Blues Advice Please

[Spacemom]

My dear sweet Auntie told me that she's into "the blues" right now. I'd like to get her a CD of some good music for her birthday, but I know next to nothing about "blues" artists.

Recommendations please? :D

[drdtroit]

1. Some blues artists that represent the "real deal"

Buddy Guy
James Cotton
John Lee Hooker
Robert Johnson
Muddy Waters
Son House
Sonny Boy Willliamson

[murielm99]

3. You forgot the women.

Marcia Ball
Koko Taylor
Bessie Smith
Ma Rainey
Susan Tedeschi
Etta James

[Dudley_DUright]

5. Love that Koko, she can really belt out a song

with style and humor (and her band is excellent as well).

[drdtroit]

10. My list was for original Delta Blues. n/t

[greendog]

12. Rory Block...

...a great female blues singer and a wonderful acoustic guitarist.

[mr blur]

2. If you want the early stuff

from which all else developed, I'd go for Robert Johnson, Son House, Skip James, Blind Wille Johnson, then Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, John Lee Hooker. If I had to choose one out of them it would be Robert Johnson. Or you could get the Scorcese DVD set, variable but mostly excellent.

[Dudley_DUright]

4. Scorcese also has a series of CDs of selected artists

of historical importance that are pretty good, I have about 5-6 in my collection. See following link and scroll to the bottom:

http://www.pbs.org/theblues/bluesshop.html

[NoSheep]

9. There is a video "Looking (searching) for Robt Johnson" done by

John Hammond Jr. I think.

[GOPisEvil]

6. Wasn't there a PBS documentary on the blules?

If so, those compilation CDs would be a good thing.

[Richardo]

11. YEah - Martin Scorsese had a Blues documentary and CD collection

out last year.

[MemphisTiger]

7. Anything from Memphis artists

BB King is a good start. Start with the home of the blues Memphis, TN

[NoSheep]

8. Country Acoustic blues is more interesting than urban electric blues imho

[GumboYaYa]

13. I saw Johnny Lang Saturday night.

For contemporary Blues he is a good choice. Also Keb Mo and Anders Osborne are two bright lights among contemporary blues artists.

Lighting Hopkins and Hounddog Taylor are two more classic Blues artists that are great. I don't think I saw those mentioned yet.

[Dudley_DUright]

16. Look for early Jonny Lang

His last CD was a huge disapointment in my opinion (not really very blues based), but I really like "Lie To Me".

http://www.jonnylang.com/index_main.html

[warrens]

14. Try this

Best blues show I know of, with their picks for best of 2004, plus playlists and stuff.

http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/programs/cominhome/cominhome.asp

[bobthedrummer]

15. Get her started with Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter

Elmore James, John Lee Hooker, Otis Rush, Willie Dixon, Koko Taylor, Etta James, Albert King, HoundDog Taylor, Paul Butterfield Blues Band and even the Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac-but most of all Muddy Waters, Spacemom-maybe a box set of Chess artists.

[Redleg]

17. You can't go wrong with Muddy's Waters Chess recordings.

There is a two disc best of Muddy Waters that is fantastic.

[Spacemom]

18. Thanks Everyone!

At least now I know some names to look for. I was completely lost. :crazy: