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Cornbreads
blues album picks… the Holy Grail of blues
Hello all you cats and kittens, I’ve asked
a lot of folks the music they like and frequently
I get asked what CD’s I like the best,
so here it is. While I enjoyed the task of listing
my personal favorite blues albums I found the
task difficult to limit the list to
only ten recordings. The following blues albums
are full of soul, reaping of mojo (my wife dances
when she hears a couple of these) and the ones
I enjoy listening too the most, they are not
in any order. This sampling includes some combined
efforts by different artists. I would rate each
of these albums a five out-of possible five.
Directions: add
these to your collection, play them over and
over again, enjoy.
The
American Folk Blues Festival 1962 –
1966
{Aug 2003 | Hip-O}
16 tracks: Howlin’ Wolf, Otis Rush,
Lonnie Johnson, Sippie Wallace, Memphis
Slim, T-Bone Walker, Junior Wells, Victoria
Spivey, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Sonny Boy
Williamson, Eddie Boyd, Mississippi Fred
McDowell, Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters
– wow these cats got the blues .
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Eric
Clapton & B.B. King – Riding with
the King
{June 2000 | Warner Br.}
Gosh this CD has 12 classic blues songs
featuring Slowhand and the King of the Blues,
could you imagine anything less than spectacular?
This CD won a Grammy in 2001.
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Freddie
King – The Best of Freddie King the
Shelter Records Years
{June 2000 | Capitol}
18 songs from the latter part of his career
providing a sampling of great guitar playing
and good vocals. Listen to this CD and you’ll
hear what inspired many bluesmen that followed.
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Johnnie
Johnson, Clayton Love, Jimmy Vaughn with
the Johnnie Johnson Band – Rockin’
Eighty-Eights
{1991 | Modern Blues}
St. Louis piano blues at its best by three
keyboard giants with plenty of boogy-woogy.
Three talented pianists - they sound really
good, twelve great tracks, I really like
track 4 Bluebird, what a cool song.
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The
London Howlin’ Wolf Sessions featuring
Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman
& Charlie Watts
{July 1989 | Chess}
Originally recorded in 1971. Chicago electric
blues legend meets very established British
musicians playing on this super, super session.
Check out last track, Howlin’ Wolf
was howling.
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Tommy
Bankhead – Message To St. Louis
{Recorded July 1999, released 2000 | Fedora
Records}
Eleven fantastic tracks from the St. Louis
Bluesman. Bankhead sings/plays guitar on
ten originals and the classic "Goin'
to Chicago" . When I got this CD I
played it twice, man is it good!
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John
Mayall & the Blues Breakers with Eric
Clapton
{June 2001 | Universal}
Originally recorded in 1966, Eric was between
bands, the guitar is fantastic – tops
of his game. This is British Blues at its
best baby. Try it – you’ll like
it.
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Eric
Clapton – From the Cradle
{Sept. 1994 | Warner Br.}
Claptons first all blues CD. 16 songs that
Eric emotionally connects too. This CD won
a Grammy in 1995. Not only is guitar playing
great, but the vocals Clapton adds will
blow you away, such soul and feeling.
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Muddy
Waters - Fathers and Sons
{Oct. 2001 | Chess}
Originally recorded in the late 60’s.
This could be the first super session. The
harmonica player is a young twenty something
Paul Butterfield. The ‘Hoochie Coochie
Man’ Waters was never better.
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Buddy
Guy Live: The Real Deal with G.E. Smith
& The Saturday Night Live Band and guest
Johnnie Johnson
{April 1996 | Jive}
Man talk about the blues. This raw powerful
blues recording was done live at Buddy’s
Chicago Club ‘Legends’ it has
plenty of grit.
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Ciao'
for now
'Cornbread' |
