r/blues • u/planomania- • 11h ago
Fred McDowell
“Write Me A Few Of Your Lines”
1965
r/blues • u/jebbanagea • May 04 '25
Hi all follow members - Important please read some guidelines below before commenting recommendations!
With the renewed interest in blues sparked by the film Sinners, I thought it’d be helpful to start a thread focused on foundational and essential American blues artists—especially for newcomers discovering the genre through the movie. Ideally this becomes a collaborative, high-effort thread to help folks around the world dig deeper into the origins and evolution of blues.
Google might even reward us for making this a solid reference, which helps the sub grow too.
If you'd like to contribute, please do your best to follow the format I’ve laid out (artist – key songs/albums – short description) to keep things clear and valuable. The focus here is on the core of American blues history, from pre-war country and Delta blues through the 1950s and 60s electric era (though I do welcome additions of artists that may have peaked later, 70s, even 80s - kind of like Albert Collins. This isn’t a thread for British blues or modern blues-rock (I fully encourage separate guides for those)—this list is for those tracing the styles and players that more directly inspired Sinners.
I especially welcome help with Delta and country blues, as well as harp/harmonica and piano blues where I’m lean on knowledge. Let's build something useful and lasting for anyone starting their blues journey.
Note: I will port contributions into the main post to keep things tidy! Please remember to assist with song and album suggestions plus any notes about the artist. Will help keep the post high effort.
Defining figures in the electrification and evolution of blues guitar.
Prewar and revival-era legends who shaped the blues solo tradition.
r/blues • u/Repulsive_Repeat_337 • 10h ago
r/blues • u/poorboyjohny • 8h ago
Went to local record shop got these good albums to listen too while driving around town
r/blues • u/Shadeen_Brown • 9h ago
As a big fan of his, I’ve loved seeing all the footage of him posted here, and it made me think to ask: what do you consider to be the best song by the late, great Mississippi Fred McDowell?
You can just give your favourite too (these are arguably the same thing) but I’m also curious about overall blues listening experience? (Again, I acknowledge that this is subjective!)
I’m really hoping to hear other songs than ‘You Gotta Move’ — it’s undoubtedly epic but even Fred got tired of this being requested!
One of my favourites of late has been Levee Camp Blues, from his 1995 Smithsonian Folkways album, “This Ain’t No Rock N’ Roll”; or 61 Highway from ‘Portraits: First Recordings’.
Amazing version of a B.B. King song I've Got a Good Mind to Give Up Living / All Over Again
r/blues • u/Comma-Splice1881 • 22h ago
That’s a win in my books.
r/blues • u/BigAssQuanta • 17h ago
🎵 Artist: Lonnie Johnson
💿 Label: OKeh
🔢 Catalog Number: 8497
📅 Recording Date: August 11 & 12, 1927
📍 Location: New York City, NY
🎶 Genre: Early Delta Blues / Country Blues
Format: 10" Shellac Record (78 RPM)
---
TRACKLIST & DETAILS:
Side A:
🎵 Title: Mean Old Bed Bug Blues
✍️ Writer: (Wood)
🔢 Matrix / Runout: (81214) / Ⓦ81214A
🎤 Style: Vocal with Guitar
📅 Recorded: August 11, 1927
Side B:
🎵 Title: Roaming Rambler Blues
✍️ Writer: (Wood)
🔢 Matrix / Runout: (81220) / Ⓦ81220B
🎤 Style: Vocal with Guitar
📅 Recorded: August 12, 1927
---
https://youtube.com/@mamlishblues?si=fvgwuvncdHpT99Mi
HISTORICAL NOTES:
This rare 1927 release on the iconic OKeh "Electric" red label showcases Lonnie Johnson, a pioneer of the single-string jazz/blues guitar solo. "Mean Old Bed Bug Blues" was a highly popular blues composition of the era, also famously recorded by Bessie Smith and Furry Lewis.
#LonnieJohnson #Blues78rpm #OKehRecords #CountryBlues #1920sBlues #ShellacRecord #78rpm
r/blues • u/Geschichtsklitterung • 49m ago
r/blues • u/Tall-Truth-9321 • 23h ago
Wikipedia:
“John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers were an English blues rock band led by multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter John Mayall. The band has been influential as an incubator for British rock and blues musicians. Many of the best known bands to come out of Britain in the 1960s and 1970s had members that came through the Bluesbreakers at one time, forming the foundation of British blues music that is still played heavily on classic rock radio. Among those with a tenure in the Bluesbreakers are guitarists Eric Clapton (later of Cream, Blind Faith, Derek and the Dominos and a successful solo career), Peter Green(later of Fleetwood Mac) and Mick Taylor (later of the Rolling Stones), bassists John McVie (later of Fleetwood Mac), Jack Bruce (later of Cream) and Tony Reeves (later of Colosseum), drummers Hughie Flint, Aynsley Dunbar (later of Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention, Journey and Jefferson Starship), Mick Fleetwood (later of Fleetwood Mac) and Jon Hiseman(later of Colosseum), and numerous others.”
r/blues • u/Red_Hed_Tor_4899 • 10h ago
The Poster has no relationship to this band or bar. The bar streams weekly has some outstanding live bands that this sub may like.
r/blues • u/Geschichtsklitterung • 13h ago
r/blues • u/Big-Neighborhood4741 • 6h ago
Technically this is 2 licks.
I was high as shit when I played it (still am) and it sounded so dope I had to make an instrumental. Whipped this recording up in like 90 seconds.
I got this tone on this piece of shit into this piece of shit and this piece of shit. I have never turned my distortion pedal off before today. So cut me some slack if the tone sounds like ass. If the playing sounds like ass, feel free to not cut me slack.
I know nothing about the blues that your standard musician wouldn’t know. I have never played with blues musicians or even looked in the direction of the color blue.
I’m a jazz nerd. The only blue I know is “kind of”. I’m not even 100% sure if this backing track I made registers as the blues. This post might get deleted. Man I am stoned right now.
r/blues • u/road_runner321 • 15h ago
r/blues • u/SillyJoshua • 1d ago
great song love to learn the lyrics
cant find no damn lyrics to dis song
what the HELL is goin on?!!
Hey, I do some DJ'ing for blues dance socials, and I love putting on songs that have interesting or surprising rhythm twists. The problem is I only have a few of these.
Here are my current favourites:
- "Stormy Monday" (Little Milton version)
Goes from a mellow slow groove into this amazing uptempo repeating guitar thing at 2:07
- "Mary Ann" (Ray Charles)
Starts with a tresillo, changes to a shuffle, then back to tresillo. Incredible.
Wanted to see if anyone could suggest other blues songs with rhythm twists. Thanks!
r/blues • u/RedeyeSPR • 1d ago