Who Is the Greatest Blues Artist?

[Bossanova]

I am a huge blues fan, and I know there are many people on here that love the blues. I was just curious who everyone else thought was the best of this lost genre. My vote goes to Mississippi John Hurt. He basically started in the mid '20s and just amazes me evrytime I hear his music

[mikeyboy]

That old guy Ralph Macchio met in "Crossroads"

http://www.vai.com/AllAboutSteve/images/videos/crossroads_DVD.jpg

[Gvac]

Wow...tough question.

If we're talking old school I suppose you could make an argument for Big Bill Broonzy and of course Robert Johnson.

Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and The Kings (B.B., Freddie, and Albert) warrant serious consideration, as does John Lee Hooker.

My personal favorite, though, is probably Elmore James. That son of a bitch's voice can make my hair stand on end.

[Bossanova]

Elmore James is ridiculous. Another I should mention is Lightning Hopkins.

Side note: Led Belly is good, but please noone mention him in this thread. Just not the best

[midwestjeff]

I would like to throw in Son House for honorable mention. Maybe not "the greatest", but damn good.

[Phil_Nubbs]

I love Howlin' Wolf, but I'm not sure I could declare him the best. Robert Johnson would be my choice. He has a limited body of recorded work, but their haunting quality never wears. Damn, tomorrow I'd say Muddy is the best. I stink.

[Bossanova]

I love Howlin' Wolf, but I'm not sure I could declare him the best. Robert Johnson would be my choice. He has a limited body of recorded work, but their haunting quality never wears. Damn, tomorrow I'd declare Muddy the best. I stink.

No way do you stink. Any blues fan who can site atrue legend doesn't stink.

I forgot to mention Skip James as well

[J.Clints]

Robert Johnson, I also enjoy Eric Clapton

[Stankfoot]

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a350/stankfoot/jlh.jpg

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[DonInNC]

No way I could begin to answer the question, maybe because I'm not a blues connoisseur, but my personal favorite is John Lee Hooker. Favorite song is Howlin' Wolf's version of Spoonful.

[PapaBear]

There is an amazing series of bios on Starz in Black. Pardon me for forgetting the name. I've seen a few of them. The most memorable one was on Muddy Waters. If anyone else here knows of them, or sees that they are coming on anytime soon, PLEASE let me know.

[The Silencer]

B.B.

[A.J.]

http://www.backtothesugarcamp.com/RobertJohnson.jpg

[Gvac]

I just woke up and realized I forgot to mention Willie Dixon. His classic album "I Am The Blues" is a set list for classic bands like The Stones and Zep.

If you don't own that album shame on you.

[sailor]

I just woke up and realized I forgot to mention Willie Dixon. His classic album "I Am The Blues" is a set list for classic bands like The Stones and Zep.

If you don't own that album shame on you.

did you pay cash?

[Chainsaw]

Hound Dog Taylor

[sailor]

buddy lee

[Ritalin]

James Cotton

[jetdog]

While not your most conventional Blues artist, I think Taj Mahal desserves to be mentioned in this thread. he can't help it if he plays twenty different instruments and writes and records in multiple genres...

[AJDELAWARE]

Mash Potato Jones.

[DarkHippie]

i wouldn't say he's the best, but I'm surprised no one has mentioned Bobby Bland.

[moochcassidy]

Blind Boy Fuller

anyone into this guy?

My Best Girls Gonna Leave Me (http://media.putfile.com/girl-77)
Bus Rider Blues (http://media.putfile.com/girl-77) with Sonny Terry

Robert Johnson
BB King
Muddy Waters

SRV, Dylan, Rory Gallagher and Clapton get honourable mention.


right now theres a brilliant guy i wanna see-'Jawbone (http://www.myspace.com/jawboneblues)' out of Detroit, young dude, fuckin great songwriter, amazing sound. anyone heard?

dig Guy Davis, will always see him if i can- but hes a bit tame.

[marky2bucks]

I went thru a Blues phase, I rarely listen anymore.

BB King - King of Blues, and still alive somehow
Muddy Waters - King of Electric Blues, constantly borrowed from
Robert Johnson - still sounds good, and his life is such a legend. People don't even know how much of an influence he was

I don't consider the next ones to count (because they are white), but I love
SRV
Clapton

[Ritalin]

Mash Potato Jones.

Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows - 300 Hundred Pounds of Heavenly Joy
Lil' Ed and the Imperials - Chicken, Gravy and Biscuits

The Food Blues.

