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Acoustic Blues Innovators
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Acoustic Blues Innovators
Below are
some of some of our favorite early blues acoustic music. The artists
styles range from rag-time finger picking to Delta, and other rural
blues players. What each has in common is that they had a huge
influence on many modern musicians.
This is
not meant a definitive list, but an outline of some of the best
acoustic rural blues players whose innovations were carried over to
the following generations.
Reverend Gary
Davis
John Lee Hooker
Lightnin'
Hopkins
Mississippi John
Hurt
Robert
Johnson
Blind
Willie Johnson
Lonnie
Jonhson
Muddy
Waters
The Slide Guitar: Bottles, Knives & Steel
Newport
Folk Festival
We'll be adding more related
content.
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The Innovators
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| Reverend Gary Davis'
rag-time finger picking technique is among the best of
them all. So good that he has influenced generations of guitarists.
Perhaps none more than Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane,
Hot Tuna, etc. Fortunately,
there are quality recordings of available of Davis. Between our two recommendations there is
only song, "Buck Dance," repeated.
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Pure Religion
& Bad Company |
Rev. Gary Davis
at Newport |
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| John Lee Hooker is
known
more as an electric than acoustic country guitarist.
Though, his album The Country Blues of John Lee Hooker is
just John and his acoustic guitar playing rural blues,
recorded April 1959.
The
Roots of John Lee Hooker is a 22 song compilation of
outstanding blues songs performed by his influences. Artists
like Leadbelly, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Big Bill Broonzy, and
others.
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The Country Blues
of John Lee Hooker
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The Roots of John Lee Hooker
Various Artists |
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| Lightning
Hopkins is one of the most influential blues players whose
reach stretched beyond blues -- to soul, jazz, and rock. The
number artists that perform his songs is the strongest
statement that can be made in this regard.
His 41 track Anthology is the best
introduction to his music. While the Blues Masters
compilation is a less comprehensive, it is strong,
nevertheless. There is no
shortage of Hopkins recordings, If you are seeking a more
complete collection. |
Mojo Hand: The
Anthology |
Blues
Masters: The Very Best of Lightnin' Hopkins |
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| The two discs to the
right are excellent Mississippi John Hurt releases.
Live is a more generous starting point with
24 tracks. It is
primarily from April 1965 at
Oberlin College, It is also packaged as The Best Of,
but Live has three bonus tracks.
Avalon Blues include some essential tracks
not on Live, from 40 years earlier. We recommend both
of these, both prefer Avalon if we had to select
one.
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Live |
Avalon
Blues : Complete 1928 Okeh Recordings |
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| With endorsements
from Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and countless
others, what better praise and endorsement could Delta blues legend Robert Johnson
earn?
The two-disc Complete contains all of
Johnson's 41 recordings, 12 are alternative versions
Hellhound has 24 of his 29 songs.
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The Complete
Recordings |
Hellhound
on my Trial |
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| Blind
Willie Johnson fits the country blues genre as well as gospel
genre. He recorded between 1927 and '30. His material was covered by
Eric Clapton, Led
Zeppelin, The Grateful Dead, and
Jorma
Kaukonen to name a few.
His material is a cross between Rev. Gary
Davis and Robert Johnson. The writing is more in line with
Davis, but rather than a rag time finger picking approach, his
playing is more like R. Johnson's.
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The Complete
Recordings
2 discs
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Dark
Was the Night
1 disc
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| Lonnie
Johnson's four disc box-set The Original Guitar Wizard was
listed with a retail price of only $24.95!
Nearly 100 songs.
Recordings made between 1928 and 1952.
Comprehensive liner notes are
included.
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The Original Guitar Wizard |
Blues
and Ballads |
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| Muddy
Waters Folk Singer is not folk music, rather blues. The
title was a marketing theme. This gem of an album includes
Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy on guitar, and on most of the
tracks Willie Dixon plays bass and Clifton James plays drums.
