Blues Artist of the Week - Albert Collins
Albert Collins (1932-1993) was born in Leona, Texas, as Albert Gene Drewery. Albert was a relatively unknown Blues player known as The Ice Man and The Master of the Telecaster.
He was the cousin of Lightnin' Hopkins but developed his unique style. Alligator.com has described his style as "featuring a combination of icy echo, shattering, ringing, sustained high notes, an ultra-percussive right-hand attack, and an unheard-of minor key guitar tuning (taught to him by his cousin Willow Young)." Albert was also known for never playing with a guitar pick.
His love of the Blues was born out of hearing John Lee Hooker. T-Bone Walker (LINK to POST} and Gatemouth Brown were later influences on his style.
He moved from Texas to Kansas City and then on to California, where he formed his band The Icebreakers.
Another fantastic fact is the Albert replaced Jimi Hendrix in Little Richard's backup band.
He was a humble man that never thought he could make a living as a musician and thus worked as a truck drive and paint mixer. Throughout his music career, he continued to drive his tour bus. His humble approach to his music allowed him to remain focused on his fans and never developed a huge ego.
Albert's level-headed demeanor was vital to his continued mastery and contributions to the Blues.
Start your Listening
Ice Pickin published in 1978 is the place to start.
Albert brings it.
Blues Artist of the Week - Robert Cray
Robert Cray (1953 – Present) was born in Columbus, Georgia, the son of a military veteran who was stationed at Ft. Benning. He started his music career in a band called One-Way Street while in High school in Newport News, Virginia.
Robert’s playing genre is a combination of Blues and Jazz. He plays an immaculate guitar style which seems rather “new”. You can contrast this when he is playing blues. His Blues style is considered old-school without any smoothness of a traditional jazz guitarist.
He was influenced by Albert Collins, Freddie King, and Muddy Waters. After seeing these great artists live, he formed the Robert Cray Band in the ’70s. You may recognize Robert from the big screen. In the 1978 film National Lampoon’s Animal House, Cray played bass in Otis Day and the Knights band.
Robert was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2011. Robert still actively tours.
Listening Pleasure
If you are a new fan, you need to start with the album Strong Persuader.
Robert’s Home Page
Viewing and Listening Pleasure in YouTube
Robert Cray - Smoking Gun
Sweet Home Chicago" (Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter, Robert Cray, Hubert Sumlin...)
Robert Cray - Right Next Door (Because Of Me)
B.B King, Robert Cray Band, Jimmie Vaughan, Hubert Sumlin (Paying the cost to be the boss)
Blues Artist of the Week - Robin Trower
Robin Leonard Trower (1945 – Present) is a Blues Rock musician born in Catford, London, England. He is known for playing a “heavy strings” style of guitar with a lot of reverberation. He has been favorably compared to Jimi Hendrix.
Robin came to popular fame with his late ’60 early 70’s band Procal Harum.
Following Procal Harum, in 1973, he started The Robin Trower Band.
Robin is an ardent fan and user of the Fender Stratocaster guitar.
Robin still actively tours and, as of 2021, is not a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Listening Pleasure
Start your Robin Trower listening experience with what is probably his most popular album Bridge of Sighs.
Bridge of Sighs is a classic bluey rock album.
Personal Website
Robin’s personal website is Robin Trower
Popular YouTube videos
Robin Trower Live - Bridge of Sighs
Robin Trower Live Too Rolling Stoned
Robin Trower on how he gets his psychedelic blues tone
ROBIN TROWER - Bridge Of Sighs (1974 UK TV Appearance) ~ HIGH QUALITY HQ
Enjoy!
Blues Artist of the Week - Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Rosetta Nubin, better known as Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1915-1973), was born in Cotton Plant, Arkansas. Sister Rosetta is a Gospel and Blues Singer, songwriter, guitarist, and recording artist. Sister Rosetta is often referred to as the Original Soul Sister.
Sister Rosetta gained fame as a well-known church gospel singer, where she sang, played guitar and piano.
In the 1920’s she and her mother moved to Chicago. They were part of the significant African American mitigation to the North that brought Jazz from New Orleans and Blues from the Mississippi Delta.
Here is where her virtuoso guitar skills were on display. In the early 20th century, the guitar was a stereotypical sign of masculinity, and most professional guitarists were men; Sister Rosetta held her own artistically and technically on the guitar.
In the 1930’s she moved to NYC, which also signaled her move from Gospel to Jazz and the Blues. She continued to perform and make her mark in the Jazz and Blues scene.
She credited with significantly influencing the creation of Rock and Roll.
