# 'Must-have' Blues **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 27, 2012, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095 "2012-02-27T00:03:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/1 "2012-02-27T00:03:26Z")
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](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=642706) 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. So who else should I get? ---
**Author:** ![Cheryl44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@Cheryl44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheryl44)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/2 "2012-02-27T00:06:46Z")
Robert Johnson. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/3 "2012-02-27T01:22:49Z")
> [@Cheryl44](#): > > Robert Johnson. People are always trying to Faust him on me! (Good recommendation.) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/4 "2012-02-27T01:39:29Z")
[Babysitter Blues](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0rY3dn5kos) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/5 "2012-02-27T01:43:15Z")
Albert Collins eta: I just checked silenus’ link. Guess who the guitarist is in that video? ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/6 "2012-02-27T01:56:50Z")
[T-Bone Walker](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1xvx0UHa0A) ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/7 "2012-02-27T02:04:53Z")
Not as electric as you like but I love [Mississippi John Hurt](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_John_Hurt). Of course [Albert King](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_King) if you want something more electric. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/8 "2012-02-27T02:22:40Z")
John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/9 "2012-02-27T02:23:27Z")
For a more modern blues, try [Otis Taylor](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLGXlHJ7F4c) or [Deborah Coleman](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XBV6i2xaAQ) ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/10 "2012-02-27T10:51:57Z")
From the artists the OP mentions, I’d suggest R.L. Burnside. And for older stuff:Son House. ---
**Author:** ![jinty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jinty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jinty)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/11 "2012-02-27T14:01:37Z")
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](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5F3GLm4Zjk). I want this playing in the background when I’m on my deathbed. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/12 "2012-02-27T14:21:17Z")
[Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets featuring Sam Myers](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsvPP9oxOjs). Sam died a couple of years ago, but up until that point he toured. Great guy. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/13 "2012-02-27T14:32:10Z")
**’Must-have’ Blues** i’ve never heard that tune, i’ll have to find it. agree John Mayall and his groups are good. Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield did good electric. Paul Butterfield Blues Band was good electric. ---
**Author:** ![Dick\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Dick\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dick_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/14 "2012-02-27T15:11:39Z")
> [@Panurge](#): > > From the artists the OP mentions, I’d suggest R.L. Burnside. > > And for older stuff:Son House. R.L Burnside is great, The OP might enjoy Leadbelly [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y7CGKZOOpg&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y7CGKZOOpg&feature=related) Just started listening to Little Milton recently myself, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V8h2uq5wFQ](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V8h2uq5wFQ) “Think of Me” is a great album [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZzpH2ehqxs](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZzpH2ehqxs) ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/15 "2012-02-27T15:17:50Z")
Willie Dixon. Can’t go wrong there. ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/16 "2012-02-27T16:03:54Z")
A few more essentials… Charley Patton Blind Willie Johnson Skip James Robert Nighthawk Freddie King Otis Rush Little Walter Otis Spann Blind Willie McTell ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/17 "2012-02-27T16:28:19Z")
John Lee Hooker Lightnin’ Hopkins Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) Probably also Elmore James, Slim Harpo Agreed, Wolf was the man. I love Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, but Wolf was on a different planet. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/18 "2012-02-27T16:43:38Z")
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. Also, and of course, Stevie Ray Vaughn. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/19 "2012-02-27T16:52:22Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > Probably also Elmore James, > . I can not believe I didn’t mention Elmore James first. My last band was named after him. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095/20 "2012-02-27T16:53:38Z")
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. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-blues/614095.md?page=2)