar. Lonnie Mack Wham Sonny Boy Williamson II told Mayall to do everyone a favor and dont sing ever again. User Reviews. Heavily influenced by Albert King and Jimi Hendrix, Vaughan was a virtuoso guitar slinger from Dallas, Texas, whose meteoric career was cut short by a fatal helicopter crash. The album features two original songs and covers of material by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, George Harrison and Richie Havens. Among the abundant highlights are some of Reeds most commercially successful tunes, including Aint That Lovin You Baby, Bright Lights, Big City, and You Got Me Dizzy. Those influenced by Reeds music included Elvis Presley, and the UK beat groups, The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds. ZZ Top First album Live At The Regal is widely considered one of the best blues albums of all time and purportedly had a profound influence on British guitarists Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler. 1. The teenage band showed an astonishing maturity, especially in relation to Paul Rodgers assured but craggy vocals and Paul Kossoffs blues-drenched guitar sound with its distinctive crying sound. Produced by frontman Michael Gira, the album featured musical guests St. Vincent, Bill Rieflin and Cold Specks. To chronicle the past two decades, Stacker compiled data on the top 100 albums of the 21st century according to Best Ever Albums, which ranks albums according to their appearance and performance on 40,000 editorial and data-based charts, e.g., Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Billboard, and more. He rose to fame as a charismatic purveyor of folk-blues in the 1930s and went on to influence everyone from Lonnie Donegan and Bob Dylan to Nirvanas Kurt Cobain. Its not about hip snobbery, its straightforward common sense. Among the latter were tunes by Otis Rush (All Your Love), Freddy King (Hideaway) and Little Walter (It Aint Right). Fats domino too. Rl burnside ass in pocket and finally graham bond organisation live at klooks kleek . Ive been listening to and playing the blues for about 50 years now. Cream were Cream, by no stretch of the imagination, can they be called a blues band. Fleetwood Mac Irish rose. Included are a couple of potent original tunes, including an epic 23-minute-long version of the progressive-rock-style Whipping Post.. This, their debut album, epitomized their loose, acoustic guitar-driven style and featured authentic-sounding original material as well as interpretations of songs by Lead Belly, Lightnin Hopkins, Elmore James, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Sleepy John Estes. Minneapolis isnt considered a blues metropolis even though it lies on the mighty Mississippi River. His R&B chart-topper, Sweet Little Sixteen, is one of the standout cuts on the guitar-toting, duck-walking tunesmiths second album, One Dozen Berrys. savoy browns street corner talkin needs to be included! This Norman Granz-helmed late 50s session features the husky tenor saxophone of Ben Webster and finds Holiday putting her indelible stamp on a selection of jazz standards where she marries jazz sophistication with the deep emotional sincerity of blues music. Dont forget to mention Steve Stills who was also a big part of the Super Session album. Think weve missed one of the best blues albums? We all have our own ideas for those who do and dont qualify for inclusion in this list but I am just grateful that so many artists and albums are listed by the compilers and the mailers because there are some I missed, until now. You missed a real gem..Robert Nighthawk Live on Maxwell Street 1964. A compelling synthesis of seasoned blues standards (Johnny Guitar Watsons Too Tired) and potent original material (Avalanche), Ice Pickin was Collins sixth long-player and, arguably, his best. They ranged from driving, full-throttle numbers such as the Cotton-penned The Hucklebuck, and Narcias atmospheric ballad, Life Will Be Better, to the slow-burning after-hours blues, Harp To Harp. The music may sound like it originates straight from the Mississippi delta but was recorded in Portland, Maine. In 1948, he reinvented himself as Robert Nighthawk and began playing electric guitar in Chicago he was one of the first bluesmen to plug in where he was soon recording some 45s for the Aristocrat and Chess labels. Clarence Gatemouth Brown and Jimi Hendrix are big omissions. A