Welllll… Let me pull up the ol’ playlist and see what I’ve got.
BB King, Howlin’ Wolf, Louis Armstrong (only On The Sunny Side Of The Street), Muddy Waters, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, and T-Model Ford. (I mentioned in the harmonica thread that that’s who I’ve been listening to.) I’ve got the best of Leadbelly in my shopping cart.
Of the musicians I have, my favourites are Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. That’s the style I really like. (I have to say though, that the boner pill commercial has adversely affected my enjoyment of Smokestack Lightnin’.) Screamin’ Jay… Well, who doesn’t like Screamin’ Jay? A lot of his stuff is ‘novelty’, but I like him. T-Model Ford is a bit raw. I find his music to be a bit simplistic. And that’s what I like about it.
I do love Muddy Waters, his stuff never grows old.
One blues artist I think is unfairly overlooked is Robert Nighthawk, a favourite of mine from the same era as Howlin’ Wolf & Muddy. Nighthawk died young of a heart attack, sadly. Here’s his finest hour, IMHO: Sweet Black Angel. I want this playing in the background when I’m on my deathbed.
Some of Little Richard’s lesser-known work is in the blues. You might check it out. Also, be sure to check out Ruby Wilson, the Queen of Beale Street. It’s tough to find any decent Youtube vids of her, and I only know of one album she cut, but it’s a killer.
Son Seals is another great blues performer. I saw him a few times, including a show in Pittsburgh where I got to meet and hang out with him. He was quirky. When touring he insisted on a room with two single beds; one for him, the other for his prosthetic leg.
