The best blues musicians in the world. The best blues performers of all time

The blues world is full of brilliant musicians who gave their all on every album, and some of them became legends without ever releasing a single record! JazzPeople has chosen the 5 best blues albums recorded by great musicians that influenced not only their own life and creativity, but also influenced the entire development of music in this genre.

B.V. King – Why I Sing the Blues

The “King of the Blues” has released more than 40 albums during his long creative career and will forever remain in the hearts of millions of fans around the world. In 1983, his 17th album, Why I Sing the Blues, was released, which literally answered the question of why King sings the blues.

The tracklist includes such famous compositions by the musician as Ain't Nobody Home, Ghetto Woman, Why I Sing the Blues, To Know You is To Love You, and of course, the first of them was the famous The Thrill is Gone, which at one time received enormous popularity and many awards. The music of the blues maestro has always evoked deep emotions and reciprocal feelings in listeners, and on this disc, King’s most “tart” songs were collected, essentially allowing us to “enter into conversation” with the bluesman and listen to his exciting story, in this case, more than one.

Robert Johnson – King of the Delta Blues Singers

The great Robert Johnson, who according to legend sold his soul to the devil in exchange for learning to play the blues, did not record a single album during his short life (Johnson died at 27), but nevertheless, his music is not only alive to this day , she haunts how famous musicians, and blues fans. The guitarist's entire life was shrouded in an aura of mysticism and strange coincidences, which was directly reflected in his work.

In addition to numerous remakes and re-releases of his compositions, the 1998 album (the official re-release of the 1961 album) definitely deserves attention. King of the Delta Blues Singers. The cover of the record itself already sets the mood for solitary listening and complete immersion in the complex world of Robert Johnson, as if still alive. If you want to try to understand the blues, start with Johnson, with his soul-stirring Cross Road Blues, Walking Blues, Me and the Devil Blues, Hellhound on My Trail, Traveling Riverside Blues.

Stevie Ray Vaughan – Texas Flood

Tragically killed (he crashed in a helicopter in 1990 at the age of 35), he still managed to leave a tremendous mark on the history of blues music. The work of the singer and guitarist stood out for its originality and powerful manner of performance. The musician collaborated and performed in concerts with many equally famous blues figures, for example, Buddy Guy, Albert King and others.

In any improvisation, Vaughn conveyed his feelings and emotions with brilliance and genuine openness, thanks to which the world blues was replenished with new hits.

His colorful album Texas Flood, recorded with the Double Trouble team and released in 1983, included the most famous compositions that later brought the greatest popularity to the musician, including Pride and Joy, Texas Flood, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Lenny, and of course, languid, leisurely Tin Pan Alley. The bluesman shares with his listeners not just his music, but a part of his soul in every melody he performs, and all of them are certainly worthy of close attention.

Buddy Guy – Damn Right, I've Got the Blues

It is not surprising that a bluesman with such musical talent was quickly noticed and taken under his protection. Buddy Guy's unique, virtuoso playing and charisma quickly brought him fame and respect from colleagues and listeners around the world, and an album with a flashy title Damn Right, I've Got the Blues received a Grammy Award in 1991.

The record is replete with excellent lyrics, unique performances and emotional transmission in the compositions, and in style - electro-blues, Chicago, and at times even archaic blues. The dynamics and character of the record are set immediately by the first song - Damn Right, I've Got the Blues, continues in Five Long Years, There Is Something on Your Mind, takes us into the musician's nocturnal world in Black Night, after which it awakens us with the dynamic Let Me Love You Baby, and at the end of the disc the musician pays tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughn, who died in 1990, in the track Rememberin' Stevie.

T-Bone Walker – Good Feelin'

You can get into the spirit of real Texas blues by listening to the album of the temperamental T-Bone Walker, Good Feelin’, recorded in 1969 and received a Grammy a year later. The disc contains the artist’s great tracks – Good Feelin’, Every Day I Have the Blues, Sail On, Little Girl, Sail On, See You Next Time, Vacation Blues.

