# The Essential Music Library: The Blues

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-the-blues/327620>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 24, 2005, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-the-blues/327620 "2005-10-24T04:10:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![mailman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@mailman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mailman)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-the-blues/327620/21 "2005-12-19T16:32:12Z")

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“ **Last Kind Word Blues** ” by Geechie Wiley. It’s on a bunch of compilations, but the “ **Crumb** ” CD is a nice one to get, since it has a fantastic guitarist named Craig Ventrusco playing very obscure music from old Edison Rolls, as well as an incredible pianist named David Boedinghaus who’s version of “ **Ragtime Nightingale** ” by Joseph Lamb makes me want to go back to the 20’s.

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**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-the-blues/327620/22 "2005-12-19T16:35:54Z")

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The Red Devils: King King.

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**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2007, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-the-blues/327620/23 "2007-03-03T08:11:38Z")

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(Give as this is supposed to be a conglomeration-type thread, I don’t think this counts as reviving a zombie.)

Just to add on to the Eric Clapton vein, Cream’s cover of _Sitting on Top of the World_ is darn impressive.

[possibly not applicable]  
For some Blues that have a modern feeling or that only are blues-esque, I would recommend Galactic and Phish (only some of Phish is particularly bluesy, but it definitely is in there.) Not sure how these will hold up over the years, of course, but as a position to work back from.

The Tiger Lillies’ _Clown_ contains some of the darkest and best blues singing I know.

And…Yoko Kanno’s _Blue_ from the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack is beautiful.  
[/possibly not applicable]

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