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top 100 blues guitarists - jazzboCR - 27-06-2014
Freddie King The wiki is instructive and reasonably short (he died at 42 of stomach problems, exacerbated by aggressive alcohol use.). Suffice it to say, he did a whole lot with good folks in a short time. : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_King
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNv2P5cCDfgv << If he has a signature song...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVirtodd05k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC1m5j_6cJo << exactly my attitude, unless I choose to share << that pianist totally if briefly takes it to church
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8BgGdmtp4Y << always left "open" room for his sidemen to strut a bit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXXkD7Dvq_E << I'm also partial to robust women...
BONUS: with Eric Clapton in '74: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fz0Jip2CDk
top 100 blues guitarists - jazzboCR - 05-07-2014
Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters Been doin' it masterfully since the '70's (with Roomful of Blues q.v.) and solo since the mid '80's. An Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music (a premier institution). Glad to see he's over his medical problems ( 3 killer albums this decade; 7 this century are proof of that). Some tunes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f7bbgMpFaM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQFGpB7YlUc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SLK4ZM-PvI << his take on a classic tune--he's always played well with B-3 guys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4nA_B_njgA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBUUIR32hhw << guesting with Jimmy Vaughan
BONUS 1: an hour+ concert (audio only) from about 20 years ago--the man's on fire!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvwgPAxqKhI << hard choice to make--he's got some other concerts/discs on YouTube
BONUS 2: He and Duke Robillard did a full disc together--here's one tune: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eAECyr9oZ0
BONUS 3: With Ilana Katz Katz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PMx1vUpK3s
top 100 blues guitarists - jazzboCR - 29-11-2014
Muddy Waters Never thought of him all that well as a guitarist, but then I caught him in the later years when he'd hire a lead guitarist to focus on singing and playing BG guitar. In the earlier days, he was a back-porch and club scorcher.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsHFFIAzEpw << 1 of 2 from the Manchester, UK in '58 (a gritty industrial city if there ever was one--they sure got his earthiness 'cuz they lived the same life--aren't Manchester and Chicago sister cities?)...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MyDttK9HXM <<...if not, they should be --a lot of shared characteristics << He'd been playing this song for at least 10 years and yet it still sounds fresh--the mark of a true artist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHowqKYSXNI << I'm all with his philosophy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3Or7huOK7o << I don't know what genius/madman put this together...but he's owed eternal gratitude.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgHQalqG6E8 << the title of this song says it all
BONUS 1: his earliest recordings http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co52GGV1SYc
BONUS 2: Fast forward to 1968: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWZbM3tm60c << band members listed in last comment
BONUS 3: a concert in Germany in '76--he was deeply appreciated there, and always brought his ace team and "A" game to Deutschland << That's Pinetop Perkins on piano and Jerry Portnoy on harp
Otis Rush Maybe not that well known enough name 'cuz he was a genre and Local Hero. Trust me, everybody in the Blues world stole licks and vocal stylings off him--they know...and now so will you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy2tEP3I3DM << Dontcha just love that stiff Cauc audience? Folks, this ain't a string quartet--it's the deeply emotional Blues....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCynaoAdP4g << Best song? What he's known for? A strong contender in both categories...a consummate blues song, masterfully done.
Playing alongside a big fan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN71NPAXCkc << I give a rabid rabbit's rectum who you think this song "belongs to" (SRV, Clapton with the Bluesbreakers), THIS is what you need
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4_9CF5_ouU << Jeff Healey did it too--trust one or the other to tell you the truth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1481wN-6_WA << ....Always with the cowpoke hat.
Bonus 1: Full concert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=486mV9lQ_KQ << commentor Gminor7 got it just right
top 100 blues guitarists - jazzboCR - 30-11-2014
With 2 exceptions (SRV and Buddy Guy), there hasn't been as important and personal a blues artist in the last 50 years as Johnny Winter--BB King and his era are coasting on reputations and not making new music, love them though I do. Only those 3 have opened up the Blues to a wider world--Joe Bonamassa is coming up hard on the rail to guide the next generation. His brother Edgar sure widened the genre but he's outside this discussion as a keyboardist; suffice it to say he and his brother were up and down the blues road--I'll leave details to your imagination and further research. So: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Winter << Generous to a fault but he could get attitude when screwed over. AMG lists 39 primary albums from '69 to '14--some of dubious provenance (my way of saying fakes or nasty bootlegs without saying fakes or nasty bootlegs). I'll run out 10 or so pieces.:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tyg5SJDpiQ << I always tell this to women I've just met
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_OE45zgokk << An "at-home" informal perf in the Philippines--from his last album << Blues to the bone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noE64hoKB8k << duo with a devoted fan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xywcTafx1w << he was so killer on that slide guitar--here with Derek Trucks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga2FfPaHjd8 << he and DK's band had a thing going on--every man on that stage knew they were playing with one for the ages and it was incumbent that they keep up and not slip up or embarrass themselves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YQM-zERrwc << What drew him to guitar and the Blues...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir-nVCUXrZA << from the same gig
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMClreF1zyY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe7jFcGjYqs << the brothers doin' it 'til they're satisfied
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAQYaVlY_SU << Dr. John on piano; the cream of London "flash" society in attendance
BONUS 1: full album--Still Alive and Well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zTUZ3hfN2U << more blues-rock than straight blues. Oh well--a guys gotta make a buck.