The bluesman had a significant influence on the work of many talented musicians, including Otis Rush, Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Freddie King and many others. The album reveals Walker's true character, showcasing the greatness of his playing, virtuosity and vocal technique. What makes the record special is that it begins and ends with Walker's informal narration, in which he accompanies himself on the piano. The musician greets the audience and invites them to focus on what comes next.

Blues, a vast layer of musical culture, appeared more than a hundred years ago. Its origins should be sought on the North American continent. The style of blues music was initially determined by jazz trends, and further development was completely independent.

Blues is divided into two main styles: "Chicago" and "Mississippi Delta". In addition, blues music has six directions in composition structure:

• spirituals - a slow, thoughtful melody, full of hopeless sadness;
• gospel (gospel) - church hymns, usually Christmas;
• soul - characterized by a restrained rhythm and rich accompaniment of wind instruments, mainly saxophones and trumpets;
• swing - a varied rhythmic pattern that can change shape over the course of one melody;
• boogie-woogie - very rhythmic, expressive music, usually performed on piano or guitar;
• rhythm and blues (R&B) - usually lush, syncopated compositions with variations and rich arrangements.

Blues performers are mostly professional musicians with concert experience. And what is characteristic is that among them you will not find academically trained ones; each one masters two or three instruments and has a well-trained voice.

Patriarch of the Blues

Music in any form is a responsible matter. Therefore, as a rule, blues performers devote themselves to their favorite work without reserve. Good example to that - the recently deceased patriarch of blues music, B.B. King, a legend in his own way. Blues performers of any level could look up to him. 90 year old musician last day did not let go of the guitar. His business card There was a song called The Thrill Is Gone, which he performed at every concert. B.B. King was one of the few blues musicians who gravitated towards symphonic instruments. In the composition The Thrill Is Gone, the background is created by a cello, then at the right moment, “with the permission” of the guitar, violins enter, leading their part, organically intertwining with the solo instrument.

Vocals and accompaniment

There are a lot of interesting performers in the blues. Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin and Anna King, Albert Collins and the unrivaled Wilson Pickett. One of the founders of the blues, Ray Charles, and his follower, Rufus Thomas. The great harmonica master Curry Bell and vocal virtuoso Robert Gray. You can't list them all. Some blues artists leave and new ones take their place. There have always been talented singers and musicians and, hopefully, there will always be.

The most famous blues performers

Among the most popular singers and guitarists can be distinguished as follows:

• Howlin' Wolf;
• Albert King;
• Buddy Guy;
• Bo Diddley;
• Sun Seals;
• James Brown;
• Jimmy Reed;
• Kenny Neal;
• Luther Ellison;
• Muddy Waters;
• Otis Rush;
• Sam Cooke;
• Willie Dixon.

Now we’ll look at the best blues rock bands from around the world. Besides this, I will give you a list of good albums and Russian groups for this genre.

The best blues rock bands

Connection of blues and early rock The development of the blues rock genre did not take place in a vacuum. This is largely the invention of white British children. They were in love with blues records from Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and other artists that were imported into Britain.

The godfathers of the blues, Alexis Korner and John Mayall created the genre. It still resonates in the hearts of many listeners today. Here are the earliest and best blues rock artists.

Alexis Korner (Alexis Korner)

Known as " father of british blues" A musician and bandleader, Alexis Korner was an integral part of the 1960s blues scene in England.

His own musical groups contributed to the popularization of the blues. And at the beginning of this decade, Korner performed with a long list of British royal music.

In all his work, he never enjoyed huge commercial success. Thus, his influence on the development of blues rock is beyond doubt. The same cannot be said about his peers and younger assistants.

John Mayall (John Mayall)

British musician John Mayall has made a significant contribution to the development of such genres as jazz, blues and blues rock over his fifty-year career.

He discovered and began to develop the instrumental talents of Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mike Taylor.

Mayall has a lot of albums in her luggage. They exhibit blues, blues rock, jazz and African musical styles.

Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac is primarily known around the world for being a groundbreaking chart-topping pop rock act. Led by guitarist Peter Green, the group made a name for itself as a psychedelic blues act.