feel-good collaboration between two Texas veteran guitar slingers and newcomer, Cray, Showdown! Son seals koko Taylor missed them stones bull, Joe Bonamassa Neil Youngs soundtrack for Dead Man Thats in my opinion the best live album of Cuby & Blizzards. Key Track: The Things That I Used To Do, The son of noted African American actor, Ossie Davis, native New Yorker Guy Davis has divided his life between music-making and acting (he appeared as Robert Johnson in an off-Broadway play about the singers life). I met a Dutch girl back around 1970 and took her to Tower Records at Bay and Columbus in S.F. King King by The Red Devils is my favorite live blues album of all time. 1w. And thank you!! A self-taught pianist and singer from Nashville, Tennessee, Carr worked initially as an accompanist for other blues singers before performing as a solo artist in his own right. . J.B.Hutto & The Hawks: Hawk Squat Bruce Fisher above is right! Big Dave McLean For the Blues, Always. He had others that could easily have been on this list as well. Blues musicians and writers who are now household names were driving buses or working odd jobs in many cases..they could not get a gig. RAYE says, "My 21st Century Blues. Weve set ourselves another, almost, impossible challenge. Please, listen to sean costello playing talk to your daughter and watsons three hours past midnight, No blues list that excludes Peter Green can be taken seriously. Thanks all! Though considered a jazz singer, Baltimore-born Billie Holiday (real name Eleanor Fagan) was well-versed in the language of the blues, with its bittersweet cadences and themes of bad luck, heartbreak, and disappointment. Walker is a major presence in the . Great list, but i suggest some of Sean Costello and the first recordings of Johnny guitar Watson to. Enjoy his lyrics and his slide and harp playing are on the money. The 31 tracks on this double-CD trace the journey John Lee, and the Blues, made from the Delta to the city, and on to the whole world. Consider all the Henry Sloans weve never heard and the mothers of those we have. This 20-track retrospective includes all of Browns early hits and essential sides; his specialty was desolate nocturnal ballads, like In The Evening When The Sun Goes Down, Evening Shadows, and Lonesome Feeling, where he accompanies his soothing, soulful voice with bluesy piano fills. Bad Company that would be a joke! The album includes reworkings of Walkers late 40s Top 10 Us R&B hits, Call It Stormy Monday and T-Bone Shuffle.. You also need to listen to Janis Joplin and Big Mama Thornton if you want to know what womens blues sounds like. They included the classic 3 OClock Blues a slow nocturnal ballad penned by Lowell Fulson You Know I Love You, and Please Love Me.. He serves up some of his big hits (Im Your Hoochie Coochie Man) alongside blues standards (Baby, Please Dont Go), and new and unreleased songs (I Got My Brand On You). Wow. The Fabulous Thunderbirds: `Girls Go Wild Lightnin; Slim,Otis Rush,Little Junior Parker, Lightnin Hopkins Time album and album on Dart,Memphis Willie B, Jesse Fuller, Richard Rabbit Brown, Otis Blackwell, Charles Brown, and on and on. Notably Canadas Downchild (a.k.a. c. All lists such as this are subjective of course, but I totally agree with Chris Moran. 6 in the UK albums chart, Clapton left to form Cream shortly afterwards. My 21st Century Blues will house 15 total tracks, which will be spread across two sides. Key Track: I Didnt Know What Time It Was. The music ranges from songs associated with blues acts Ray Charles, Sonny Boy Williamson and Albert King to rock groups Traffic, The Band, and Cream. Harp Attack. But in those years I have heard five albums that have all had a great influence on me. Hailing from Mississippi, Rush learned to play the guitar when he was eight and moved to Chicago when he was fourteen after hearing a Muddy Waters record. Peter Green. Though born in Paris to Austrian and Greek parents, Korner became one of the prime movers and shakers of the influential British blues scene in the 1960s. Its near impossible to get all of them, but you need to take the classic rock bands off and replace them with real blues players like the ones listed above. riquitrefe. The Memphis-based Stax label was synonymous with earthy southern R&B but in 1967 it racked-up several blues hit singles thanks to Mississippi-born singer/guitarist Albert King. Leaving