To quote Muddy Waters, “The blues had a baby, and they named it rock and roll.” While most fans of the latter are generally aware of this fact, it’s often surprising to discover that so few have actually explored the roots of their favorite music. For many, the blues start with Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones, but the fact remains that a significant portion of the rock and roll vocabulary — both in style and substance — was born in the two-bit recording studios and juke joints of Chicago’s South side, the Mississippi Delta, and Eastern Texas. If you’re looking to get a little deeper into the blues, the following selections make an excellent starting point for any blues collection.
Robert Johnson ~ The Complete Recordings
Johnson’s style defined the Mississippi Delta blues of the first half of the 20th century. With the possible exception of Willie Dixon, no artist has had a bigger impact on modern blues and rock than Robert Johnson. This two-CD boxed set is required listening for any music fan.
Willie Dixon / Various Artists ~ The Willie Dixon Chess Box
Pair this collection with the Robert Johnson boxed set and you have original versions of every blues tune Led Zeppelin ever “wrote.” This two-disc set shows why Willie Dixon may be the most important man in the history of the blues. Dixon penned the hits that legends like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Little Walter built their careers around, and they can all be found on this seminal collection. Be it as a writer, singer, bass-player, teacher, or father-figure, Willie Dixon was Chicago blues.
Muddy Waters ~ Folk Singer
Muddy Waters was the first genuine Blues star, and for good reason: His presence, command, and charisma were unmatched during his 30-plus year career. While this landmark record suggests a selection of folk tunes (and was designed to catch the interest of the growing — primarily white — folk audience of the mid-1960s) it is, in fact, Muddy going back to his Blues roots; mixing his electric delivery with a sparse, acoustic band that included Willie Dixon and a very young Buddy Guy. With Folk Singer, the original crossover album, Waters did more to push the genre to the forefront of a new generation’s conciousness than any record before it. It still stands up as one of the great Blues records ever recorded.
B.B. King ~ Live at the Regal
Put to vinyl in 1965, this is B.B. at his best. A recording that influenced the likes of Eric Clapton and Joe Walsh, Live At The Regal showcases King’s remarkable vocal talents and his signature guitar tone better than any live record I’ve ever heard. Listen to the girls go wild (free of charge, no less)! Frank Sinatra had nothing on the “King of the Blues.”
Albert King ~ King of the Blues Guitar
Albert King was actually one of three Kings Of The Blues, the other two being B.B. King and guitarist Freddie King. All three musicians were great in their own right, but Albert’s raw, cutting tone and funky leads made him a perfect match for the blues-infused rock and roll that was forming in Britain in the mid-1960’s. Albert was a big man with a big sound, and his influence on the up-and-coming kids from England (including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and Pete Townshend) during the decade is undeniable. Later on, players like Stevie Ray Vaughan would incorporate Albert’s signature licks into their own styles.
Bessie Smith ~ The Bessie Smith Collection
Bessie Smith is to blues what Billie Holliday is to jazz. She sang with grace, authority, and a sensibility that few vocalists of any genre could match. To listen to Bessie Smith in the 1920s is to hear a popular music that mainstream America wouldn’t know until some three decades later. Unlike many of her contemporaries, her music is still as vital today as it was nearly a century ago.
T-Bone Walker ~ T-Bone Blues
Bridging the gap between jazz and blues, Aaron Thibadeau “T-Bone” Walker played a sophisticated style of Texas blues that mixed complex melodies with the raw sound of the blues. He was the first great electric blues guitarist, who’s style profoundly affected the playing of a young B.B. King. This collection features his best (and best-known) recordings.
Little Walter ~ His Best (Chess 50th Anniversary Collection)
“Little” Walter Jacobs is widely held as the greatest of all the great blues harmonica players. In addition to penning hits such as “Juke,” his style and authority while cutting sides and sitting in on countless Chess sessions makes him an important piece of the Blues puzzle. Paul Butterfield idolized Little Walter, and many guitar players have acknowledged that his tone and phrasing influenced their own playing.
Elmore James ~ The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James
Elmore James may not be as well known as, say, Muddy Waters or B.B. King, but his influence on blues and rock music is just as significant. Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Billy Gibbons, and many more guitarists owe a debt of gratitude to “Elmo'” and his abrasive, raucous slide guitar and frenzied voice.
Various Artists ~ Alligator Records 20th Anniversary Collection
No record company has done more in the last three decades to promote and preserve the blues tradition than Alligator Records. Released in 1991, this two-CD set contains 35 tracks from the best and the brightest modern blues acts and classic “originators.” If a blues neophyte could only afford to buy one record to start their collection, they’d be hard pressed to find a better selection than this.
Andrew Todd