The group was formed in 1967. And she released her first one in 1968. A combination of original compositions and blues cover art, the album became a commercial success in the UK, spending a year in the charts.

In 1970, due to his illness, Peter Green left the group. But even after his departure, Fleetwood Mac continued to perform and work on new compositions.

Rory Gallagher and Taste

In the second half of the 1960s, at the height of the British blues rock fashion, under the influence of the crowd, Rory Gallagher showed performances of his band Taste.

Thanks to their dynamic showmanship, the group has toured with superstars Yes and Blind Faith. She even performed in 1970 on the Isle of Wight.

The band was formed in 1966 by Rory Gallagher, bassist Eric Keatherin and drummer Norman Damery.

After a concert in the UK, Rory Gallagher's band broke up.

After moving to London, the twenty-year-old guitarist formed a new version of his band Taste with bassist Richard McCracken and drummer John Wilson. After signing a contract with Polydor, recording and touring began throughout the United States and Canada.

For decades, The Rolling Stones were the coolest rock band on the planet. She had best-selling albums. Especially in the USA. That's why musicians are very successful. Their contribution to the development of rock music is enormous.

The Yardbirds and British blues rock

The Yardbirds were one of the most influential and innovative British blues rock bands of the early 1960s. Their influence is felt far beyond their fleeting commercial successes.

Formed in the early 1960s as the Blues Metropolis quartet, by 1963 the group was known as the Yardbirds.

Featuring vocalist Keith Ralph, guitarist Chris Drach and Andrew Topham, bassist Paul Samwel-Smith and drummer Jimi McCarthy, the band quickly made a name for themselves with an electrifying, blend of classic Blues and R&B.

The Yardbirds' first album was called Five Live Yardbirds. It was recorded in 1964 at the Marquee club. Performers began to add elements of pop, rock and jazz music.

Eric Clapton left the band in 1965 to play pure blues with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. New guitarist Jeff Beck brought a new dimension to the band's sound. In 1968, the team broke up.

The best blues rock albums

Below I want to present the best blues rock albums. I recommend listening to them at your leisure. Here is the list:

Blues is when a good person feels bad.

Rejection and loneliness, crying and melancholy, the bitterness of life, seasoned with burning passion, from which the heart is excited - this is the blues. This is not just music, this is real, true magic.

Overflowing with good sadness Bright Side collected two dozen legendary blues compositions that have stood the test of time. Naturally, we could not cover the entire vast layer of this divine music, so we traditionally suggest sharing in the comments those compositions that do not leave you indifferent.

Canned Heat - On The Road Again

Canned Heat blues enthusiasts and collectors have revived a huge number of forgotten blues classics from the 1920s and 30s. The group achieved its greatest fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Well, their most famous song was On The Road Again.

Muddy Waters - Hoochie Coochie Man

The mysterious expression “hoochie coochie man” is known to everyone who loves the blues even a little, because this is the name of a song considered a classic of the genre. The "Hoochie coochie" was the name of a sexy female dance that captivated audiences during the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. But the expression “hoochie coochie man” came into use only after 1954, when Muddy Waters recorded a Willie Dixon song that instantly became popular.

John Lee Hooker - Boom Boom

Boom Boom was released as a single in 1961. By that time, Lee Hooker had been playing at the Apex Bar in Detroit for quite some time and was constantly late for work. When he appeared, the bartender Willa would say, “Boom boom, you’re late again.” And so every evening. One day Lee Hooker thought that this “boom boom” might make a good song. And so it happened.

Nina Simone - I Put A Spell On You

Songwriter Screamin Jay Hawkins originally intended to record I Put A Spell On You in the style of a blues love ballad. However, according to Hawkins, “the producer got the whole band drunk and we recorded this fantastic version. I don't even remember the recording process. Before that I was just a regular blues singer, Jay Hawkins. Then I realized I could make more destructive songs and scream to death.”

In this collection we have included the most sensual version of this song performed by the magnificent Nina Simone.

Elmore James - Dust My Broom

Written by Robert Johnson, Dust My Broom became a blues standard after it was performed by Elmore James. Subsequently, it was covered more than once by other performers, but, in our opinion, the best version You could call it Elmore James' version.

