The best blues performers. The most famous blues performers

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. That's how 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 can be called the version by Elmore James.

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 parts. 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 achieved fame with only one hit, Hound Dog, it remained at the top of Billboard magazine'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 "Moonlight Tariff". It plays at the very moment when the 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 performed 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 man who dated a married woman and left through the back door before the husband returned 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. Written for Walter Willie Dixon, My Baby showcases his superb acting and style.

Where played: Jefferson Airplaine, Jefferson Starship, Starship, The Great Society

Genres: classic rock, blues rock

What's cool: Grace Slick is the lead singer of the legendary psychedelic band Jefferson Airplane. Possessing not only a bewitching voice, but also an attractive appearance (the eyes alone are worth it!), she became a real sex symbol of the 1960s, and the songs White Rabbit and Somebody to Love composed by her became rock classics. Grace Slick's powerful voice opened up new dimensions for female rock and brought her to 20th place on the list of "The 100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll." Unfortunately, her penchant for shocking behavior and addiction to alcohol and drugs significantly blurred her career. However, after leaving the world of music in 1990, Grace found herself in the visual arts. A significant part of her artistic work consists of portraits of her colleagues in the rock scene.

Quote: I sang then with such strength and anger that women of that time were afraid to show. I realized for myself that a woman can ignore stereotypes and do whatever she wants.

Mariska Veres

Where played:: Shocking Blue, solo career

Genres: rhythm and blues, classic rock

What's cool: Mariska Veres is the owner of one of the most powerful and beautiful voices in rock music, a stunning beauty and... an incredibly shy and vulnerable girl. Considering the morals of the late 60s and early 70s, one can imagine how difficult it was for her. However, be that as it may, Shocking Blue reached the pinnacle of musical fame and immortalized themselves and their work largely thanks to Mariska. And even pets in every home know their ubiquitous Venus almost by heart.

Quote: Before, I was just a painted doll; no one could get close to me. Now I'm more open to people.

Janis Joplin

Where played: Big Brother & The Holding Company, Kozmic Blues Band, Full Tilt Boogie Band

Genres: blues rock

What's cool: One of the members of the notorious Club 27. During her short life, Janis Joplin managed to release only four albums, one of which was released after her death, but this does not prevent critics around the world from considering her the best white blues singer and one of the greatest vocalists in the history of rock. -music. Joplin received several major awards, but, again, posthumously - in 1995 she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 2005 she received a Grammy for outstanding achievement, and in 2013 a star was unveiled in her honor on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood. Her creative activity began in 1961, largely under the influence of the then popular beatniks, in whose company the young girl spent the summer of 1960. Joplin was considered unusual, if not strange - she came to classes at the university in Levi's jeans, walked barefoot and carried a zither with her everywhere in case she wanted to sing. A turning point in Joplin's career was her performance as part of Big Brother & The Holding Company at the Montreuil festival. Then the group even performed twice because director Pennebaker wanted to record them on film. We can talk a lot about Janice’s achievements: despite her short life, she accomplished a lot. Just take part in the cult Woodstock festival in 1969 on the same stage with The Who and Hendrix. Disputes about the cause of the singer’s death are still ongoing. Some say that drug addiction is to blame, others insist that it was suicide. One way or another, many agree that the spontaneous and premature death was a very cruel joke of fate, because at that moment Joplin’s life began to improve - she was getting married, and had not used heroin for a long time. But she still wasn’t happy.

Quote: I make love to twenty-five thousand people in a stadium and then go home alone.

Annie Haslam

Where played: Renaissance, solo career

Genres: progressive rock, classic rock

What's cool: All polls like “Best Prog Vocalist” quickly lose their intrigue if Annie is on the list. And it is hardly surprising for you if you have heard at least one song sung to her. Haslam’s pure, soaring to some transcendental heights, seemingly fragile, but at the same time quite powerful five-octave vocals brought her and Renaissance crowds of fans in the 70s. Next - a successful solo career as a singer and artist, a fortunately victorious fight against cancer and periodic reunions of the group for live performances.

Quote: I always wondered: we were so unique and still are, so shouldn't we have done more than we did? At least we should have videotaped all our shows. We had to write down as much as possible. We did practically nothing.

Blues performers have almost never enjoyed the same popularity as the kings of pop music, and not only in our country, but also in the homeland of this style - in the USA. Complicated sound, minor melody and peculiar vocals often repel the mass listener, accustomed to simpler rhythms.

Musicians who adapted this music of the black South and created more accessible derivatives (rhythm and blues, boogie-woogie and rock and roll) gained great fame. Many superstars (Little Richard, Ray Charles and others) began their careers as blues performers and returned to their roots many times.

Blues is not just a style and a way of life. Any narcissism and thoughtless optimism are alien to him - traits characteristic of pop music. The name of the style is derived from the phrase blue devils, literally meaning “blue devils”. It is these bad inhabitants of the underworld that torment the soul of a person for whom everything is wrong in this life. But the energy of the music demonstrates a reluctance to submit to difficult circumstances and expresses complete determination to fight them.

Folk music, stylistically formed throughout the 19th century, became known to mass listeners in the twenties of the next century. Huddie Ledbetter and Lemon Jefferson, the first popular blues artists, in a sense broke the monolithic cultural picture of the Jazz Age and diluted the dominance of big bands with a new sound. Mamie Smith recorded the album Crazy Blues, which suddenly became very popular among white and colored people.

