Lonnie Johnson

2016-11-10T17:07:28+00:00November 10th, 2016|

Every time a guitarist in blues, jazz, or rock plays a solo today, he carries on the legacy of one of the first virtuosos of the instrument, Lonnie Johnson. The predominant style of modern blues [...]

Big Boss Man — Jimmy Reed (Vee-Jay, 1960)

2016-11-10T17:07:16+00:00November 10th, 2016|

If there ever was a blues theme for the proletariat, it was Jimmy Reed's 1961 smash, Big Boss Man. 'You got me workin', boss man, workin' 'round the clock, I want me a drink of [...]

Blind Blake

2016-11-10T17:07:08+00:00November 10th, 2016|

One of the biggest 'guitar stars' of the first generation of blues recording artists was Blind Blake, whose facile, fingerpicked rags and blues set the standard for guitarists who played in the genre later geographically [...]

Bukka White

2016-11-10T17:07:04+00:00November 10th, 2016|

Booker T. Washington White was one of the most powerful, imaginative and original country blues artists both in the pre-World War II era and during the folk blues revival of the 1960s. In between, he [...]

Black Magic — Magic Sam Blues Band (Delmark, 1969)

2016-11-10T17:06:59+00:00November 10th, 2016|

Black Magic follows in the same vein as Magic Sam's first Delmark LP (and first Hall of Fame album), West Side Soul, combining burning West Side blues with heartfelt touches of soul. Again, most of [...]

The Complete 1931 Session — Skip James (Yazoo, 1986)

2016-11-10T17:06:56+00:00November 10th, 2016|

While many of the great blues recordings have been commercial hits, there are others that sank almost without a trace. Skip James' Paramount singles, for instance -- nine of them, all recorded in 1931, after [...]

Go to Top