Howlin Wolf - Smokestack Lightnin'

Another blues standard. Wolfe's howl can make you empathize with the author, even if you don't understand the language in which he sings. Incomparable.

Eric Clapton - Layla

Eric Clapton dedicated this song to Pattie Boyd, his wife George Harrison (The Beatles), with whom they secretly met. Layla is an incredibly romantic and touching song about a man hopelessly in love with a woman who also loves him, but remains unavailable.

B.B. King - Three O'Clock Blues

It was this song that made Riley B. King, a native of the cotton plantations, famous. This is a common story like: “I woke up early. Where did my woman go? A true classic performed by the King of the Blues.

Buddy Guy & Junior Wells - Messin' With The Kid

A blues standard performed by Junior Wells and virtuoso guitarist Buddy Guy. It's simply impossible to sit still with this 12-bar blues.

Janis Joplin - Kozmic Blues

As Eric Clapton said, “The blues is the song of a man who has no woman or whose woman has left him.” In the case of Janis Joplin, the blues turned into a real frantic emotional striptease of a hopelessly in love woman. Her blues is not just a song with repetitive vocal lines. These are constantly changing emotional experiences, when plaintive pleas move from quiet sobs to a hoarse desperate cry.

Big Mama Thornton - Hound Dog

Thornton was considered one of the coolest performers of her time. Although Big Mama had only one hit, Hound Dog, it remained at the top of Billboard's rhythm and blues charts for seven weeks in 1953 and sold nearly two million copies in total.

Robert Johnson - Crossroad Blues

For a long time, Johnson tried to master the blues guitar in order to perform with his comrades. However, this art was extremely difficult for him. For some time he parted with his friends and disappeared, and when he appeared in 1931, the level of his skill increased many times over. On this occasion, Johnson told a story that there was a certain magical crossroads at which he made a deal with the devil in exchange for the ability to play the blues. Maybe the damn cool song Crossroad Blues is about this particular crossroads?

Gary Moore - Still Got The Blues

The most famous song in Russia by Gary Moore. According to the musician himself, it was recorded in the studio the first time from start to finish. And we can safely say that even those who do not understand the blues at all know it.

Tom Waits - Blue Valentine

Waits has a distinctive, husky voice, described by critic Daniel Dutchhols as: "It's like it's been soaked in a barrel of bourbon, like it's been left in a smokehouse for months and then ridden over when it's taken out." His lyrical songs are stories, often told in the first person, with grotesque images of seedy places and characters battered by life. An example of such a song is Blue Valentine.

Steve Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood

Another blues standard. The 12-bar blues performed by the virtuoso guitarist touches the soul and gives you goosebumps.

Ruth Brown - I Don't Know

Song from the wonderful film “Tariff for moonlight" She plays at the very moment when main character, nervous before the meeting, lights candles and pours wine into glasses. Ruth Brown's soulful voice is simply captivating.

Harpo Slim - I'm A King Bee

A song with simple lyrics, written in the best blues traditions, helped Slim become famous in an instant. The song was covered many times by different musicians, but no one did it better than Slim. After the Rolling Stones covered the song, Mick Jagger himself said: “What's the point of hearing I'm A King Bee sung by us when Harpo Slim sings it best?”

Willie Dixon - Back Door Man

In the American South, the title "back door man" referred to a person who meets with married woman and leaves out the back door before her husband gets home. It is about such a guy that the magnificent Willie Dixon’s song “Back Door Man”, which became a classic of Chicago blues.

Little Walter - My Baby

With his revolutionary harmonica technique, Little Walter ranks alongside blues masters such as Charlie Parker and Jimi Hendrix. He is considered the performer who set the standard for blues harmonica playing. My Baby, written for Walter Willie Dixon, showcases him perfectly. great game and style.

Blues singers can be called freedom singers. In their songs and in their music they sing about life itself, without embellishment, but at the same time with hope for brighter times. In front of you best blues performers of all time, according to the JazzPeople portal.

Top Blues Artists

They say that the blues is when a good person feels bad. We have collected the most famous blues singers, whose work reflects the structure of this difficult world.

