Blues
The blues emerged from the folk music of former enslaved Africans in the South and their descendants. The music is heavily influenced by West African culture and musical traditions, which evolved as black musicians migrated to the cities. The blues resonates throughout much of American and Western popular music, with echoes in ragtime, jazz, bluegrass, R&B, rock and roll, hip-hop, country music, and conventional pop songs. By the 1920s, blues music became characterized by the use of specific chord progressions, now known as the twelve-bar blues, and the use of the blue, or bent, notes. Blue notes are flattened third, fifth, and seventh notes of the major scale.
The blues is a state of mind that is often used in lyrics to describe a depressed mood. Early blues lyrics consisted of a single line repeated four times. It wasn't until the 20th Century that the more standard AAB pattern emerged. Lyrics touch upon troubled times and hardships. Of course, not all blues musicians sing about the "blues." There is the occasional "happy" song. The blues are often expressed musically through guitar, harmonica and/or voice. Those in the blues' state of mind include Muddy Waters 
, and B.B. King .
Noted Artists
Blues-Rock Fusion Pioneers
British Blues-Rock Fusion Pioneers
Contemporary Blues-Rock-Pop Fusion
Sub-Genres
- Boogie-woogie: piano-based blues that become popular in the 1930s and 40s. The style expanded to include up to three pianos, guitars, big band, and country and western music. Boogie-woogie is associated with dancing.
- Classic female blues: the genre spanned from 1920 to 1929. These women were pioneers of their time because they were among the first female black singers recorded. Some of the most popular singers were Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Mamie Smith, Ethel Waters, and Ida Cox.
- Country blues: also known as folk blues, and refers to strictly acoustic guitar driven blues.
- Delta blues: the earliest form of blues which originated in the Mississippi Delta. Guitars and harmonicas dominate this genre, with an emphasis on rhythm and bottleneck slide.
- Electric blues: is distinguished by the use of an amplifier for the instruments. It later morphed into blues-rock.
Essential Albums to Get You Started
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- Robert Johnson is one of the most influential blues guitarists in history.
- Muddy Waters, Jimmy Page ,Keith Richards , and Eric Clapton all pay homage to this legend.
- The album highlights his visionary guitar work.
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- Stevie Ray Vaughan's debut album launched his career.
- The album also launched a revival of blues music in the 1980s.
- Guitar Player Magazine voted Vaughan as "Best New Talent," "Best Electric Blues Guitar Player," and Texas Flood as "Best Guitar Album."
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- Quite easily the best live blues album of all time.
- The album was recorded in 1964, at the height of B.B. King's career.
- King is one of the most respected and most well-known blues artists in the world.
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- Albert King is one of the three 'great kings' of blues.
- King has influenced Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Cray , Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton.
- King combines hard blues and deep soul to create an astounding sound.
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- He is the "Father of the Chicago Blues" and considered one of the greatest artists of all time.
- His music showcases his deep understanding and knowledge about the history of the blues.
- He's not the greatest blues guitarist; but what he does do, he does with precision and talent.
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