The five bonus tracks are electric and were recorded
on 4/9/1964, and Oct. 1964 with two different line-ups.
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Folk
Singer |
The Complete Plantation Recordings |
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| These
two releases are good compilations of the early great blues
players. Some of my favorites include Blind Willie Johnson,
Robert Johnson, and |
The Slide Guitar: Bottles, Knives & Steel |
The Slide Guitar: Bottles, Knives & Steel
Vol. 2 |
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| This
three disc collection is a superb compilation of great blues
players performing at the Newport Folk Festival. The liner
notes are by John Milward. Each disc is about an hour and they
are grouped as follows, disc 1 Delta Blues, disc 2 Country
Blues, and disc 3 Urban Blues.
I included the Bob
Dylan link to the right as that tour followed his historic
electric performance
at the festival in 1965. Too, The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966
DVD's should be of interest.
Disc: 1
1. Sliding Delta - Mississippi John Hurt
2. Candy Man - Mississippi John Hurt
3. Coffee Blues - Mississippi John Hurt
4. Stagolee - Mississippi John Hurt
5. Here I Am Lord Send Me - Mississippi John Hurt
6. Pallet On Your Floor - Mississippi John Hurt
7. Devil Got My Woman - Skip James
8. Hard Time Killing Floor Blues - Skip James
9. Preaching Blues - Son House
10. Death Letter Blues - Son House
11. Empire State Express - Son House
12. Son Blues - Son House
13. Aberdeen Mississippi Blues - Bukka White
14. Louise - Mississippi Fred McDowell
15. If The River Was Whiskey - Mississippi Fred McDowell
16. Walkin' Blues - Muddy Waters
17. I Can't Be Satisfied - Muddy Waters
Disc: 2
1. Levee Camp Blues - Robert Pete Williams
2. Midnight Boogie - Robert Pete Williams
3. On My Way From Texas - Robert Pete Williams
4. Freddie - Mance Lipscomb
5. So Different Blues - Mance Lipscomb
6. God Moves On The Water (The Sinking Of The Titanic) - Mance Lipscomb
7. San Francisco Bay Blues - Jesse Fuller
8. I Double Double Do Love You - Jesse Fuller
9. Samson & Delilah - Reverend Gary Davis
10. I Won't Be Back No More - Reverend Gary Davis
11. Intro/The Train Is Leaving - Brownie McGhee/Sonny Terry
12. Drink Muddy Water - Brownie McGhee/Sonny Terry
13. Long Gone - Brownie McGhee/Sonny Terry
14. Key To The Highway - Brownie McGhee/Sonny Terry
15. My Baby Done Changed The Lock On The Door - Brownie McGhee/Sonny Terry
16. Clean Up At Home - Sleepy John Estes
Disc: 3
1. The Woman I'm Loving, She's Taken My Appetite - Lightnin' Hopkins
2. Baby Please Don't Go - Lightnin' Hopkins
3. Shake That Thing - Lightnin' Hopkins
4. Tupelo - John Lee Hooker
5. Bus Station Blues - John Lee Hooker
6. Let's Make It - John Lee Hooker
7. Great Fire Of Natchez - John Lee Hooker
8. Boom Boom - John Lee Hooker
9. I Can't Quit You Baby/Stop Now Baby - John Lee Hooker
10. How Long - Memphis Slim
11. Black Cat Crossed My Path - Memphis Slim
12. Harlem Bound - Memphis Slim
13. Piano Instrumental - Memphis Slim
14. Blow Wind Blow - Muddy Waters/Otis Spann
15. Flood - Muddy Waters/Otis Spann
16. See See Rider - The Chambers Brothers
17. Blues With A Feeling - Paul Butterfield Blues Band
18. Born In Chicago - Paul Butterfield Blues Band
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Newport Folk Festival: Best of the Blues 1959-1968 |
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Roots N' Blues:
Retrospective 1925-1950
4 Discs |
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Blues Story
2 Discs |
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Story of the Blues
2 Discs |
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