[Bellyfullasnot]

The guys that started that really hip restaurant chain that just happens to be in a lot of tourist areas. They must really know the blues.

[KennethC]

While I love Mississippi John Hurt, I don't necessarily consider him a blues artist per se - he seems to come from a different tradition than Skip James, Bukka White or Charley Patton.

Speaking of Charley Patton, I think you could make a convincing case for him.

That being said, my vote goes to Muddy Waters. The breadth of his work and consistent quality is peerless - plus he was the greatest bandleader in blues history.

A terrific blues guitarist no one has mentioned is Albert Collins, particularly if you like your blues Texas-style.

[RhinoinMN]

Gvac's avatar should get a very strong mention.

Sorry, I posted then saw that mooch arleady metioned it. My bad.

[EddieMoscone]

Did Buddy Guy kill some babies or something? No Love?

[Yerdaddy]

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/7050/ghostworld05ao0.jpg

"I can't relate to 99% of humanity."


Just joshin.

While not your most conventional Blues artist, I think Taj Mahal desserves to be mentioned in this thread. he can't help it if he plays twenty different instruments and writes and records in multiple genres...

I love Taj Mahal and got to see him in Paris ten years ago. Phenomenal show! Met him aftere the show and he was cool as hell. No surprise, of course. I asked him how he got fluent in French and he said: "If you want to make money playing blues you come to Europe." What a shame that is.

Best I think is Robert Johnson.

My favorites to listen to are Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Lee Hooker, Howlin Wolf, and I'll introduce into the thread James "Jaz" "Jimbo" Mathus and His Knockdown Society - especially the album "Play Songs For Rosetta (http://wc06.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:g9frxqyjldke)". It's great Delta blues. He's the frontman for The Squirrel Nut Zippers who put together a blues band to do this as a benefit album for Charlie Patton's daughter who helped raise Mathus in Mississippi. I was given this album by mistake years ago and I've never ever gotten tired of listening to it over and over.

[Yerdaddy]

How about "Threadkiller Blues" by T-Bonedaddy? Did I fart in this thread or what?

Anyhoo, I got to thinking yesterday that I don't have hardly any blues on my comp so I went to the local illegal mp3 shop here in Cambodia and I've actually got a bunch to choose from. I can get about half of these and I can't decide which ones so I'll put it to you - if you could choose half of these albums, which ones would you choose?

Buddy Guy - Stone Crazy
Kenny Wayne Sheppard - 10 Days Out
Howlin Wolf - His Best
John Lee Hooker - a bunch to choose from
Leadbelly - Leadbelly Midnight Special
Memphis Slim - Beer Drinkin Water
Muddy Waters - Best Of
Willy Dixon - The Chess Box

[DonInNC]

How about "Threadkiller Blues" by T-Bonedaddy? Did I fart in this thread or what?

Anyhoo, I got to thinking yesterday that I don't have hardly any blues on my comp so I went to the local illegal mp3 shop here in Cambodia and I've actually got a bunch to choose from. I can get about half of these and I can't decide which ones so I'll put it to you - if you could choose half of these albums, which ones would you choose?

Buddy Guy - Stone Crazy
Kenny Wayne Sheppard - 10 Days Out
Howlin Wolf - His Best
John Lee Hooker - a bunch to choose from
Leadbelly - Leadbelly Midnight Special
Memphis Slim - Beer Drinkin Water
Muddy Waters - Best Of
Willy Dixon - The Chess Box

Kenny Wayne Sheppard is out from the start. Buddy Guy is good, not my favorite, but it might give you a little variety. The John Lee Hooker anthology is great if you can find that. Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf are awesome. You can't go wrong with the rest.

[deepinthewoods]

[QUOTE=KennethC;1455562]

Speaking of Charley Patton, I think you could make a convincing case for him.

That being said, my vote goes to Muddy Waters. The breadth of his work and consistent quality is peerless - plus he was the greatest bandleader in blues history.
QUOTE]

Sign me up for Charlie Patton any day. That fucker is too weird not to be the real deal. I dig me some Blind Lemon Jefferson on those days when my Charlie Patton 78's are in the pawn shop. If money talks, though, Willie Brown's got something to say:

http://www.popsike.com/php/detaildatar.php?itemnr=260078904245

[Chigworthy]

I would like to throw in Son House for honorable mention. Maybe not "the greatest", but damn good.

Son House is damn good. Since this has become more of a fvorite blues artist thread, I'll throw in three contemporary guys that I dig: R.L. Burnside (r.i.p.), Junior Kimbrough, & Robert Belfour. Robert Belfour is probably my favorite.