out Willie Dixons I AM The Blues was egregious. Music Reviews: My 21st Century Blues by RAYE released in 2023. Jesus just left Chicago???? He was 35 years old when he recorded two sessions for the Okeh label after being recommended to the company by violinist, Willie Narmour. I accept it is a subjective thing and impossible to include everyone. Clarence Gatemouth Brown..hell yeah !!! Here are a list of albums that I like. 4.25 49,337 343. You mean there is only 100 good blues albums out there? lol about Joeso true. It features guest cameos from Paul Simon, Carlos Santana, and an uncredited Steve Miller on a broad selection of material. Gary Moore Blues for Greeny Like you we have a soft spot for them. How can you miss Hendrix Blues Album? Finally, someone mentioned ray Charles, thought I was the only one! Stevie Ray Vaughn? My 21st Century Blues is the upcoming debut studio album by British singer and songwriter Raye, set to be released independently through the distribution label Human Re Sources on 3 February 2023. He had big shoes to fill, but the Welwyn Garden City-born youngster immediately made a lasting impact with his intuitive grasp of the blues language. The 2CD Luther Allison, Best of Muddy Waters Electric Mud After his clutch of early 78s released in 1931 for Paramount fell on deaf ears, James slipped into anonymity but was rediscovered and coaxed back to the recording studio three decades later as a result of the 1960s blues and folk revival. Great list just think you missed a few. Excellent list, though I would have left a Various Artists field opened for CHICAGO! 12. Ive never been too much into blues, but I thought he was pretty great. They are however some albums of undead white people who could be integrated in such a list: With, Standing at the Crossroads , Like a Sheep Out on the Foam , Doin the Shout , etc. He was born with an eye condition that resulted in total blindness by the time he was 21, but it didnt curtail his ability to make music and in the 1930s he was a prolific recording artist, cutting some 120 sides that were released by a variety of labels. Ive bookmarked this list, its comments, and all the insightful dickering because damn right I got the blues! Love it all! Chicago: the Blues Today, volume with Johnny Young, Johnny Shines, Big Walter Etta James, Tell Mamma. I Am The Blues Willie Dixon (1970) Eric Clapton & the Powerhouse (on Electra as I recall) Keith Hartley. King is more familiar to blues fans as B. Give me a break! Allman Brothers, Cream, Derek and the Dominos, and The Rolling Stones shouldnt even be mentioned here. Good listening. And I do believe the late, great BB King would disagree with you. Street Corner Talking should be on the list. A bottleneck guitar specialist from Rossville, Tennessee, McDowell first learned to play slide guitar using a filed-down beef bone. Excellent recording with a superb interview of Nighthawk by Michael Bloomfield! Not sure which album to suggest, however hes on my list !!! My 21st Century Blues is RAYE's long-awaited upcoming debut studio album, set to be released on February 3rd, 2023. We have given you our list of the best blues albums alphabetically, having given up trying to number. Chuck Berry and Jimi Hendrix werent the first performers to play the guitar between their legs or behind their heads on stage. Exactly my sentiments. George Thoroughgood? John Mayall is not in the pantheon of blues artists. I would have left out any rock or jazz cross-over artists (No Stones, no Clapton, no Allman Bros, No Cream, no SRV!! I love his playing, but this is ridiculous. Son House Father of the Blues, Albert King Years Gone By, Big Mama Thornton Jail, Fred McDowell and His Blues Boys, Sonny Boy Williamson One Way out, and Pink Anderson Carolina Blues Man. This double live album recorded at San Franciscos Fillmore West marked an inspired jam session between noted Chicago guitarist Bloomfield and Brooklyn organist, Kooper, who had just left Blood, Sweat & Tears. Taking their name from a Muddy Waters song, Londons The Rolling Stones were just one of myriad white long-haired British beat groups drawing inspiration from old American blues records. Topping the US pop charts, Wheels Of Fire was the power trios third long-player: a sprawling double album combining studio material with tracks recorded live in San Francisco. Before she achieved significant pop/rock