I like blues. That said, there's all kinds of blues out there, but my favorite kind of blues is a very slow, almost quiet, blues song, preferably instrumental, with no horns (no sax), and possibly a strong emphasis on a melodic lead guitar. I'm looking for some good songs that meet this or similar criteria (background music in my office). I've found some great stuff, and am looking for more. What are some of your favorite songs/artists for this kind of music? -- droxford
Somebody Loan Me a Dime - Boz Scaggs All I can do Is Cry - Savoy Brown Season Of The Witch - Super Session (Kooper, Bloomfield)
When I was in Nashville, I used to check out a lot of blues legends....Koko Taylor, BB King, Bo Diddley....then I saw Buddy Guy at this club on 2nd avenue and was really impressed. I saw Buddy Guy a couple of times at Jazz Fest and he's still my favorite. He's playing at BB King's on Wed and I plan on going. One of the coolest cameos I saw at a Dead show in Chicago was when James Cotton came out and jammed with them on the harmonica. I really like the harmonica blues. Also Delta blues stuff like Robert Johnson... When Clapton played with Cream, they did some sweet blues covers. I love Cream's "Spoonful". Hendrix's blues album is great as well.
the thrill is gone by bb king any thing of bb is good, john mayall and the blues breakers is good, SRV, and i really like muddy waters
Although there is more regular blues here than slow blues, I like pretty much any song done by: Howlin' Wolf (Evil, Spoonful, Smokestack Lightnin, Back Door Man, Forty-Four, etc.) Muddy Waters (Mannish Boy, Rollin' Stone, Honey Bee, Hoochie Coochie Man, Got Me Mojo Working, She's Nineteen Years Old, etc.) as well as Buddy Guy, Little Walter, Son House, Robert Johnson, Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller), John Lee Hooker, and Elmore James.
Anything by Peter Green, especially the early Fleetwood Mac albums. Alvin Lee- Blues in C Micheal Bloomfield- Essential Blues Allbum Albert King Albert Collins
i like the delta/acoustic based blues stuff more than the electrified. manny pretty much covered it (early muddy waters especially) id like to add a guy named mississippi fred mcdowel too. he's my favorite bluesman. robert johnson influenced, but i like him better. his records were recorded in his house and you can hear kids and doors closing in the background. and he makes good use of the kazoo as well.
I'm not a big blues fan, but one song I hear on the radio that I have to listen to everytime is "Blue Jean Blues" by ZZ Top.
Well Manny already mentioned Honey Bee, by Muddy Waters. That song is excellent. Robert Johnson's whole collection would also be a 'can't lose' bet.
You beat me to it. That's the first song I thought of when I saw the thread title. Some really tasty guitar work by Billy Gibbons. You gotta love 'The Home Team'.
One song that I really like by an artist that is more rock but was heavily influenced by the blues was "Tea for One" by Zeppelin which was the last track on the "Presence" album. Yea, I know that Page and Plant used *questionable* methods or tactics in professing their love for the blues (I am going to head off allan at the past! ), but regardless, that song that I mentioned is still a great slow bluesy song.
Downloading the free version of Winamp gives you free access to a hundred internet radio stations and at least 3 or 4 are blues stations. My personal favorite is KPIG out of Freedom California. They play Blues, Country Rock and AOR with a hippie community feel that takes me back to the days when FM radio mattered.
Slow, instrumental blues with no horns. Wow, that's a very limited category. I like the song Supernatural by John Mayall's Breakers with Peter Green on Guitar. For blues instrumentals, nothing beats Freddy King for me. For slow brooding minor key stuff, I like early Otis Rush. Little Walter is one of my favorites, but it is not particularly slow or instrumental, but has great harmonica playing. I love his version of Key To The Highway which appears on the Chess Blues boxed set. That set is a great overview of the whole Chicago scene from the late 40's I believe until the late 60's.
My favorite "close down the bar" song of all time. "Pass Out" by Houston's own Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson.
For slow blues, preferably instrumental, check out works by T-Bone Walker & Freddie King. Both of those artists have many songs that fall into the category you are looking for.
