The Long Life of 'Stop Breaking Down'
Eric Clapton called Robert Johnson "the most important blues singer who ever lived." Saying that Johnson was a superlative guitar player, impassioned» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticlePatton's 'Pony Blues' Still Kicking
Charley Patton was one of the first to play what we might recognize as Delta blues, putting blues into a strong and syncopated rhythm. A powerful singer» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View Article'Mercury Blues' Still Running after 60 Years
Cars make great musical metaphors, and theyve inspired some famous blues songs like Cadillac Boogie, Maybelline and Mustang Sally. K.C. Douglas came out» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View Article'Nobody Knows You', Classic in Any Genre
This iconic hard-luck song was a hit when Bessie Smith recorded it in 1929, and with its timeless message and memorable melody, Nobody Knows You When Youre» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View Article'Sitting on Top of the World' with the Mississippi Sheiks
The Mississippi Sheiks were a popular string band of the 1920’s and 30’s, with a sound that was a crossover between country music and blues. Though» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticleThe Piedmont Blues of "Crow Jane"
It’s hard to trace the exact source of “Crow Jane”, but it’s a song that has outlasted many others from the early days of the blues. Its roots lay in the» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View Article'Traveling Riverside Blues' and the Roots of Led Zeppelin
Robert Johnson has become a mythical figure of the blues, who acquired his prodigious skills in a deal with the devil at the crossroads. The truth is he» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View Article'Eyesight To The Blind' and the Rock Opera 'Tommy'
Sonny Boy Williamson was a blues originator who helped shape the sound of modern blues. In his life, he knew the first generation of Delta bluesmen, and...» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticleRobert Johnson at the Crossroads represents Delta blues the best
If I had to pick one person to represent Delta blues at the peak of its expression, it would be Robert Johnson. Saying that he was a superlative guitar...» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticleFollowing "Blues With a Feeling" through cutting-edge changes
Here’s a perfect example of a song that changed with the times, and was at the cutting edge of those changes. Drummer and singer Rabon Tarrant recorded...» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View Article'Kokomo Blues' Among the Roots of 'Sweet Home Chicago'
“Sweet Home Chicago” is one of the best known blues songs ever written. But historians seem to agree that when Robert Johnson recorded the song in 1936...» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticleEverybody's got the 'Fever,' but Peggy Lee's got it bad
Chances are you’ve heard Peggy Lee’s iconic version of “Fever”– it’s one of the steamiest love songs ever written. But the original recording was...» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View Article'Black Rat' comes from the most powerful singer to walk the Earth
The urban blues of places like Detroit and Chicago came from country blues. Little Son Joe and his better known partner Memphis Minnie were among the...» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticleHendrix inspired by Earl King's 'Come On'
Earl King is one of the great songwriters and performers to come out of New Orleans, and his legacy continues to live on. Many of his compositions,...» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticleThe long flight of Muddy's 'Honey Bee'
Muddy Waters was born in rural Mississippi, and learned his blues at the feet of Son House and Robert Johnson. By the 1940’s he took that delta blues...» E-Mail This
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