In 1957 Sister Rosetta was quoted in the London Daily Mirror as saying, “All this new stuff they call rock’ n’ roll, why, I’ve been playing that for years now”
She was a significant influence on:
• Little Richard
• Jonny Cash
• Carl Perkins
• Chuck Berry
• Elvis Presley
• Jerry Lee Lewis
Sister Rosetta Tharpe was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
Her albums include:
• Gospel Songs (Decca, 1947)
• Blessed Assurance (Decca, 1951)
• Gospel Train (Mercury, 1956)
• The Gospel Truth (Mercury, 1959)
• Sister Rosetta Tharpe (MGM, 1960)
• Spirituals in Rhythm (Promenade, 1960)
• Sister on Tour (Verve, 1961)
• The Gospel Truth (Verve, 1962)
• Precious Memories (Savoy, 1968)
• Gospel Keepsakes (MCA, 1983)
• Live in 1960 (Southland, 1991)
• Live at the Hot Club de France (BMG/Milan, 1991)
Start your listening exploration with her 1957 album Gospel Train, which is considered her best album.
Blues Artist of the Week - Howlin Wolf
Our focused artist started in the South and made his way up north to Chicago. Chester Arthur Burnett, better known as Howlin Wolf (1910-1976), was born in East Point, Mississippi.
Howlin’ Wolf was a Chicago blues singer, guitarist, and harmonica player. Originally from Mississippi, he moved to Chicago in adulthood. Although considered a rival of Muddy Waters, the two teamed up to transform Chicago into a mecca for electric blues from the traditional Mississippi delta acoustic style.
Howlin Wolf was known for his booming voice, aggressive stage presence, and imposing physical stature and Muddy Waters, he is considered one of Chicago’s best-known blues artist.
Howlin significantly influenced The Rolling Stones, who covered Little Red Rooster (written by arranger and songwriter Willie Dixon but first recorded by Howlin).
Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones is quoted as saying, “the pioneers of American blues were “dangerous men”, it was widely regarded that he was referring to Howlin Wolf.
Howlin Wolf’s most famous song and the similarly titled album is Moanin at Midnight, released in 1951.
His other well-known songs included “Smokestack Lightnin’,” “Dog Me Around,” and “Killing Floor.” Howlin’
Wolf was inducted into both the Blues Hall of Fame (1980) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1991).
Two albums to start with Howlin Wolf – Howlin Wolf (1962) and Moanin’ in the Moonlight.
Also, another great resource on Howlin Wolf is the Biography Moanin’ At Midnight: The Life and Times of HOwlin’ Wolf….. Good biography to add to your Blues collection.
Blues Artist of the Week - T-Bone Walker
Aaron Thibeaux Walker (May 28, 1910 — March 16, 1975) was an American blues guitarist, singer, pianist, and songwriter born in Linden, Texas, of African American and Native American (Cherokee) descent.
T-Bone is regarded as the first blues musician to use an electric guitar. He was a pioneer and innovator of the jump blues and electric blues sound. According to Wikipedia, Jump Blues is “is an up-tempo style of blues, usually played by small groups and featuring horn instruments. It was popular in the 1940s and was a precursor of rhythm and blues and rock and roll.”
He was ranked #47 in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Chuck Berry, B.B. King, and Jimi Hendrix were a few artists that credited T-Bone Walker as a guiding influence.
Stormy Monday is his most famous song. T-Bone’s Stormy Monday was cited by BB. King as the inspiration for him to get an electric guitar and was covered by The Allman Brothers Band, Jethro Tull, and even Eva Cassidy. Jimi Hendrix and Steve Miller credited T-Bone with teaching them how to play the guitar with their teeth!
I recommend you start your listening and exploration of T-Bone Walker with T-Bone Blues (1959).
Blues Artist of the Week - Albert King
A blues player I’m currently enjoying is Albert King. Albert King (1923-1992) was the stage name for Albert Nelson. By some accounts, he was born in Indianola, Mississippi, and others (his Social Security application) Aberdeen, Mississippi.
Albert was known as the Velvet Bulldozer given his towering size (6’4” and over 250 LBS) coupled with the fact he drove a bulldozer early in life.
He played a big triangular Gibson Flying V-shaped like a rocket ship named Lucy. He played it upside down, left-handed and didn’t reverse the strings. His style is described as powerful string-bending, with soulful, smoky vocals.
He is a member of both the Blues Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
A great album to start enjoying Albert with is considered his trademark album - Stax singles “Born Under a Bad Sign. Also, Live Wire/Blues Power, recorded at the Fillmore in San Francisco, and the,” “Cross Cut Saw,” “The Hunter,” and “I’ll Play the Blues for You” albums are great.
