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I Love Blues Music

I've Got The Blues For You

By: holloway64
Written on November 21st, 2012
It was groups like the Stone, Led Zepp, and Eric Clapton who guided me into the blues. It sad that Americans have to find out about this music from the British.  I took me a while to get into Robert Johnson.   I wasn't ready for a guy, alone just playing an acoustic guitar.  I was used to the full bands.  But I trained my ear to listen and was greatly rewarded.  Not only did I get into his work, I got into Charlie Patton, Lonnie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie McTell etc.  Of Course there was Muddy and the Chicago scene.  They say the blues are dead but BB King is still going strong, and Robert Cray is out there.  And the blues are a still a great pleasure in my life.
By: holloway64
Age: 46-50 , Male
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3 responses
  • englishsteve
    englishsteve

    In a pretty haphazard way, I've been trying to get a sense of the foundations of Blues, Gospel and Jazz and their overlaps so I buy a certain amount of stuff by lesser-known artists. One of my real finds was a cheap sell-off of ABM-label Blues cds. They range from anthologies to individual artists and include Memphis jug bands, New Orleans Blues, Sonny Boy Williamson, Scrapper Blackwell, Chicago Black small bands, Harlem Blues and some Jazz and Gospel titles. Eventually, i may be able to join the dots between stuff like the Lomax's prison work-songs and Blues recordings and the really big names who'll still be selling in 50 year's time. Really, I could do with a parallel life to devote to music:)

    Nov 21, 2012
    1 like
  • englishsteve
    englishsteve

    Agreed, and there's a whole lifetime's listening out there. One of the real delights of recent years has been the opening up of blues archives for budget-priced cds - I've bought a lot of stuff, rural and urban, and just wish there was more time to get to know all of it inside-out. That 60s period must have been enormously fertile - not only for the Stones, but bands like The Yardbirds (named in honour of Parker), The Animals (did a fine House of The Rising Sun), Georgie Fame's jazzy big band, Alexis Korner, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (Clapton on lead guitar) are still well worth a listen if you ever see their stuff on sale. As for the Brits reviving US interest...I've heard that said before - how did Blues lapse from public attention in the States?

    Nov 21, 2012
    1 like
    • holloway64
      holloway64

      Mick Taylor and Peter green also came out of the blues breakers. But I do want to get into more of the obscure stuff. The Roots of Robert Johnson is a great cd to listen to. I love that old stuff. The 50's urban blues. I'll listen to whatever's out there.

      Nov 21, 2012
      1 like