B.B. King

King called all his guitars "Lucille". One story from concert activities is connected with this name. One day, during a performance, two men started a fight and knocked over a kerosene stove. This caused a fire, all the musicians hastily left the establishment, but B.B. King, risking himself, returned for the guitar.

Later, having learned that the cause of the fight was a woman named Lucille, he named his guitar that way as a sign that no woman was worth such nonsense.

For more than 20 years, King struggled with diabetes, which caused his death at the age of 89 on May 14, 2015.

Robert Leroy Johnson

- a bright but quickly passing star in the world of blues music - was born on May 8, 1911. In his youth, he met famous blues musicians Sun House and Willie Brown and decided to start playing blues professionally.

Several months of training with the team only resulted in the guy remaining a good amateur. Then Robert swore that he would play great and disappeared for several months. When he reappeared, his level of play became noticeably higher. Johnson himself said that he contacted the devil. The legend of a musician who sold his soul for the ability to play the blues has spread throughout the world.

Robert Leroy Johnson died at age 28 on August 16, 1938. He was allegedly poisoned by his mistress's husband. His family had no money, so he was buried in the municipal cemetery. Johnson's legacy is difficult to count - although he recorded very little himself, his songs were often performed by many world-famous stars (Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Bob Dylan).

Muddy Waters

- founder of the Chicago school - born on April 4, 1913 in the small town of Rolling Fork. As a child, he learned to play the harmonica, and in his teens he mastered the guitar.

A simple acoustic guitar didn't suit Muddy very well. He really started playing only at the moment when he switched to an electric guitar. The powerful rumble and abrupt voice glorified the aspiring singer and performer. In essence, Muddy Waters' work straddles the line between blues and rock and roll. The musician died on April 30, 1983.

Gary Moore

- famous Irish guitarist, singer and songwriter - born April 4, 1952. In his career, he experimented a lot with various types of music, but still gave preference to the blues.

In one of his interviews, Moore admitted that he likes the dialogue that arises between vocals and guitar in blues. This opens up a wide field for experimentation.

Interestingly, although Gary Moore was left-handed, he learned to play the guitar as a right-hander from childhood and performed this way throughout his life until his death on February 6, 2011.

Eric Clapton

- one of the most influential figures in British rock - born March 30, 1945. The only musician to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times - twice as part of bands and once as a solo artist. Clapton played in various genres, but always gravitated towards the blues, which made his playing recognizable and characteristic.

Sonny Boy Williamson I and II

Sonny Boy Williamson, American blues harmonica player and singer, was born on December 5, 1912.

There are two famous Sonny Boy Williamsons in the world. The fact is that Sonny Boy Williamson II took the pseudonym of the same name in honor of his idol, Sonny Boy Williamson I. The fame of the second Sonya greatly eclipsed the legacy of the first, although it was he who was an innovator in his field.

Sonny Boy was one of the most famous and original harmonica players. He is distinguished by a special style of performance: simple, melodic, smooth. The lyrics of his songs are subtle and lyrical.

Williamson II valued personal comfort rather than fame, so he sometimes allowed himself to disappear for a couple of months to rest, and then reappear on stage. Sonny Boy Williamson II passed away on May 25, 1965.

Stevie Ray Vaughan

American guitarist and singer born October 3, 1954. He was named one of Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Most Famous Guitarists in 2003. He got into music thanks to his older brother Jimmy Vaughn, also a guitarist.

Ray Vaughn himself said that he started playing only out of a desire to imitate his brother, who masterfully selected music by ear. After Stevie's death on August 27, 1990, it was Vaughn who took charge of editing and releasing his legacy.

Joe Cocker

A British singer with a memorable, pleasant low baritone, he was born on May 20, 1944. His best works are rock and blues ballads.

Joe's parents are middle class, and his older brother held a high position. Joe did not go to university and preferred to sing in pubs. Cocker was nominated for a Grammy music award, an Oscar film award, and he was also an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Creative career and Joe Cocker's life was cut short on December 22, 2014.

We present to your attention a list of all times.