crossover success, Raitts early albums like this one, only her second long-player were an eclectic mix of blues, antique jazz, folk, and singer-songwriter pop. Think in those terms and some of the classic rock bands qualify. Grammys would come later in her career and help to crown her the queen of contemporary blues, but Turn Up The Heat captures her at the start of what became a storied musical journey. Discover 21st Century Blues [Ecko] by Various Artists released in 2008. Theyre a big favourite in our house. Also, in many cases, there are better collections by the same artist than the ones listed. Im a bit sad that I dont have it anymore. With its searing fretboard licks, the album is a quintessential example of the guitarists flamboyant electric blues style. 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Well, have we succeeded? Sinners Prayer Five Live Yardbirds The Yardbirds (1964) I would say that some of these bands should be included. Why doesnt Joe Bonamassa feature anywhere? "Ice. Dank Bert, voor de aanvulling, prima keus ! How can you possibly have a list of Blues Albums without Hogwash, Split or Thank Christ For The Bomb featuring anywhere? 070 Shake) 6. Indeed, and for that matter add Michael Bloomfield Its Not Killing Me. King and Willie Dixon. Dutch blues? This is just not music, its life. Though most of the album is self-written, Mos musical roots are referenced by the inclusion of two Robert Johnson songs. Excellent. The highlights are numerous and include Devil Got My Woman, 22-20 Blues with James playing the piano and Im So Glad.. !, no Mose Alison and no Nina Simone!). So thanks again! What about William Clarke, Rod Piazza, Little Charlie & the Nightcats, etc? Taking to Instagram to share a handwritten list of the songs included on her debut album, RAYE said: 'Here she is, the full tracklist to my debut album My 21st Century Blues coming 3rd February 2023 '. Alongside it are two other early Rush classics: Double Trouble and Jump Sister Bessie. With his aggressive, energetic style, Rush exerted a powerful influence on several notable British blues guitarists in the 1960s, including Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, and Jeff Beck. Contemporary Blues. Any of the 60s Savoy Brown albums are a huge omission. it was good to Nina Simone & josh white on the list some notable piano players are missing- Otis Spann, Charles Brown and of course Ray Charles. Agree with Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters. A great blues album, and did as much as any album to enlighten the average 70s rock fans to the greatness of the blues. For example: you only looked ar individual artists, why isnt there an album My ugly complex beautiful mosaic formed from broken pieces of glass from the last seven years of my life. Would like to see One Album per Artist this allows a greater degree of inclusivity. One of them, the iconic I Pity The Fool, features on this 26-track retrospective focusing on his work for the Memphis Duke imprint, which also includes the hits Cry Cry Cry, Dont Cry No More, and Turn On Your Love Light. Admired by Van Morrison and Simply Reds Mick Hucknall, Bland won many awards and muddied the boundaries between rhythm and blues and soul music. Give me a break. I also Roy Buchanan should be there. He scored four US R&B chart-toppers in the 1950s and remained popular throughout his long and storied career. Key Track: She-Wolf, The blues was the musical bedrock beneath Jimi Hendrixs flamboyant, high-decibel psychedelic rock style which sent seismic shockwaves through the music world of the late 1960s. Oscar Brown Jr, Between Heaven and Hell, Columbia 30 Best Blues Albums Archives - Living Blues Magazine 30 Best Blues Albums In celebration of our 40th Anniversary in 2010, long-time Living Blues reviewer and contributor Jim DeKoster chose 30 of the best blues albums from each decade along with 30 others that deserve special recognition. The standouts range from the chugging instrumentals My Babe and Everythings Gonna Be Alright to nocturnal vocal ballads in the shape of the smoldering Last Night.. and The Charles Ford Band (Robben and his brothers) on Arhoolie. This has got to be on the list. Formed in 1961, Korners band Blues Incorporated recorded R&B From The Marquee in a London studio with vocals shared between Cyril Davies and Long John Baldry on a meld of blues covers and original material.