The thirties and forties of the 20th century became the era of boogie-woogie. This new direction was characterized by an increased role in the use of organs, faster tempo and increased expressiveness of vocals. The overall harmony remained the same, but the sound was as close as possible to the tastes and preferences of the mass listener. blues of the mid and late forties - Joe Turner, Jimmy Rushing - created the basis for what a few years later would be called rock and roll, with all the characteristic features of this style (a powerful rich sound created, as a rule, by four musicians, a dance rhythm and in an extremely exalted stage manner).

Blues performers of the early forties and sixties, such as B.B. King, Sony Boy Williamson, Ruth Brown, Besie Smith and many others, created masterpieces that enriched the treasury of world music, as well as works virtually unknown to modern listeners. This music is enjoyed only by a few fans who know, appreciate and collect recordings by their favorite artists.

The genre is popularized by many modern blues performers. Foreign musicians such as Eric Clapton and Chris Rea perform compositions and sometimes record joint albums with older classics who made a huge contribution to the formation of the style.

Russian blues musicians ("Chizh and Co", "Road to Mississippi", "Blues League", etc.) went their own way. They create their own compositions, in which, in addition to the characteristic minor melody, ironic lyrics play an important role, expressing the same rebellion and dignity of a good person who feels bad...

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 selected the 5 best blues albums recorded by great musicians that influenced not only their own lives and work, 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 , it haunts both 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 tune 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.

Many, many rock musicians were inspired by the blues. His sadness, sincerity and openness to the hearts of ordinary people. And wherever the blues sounded, whether on plantations, on river levees, or in a freight train car, he was the friend of the toiler and the wanderer, singing about his misadventures, skillfully moving his hand all over the fretboard. So we take a moment to honor the genre by listing the Top 5 great bluesmen according to the site website. At the end of the article, a bonus is the opportunity to download for free the blues of famous bluesmen, which this article is about.

Blues on guitar. Top 5 great bluesmen according to the website site

5. T-Bone Walker

The blues wouldn't be what it is today without T-Bone Walker and his innovative electric guitar sound. T-Bone Walker's development as a musician was greatly influenced by the musical roots of his family. His stepfather taught him to play the guitar. By the age of 15, T-Bone was already performing professionally, and in 1929 he made his first recordings. His distinctive style: smooth phrasing, vibrato and blues bends. Playing Gibson guitars, Walker left a great legacy in this genre of music. Listen to T-Bone Blues, or find this composition in the collection “Blues on Guitar Tabs” (at the end of the article) and then you will not confuse Walker’s playing with someone else.

4. Robert Johnson (Robert Johnson)

Many famous rockers, including Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Ry Cooder, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith and others, learned about the world of guitar sound while performing this musician’s compositions. The feature film Crossroads (1986), in which another guitar genius, Steve Vai, starred, is dedicated to the figure of Robert Johnson.

The life and work of Robert Johnson is shrouded in many myths and idle speculation. In particular, there is a legend that for the sake of the ability to play the guitar, this man sold his soul to the Devil, making a deal at a magical crossroads. Robert Johnson is one of the first musicians (if not the first!) to use a slide (bottleneck) when playing. A slide is a hollow tube, most often the neck of a bottle (hence the name - bottleneck), which slides along the strings, emitting specific guitar sounds, which in their expression are comparable only to the human voice. Johnson is said to have played Stella and Kalamazoo guitars. To understand the peculiarities of Robert Johnson's style, listen to his Cross Road Blues. The gtp tabs of this musician will help you learn the blues.

3. Eric Clapton (Eric Clapton)

Eric Clapton is known for the variety of styles in which he worked, but the blues has always remained in the heart and soul of this musician. Eric was brought up in a musical family and started playing guitar at the age of 13. Blues has become an integral part of the musician's career. Among the guitarists who influenced his work, Eric names BB King, Freddie King and Robert Johnson. Clapton used many guitars during his long musical career. Including Gibson Les Paul and Fender Stratocaster. Listen to Eric Clapton's style in Bell Bottom Blues.

2. Stevie Ray Vaughan (Stevie Ray Vaughan)

Steven Ray Vaughn is from Dallas, Texas. The maestro began pouring out his soul to the guitar at the age of 7. Steve's style is recognizable by his distinctive right-hand lever and tremolo work. Jazz, blues and rock are the styles in which Steve Ray Vaughn's talent was most clearly revealed. The musician primarily plays Fender Stratocaster guitars. The composition Texas Flood will help you hear first-class blues from Steve. Now hurry up for the blues gtp tabs to try to adopt this unsurpassed presentation!

1. BB King

This man is considered by many to be the most influential guitarist of all time. And these are not empty words, if you remember how many talented musicians BB influenced. The story of his life is, in essence, the story of the electric blues. A native of Mississippi, B.B. King sang in the church choir since childhood. But music really began to speak to him at the age of 12, with the advent of the guitar in his life. Thanks to his long career, the great bluesman has released over 50 albums. BB King became famous thanks to his special sound style, which is characterized by a refined vibrato and smooth bends. Numerous Grammy awards, induction into the Blues Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and universal love made King a legend during his lifetime. BB King plays a Gibson ES-355 guitar, named after his feminine name, Lusssil. Listen to the King of the Blues on one of his most iconic themes. The Thrill Is Gone. The passion is gone, baby!