BONUS 2: a comp (I think) Not AMG listed but Amazon folks rave--especially <$10: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb06LqsTl_o << being a Florida guy, I'm all about "Barefootin'" << If you're going to get just 1 JW album, this is the one to get.
top 100 blues guitarists - jazzboCR - 01-12-2014
Peter Green Fans of the Peter Green Splinter Group may disagree but to my mind, he hasn't done anything important for 30 years--the meds he needs to control his mind leave his playing uninspired...and that's heartbreaking. Before his crash, he was one of the best on the planet--the "Playing Style and Song Writing" part of his Wiki explains further: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Green_%28musician%29 Heckuva songwriter too, though he never thought that much of it--principally, they were vehicles for his playing.
These are all from his, er, non-splintered days:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmbFG2QnD1g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB0P0RebB6k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP5IEOYj9MU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRu7Pt42x6Y << we're so invested with Carlos Santana's brilliant take on this tune, it's forgotten Mr. Green wrote it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtmW2ek7WkQ
BONUS: If you want to go wide with Mr. Green's early stuff....: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeosPciyU8o&list=PLB835126848EB40E5
top 100 blues guitarists - jazzboCR - 01-12-2014
Michael Bloomfield Mr. Skyrocket Came up fast, big burst, then the charred bits floated back to Earth (dead at 37 from alcoholism and heroin addiction--a tortured soul if there ever was one and the demons ate him up). Brought taste and style to all he did (including scoring/playing music on some pornographic movies--wouldn't that be a fascinating list and listen? Promise to turn the screen away when doing so, OK?) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Bloomfield << the "Style" part has interest. Did session work with everybody from Beaver & Krause to Woody Herman and his Orchestra--rarely a leader, frequently for hire. He did a disc, intended as an instructional video, that stands tall in its own right. The '04 Kicking Mule reissue is the one to get: http://www.allmusic.com/album/if-you-love-these-blues-play-em-as-you-please-mw0000261530
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRWgtYtrrj8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw2fqDcLitU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaV-S5ivX3E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk-bpUdRP_0 << always gets my attention
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzYkhoPOy3c <<Yes, he was
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO2JAA47Mgk << Great job on Nat Adderley's classic tune
BONUS 1: 2 of the best ever, playing together: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Me-CrOVdnA
BONUS 2: part 1 of a 10-part series on Mr. Bloomfield...and the times he lived in: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJa8KIF1A24 << Excellent, pro-made documentary--very much worth your time.
top 100 blues guitarists - jazzboCR - 02-12-2014
If I need to tell you who Buddy Guy is then: Welcome to the Blues, Brother/Sister. We'll do what we can to enhance your experience and accelerate your learning curve. The only dumb questions are the ones that don't get asked. Truly.
For everybody else: I'm going to go long on this one. His Wiki doesn't say it all 'cuz it doesn't give his personality...which is modest to an extreme. Tallest-standing figure in modern blues, who never sold out even a little bit. Still producing capital "S" significant music, as his "concept" albums of this century clearly show (he hooked up with producer/music man Tom Hambridge for the last 3, who brings out the best *) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Guy His site: http://www.buddyguy.net/
Personal note: When you saw Mr. Guy back in the day (and I did 10 times), you always got the total package--he came on stage with the attitude that he had to win the audience--he always did too. That's true to this day. Top line on his AMG entry says it all: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/buddy-guy-mn0000942529/discography
Enough ya-ya, yeah? First, 2 with his first important boss, Junior Wells
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcyad6MKXzI << very fruitful partnership--friends to life's end too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z_IUe-IB4A
BONUS: a full live album in '82: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdbcKTkQk7E << Killer band, with Pinetop Perkins on piano/Bill Wyman on bass
Later stuff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFevDDn9Tds << Catch him looking over at Hubert Sumlin, that glance saying--"We're taking these kids to school."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJo0TtLJEpg << Who better to do this song with? WARNING: Posted VERY LOUD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUtIoDsfFCI << Takes soul music back to its Blues roots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUX_guVn-JY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AB4hg2mbCs << His and Aaron Neville's are the only versions worth considering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyEqSkbqLP0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6tdlmx_GO4 << the "Voodoo Chile" shadowed Mr. Guy for a good while--we've discerned the lessons he learned.
BONUS: The live album you need to have--strictly-class horn-leavened band playing, well, the real deal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlVuzW9rebs << Huge shout out to Kostas A-171 for posting this
BONUS: He ain't joking--he's mentoring this lad, saying, "He may be the future of the Blues.": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow5imNn8jk4 << was playing with Mr. Guy since he was 8; has also gigged with Joe Bonamassa. Call me a racist if you will but--it's good to see not all the musical prodigies are Chinese girls on the piano at Carnegie Hall...
* Tom Hambridge deserves more than just that mention. Let his Website convince: http://hambridgetunes.com/ << if you don't want music here, go bottom left on the site and click it.
top 100 blues guitarists - jazzboCR - 12-12-2014
Eric Clapton There's nothing I can say that hasn't been said better and 100's of times before. I'm going to cheat a bit; instead of some individual tunes, here's arguably his best, most complete album: EC Unplugged https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwsfiFO8A_0 << packaged these days with a reasonable "Greatest Hits" compilation.
top 100 blues guitarists - jazzboCR - 13-12-2014
Albert King Called "The Velvet Bulldozer", because of his smo-o-th vocal style and his size [6'4", 250]. One of the more copied guitar styles. Reportedly never used the 6th string (from his fascinating Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_King ). You can trust the AMG rankings and reviews--Mr. King was induced to make some turkey discs but they are shown as such; for those wishing to just dip a toe in, there are a goodly number of comp discs, also spelled out.: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/albert-king-mn0000617844/discography/all
This disc, issued in '99 but cut in '83 is an overlooked masterpiece--absolutely the 1 album to get...and now it comes with a bonus DVD mastered from the original Canadian program--for about $12 from the Usual Suspect (and there's a UK biz offering it, so quicker for you guys). Taking the rare step of linking directly to the Usual Suspect, so you will read some of the outstanding user comments: http://www.amazon.com/Session-Deluxe-CD-DVD/dp/B00377V6J2/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1418436350&sr=1-1&keywords=in+session%3A+Albert+King+and+Stevie+Ray+Vaughan&pebp=1418436572851 I just ordered one and I'm glad I waited (the DVD is newly-minted). To tide you over 'til your copy arrives, there's this BONUS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZB57b3lPQE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlzbraetAoE << his first big number
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31g23A3cRlE << He played this how many 100's of times?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2puWUhXhofc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SP5JHLqXM8 << Extended version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMbS-rkzaBs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYB-EyDYSx4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8Mj5ioPhxs << few have done this classic better
SPECIAL BONUS: Here's a 7+ minute great greasy slab of houserocking tunes featuring Etta James, Robert Cray, both Kings, Willie Dixon and others with a never-to-be-repeated band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI-Q3DJwo3A
A SHOCKER: A concert in Vancouver, BC, in 1970: Albert King and The Doors. Rocked my sox when I found it. Some songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz-UkKj393w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w57Xn1NVZx8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XfPqYFaINM
The whole deal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g_S0kMfmqU
top 100 blues guitarists - jazzboCR - 15-12-2014
Robert Johnson The first important Blues player and singer which is ironic--he had no great success in his lifetime and indeed in the manner of itinerant musicians of the times, didn't spend most of his time playing the Blues. Instead he played whatever the audience wanted to hear, mostly pop songs of the times. His seminal contributions to the Blues started in 1961 with the release of a monumental album of his stuff--a cornerstone of any Blues collection. AMG lists 8-9 4-star or better compilations though easily 1/2 are rehashes of other collections. The AMG bio is written by a respected writer and hellified musician in his own right, the late Cub Koda.: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/robert-johnson-mn0000832288/biography The Wiki goes deep too, including recent research on his life and times.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Johnson
Some songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd60nI4sa9A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MCHI23FTP8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHAIgpih86E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82yNxiF-T4A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BkPm8JIJJQ
BONUS 1 What the fuss is about: complete album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P4WhmJt9XM
BONUS 2 A life-and-times documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1gVtKIxRew << You always see him with a ciggy butt in his mouth--when the USPS issued an honorific postage stamp, the PC-gone-wild crowd forced airbrushing it out.