Line #74 Main/Blues


1	->''"The blues is a low-down, aching chill; if you ain't never had 'em, honey, I hope you never will."''
2	-->-- '''Son House'''
3
4	Blues, aka '''the''' blues, aka El Big Grandaddy of RockAndRoll, is a term used to denote a musical genre, but it has become slightly genericized and it can also be used to describe musical works that ''don't'' belong to that genre but evoke aspects of it.
5
6	ToMakeALongStoryShort: The blues was largely [[TropeMakers created]] by African-American communities in the DeepSouth, following [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar emancipation]]. The blues evolved from musical styles specific to those communities, such as spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, and chants, by shifting the focus from the group to the individual. The first published blues song was "Dallas Blues" by Hart Wand, in 1912, although there are reportedly older songs. The genre then went on to split into many, ''many'' sub-genres according to location. Some of the most well-known sub-genres are:
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8	* '''Delta blues:''' A rural style with prominent fingerpicking and slide-guitars; arguably the most influential sub-genres.
9	* '''Chicago blues:''' An urban delta blues-based style relying on harmonica, amplification and simple progressions.
10	* '''Piedmont blues:''' Relying on ragtime-based fingerpicking techniques.
11	* '''Memphis blues:''' Much more danceable, influenced by jug bands.
12	* '''Boogie-woogie:''' A piano-based style with a fast-paced tempo that originating from Texas.
13	* '''West coast blues:''' A more Jazz-infected urban style, typically with a horn section and jazzy guitar work.
14	* '''Swamp blues:''' Basically a rawer, more primitive variant of Chicago blues originating from Lousiana.
15
16	While "blues" originally referred to any and all secular music made by black Americans, it eventually became a much more distinctive genre during the 20's and 30's, largely thanks to TropeCodifier Music/RobertJohnson and others. Some elements which are commonly associated with blues are:
17	* The twelve-bar chord progression. The "eight-bar chord progression" is not as known but its easily the second most frequent progression.
18	* Licks and solos in the pentatonic scale, with heavy use of "blue notes" (the flattened third, fifth and seventh of the associated major scale)[[note]] Formally speaking blue notes are anywhere in between the natural note and the flat, but are usually simplified into accidentals when written down and in situations where microtonality isn't feasible. [[/note]]
19	* "Shuffle" or "swing" rhythm rather than "straight" rhythm (explained in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW6cL7jMhJ0 this video]]), particularly on earlier records. Latin and "Funk" rhythms have subsequently become usual as well.
20	* Lines of lyrics that are repeated twice, then followed by another line which rhymes with it and isn't repeated
21	* Lyrics about lost love, poverty, and "hard times" in general, often full of StockPhrases like 'woke up this morning' or 'wring my hands and cry'.
22
23	The most important development in the genre was the appearance of electrified blues in TheFifties, with its stronghold in Chicago. Electric blues, as represented by Music/MuddyWaters, Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon, and others, was one of the first genres to adopt electric guitars and the classic guitar-bass-drums lineup, paving the way for the future appearance of RockAndRoll. {{Jazz}} is another genre which developed out of the blues. In fact, most of popular music as we know it today -- from {{Soul}} and {{Funk}} to HeavyMetal and {{Rap}} -- ultimately derives from the blues. As Willie Dixon put it, "The blues is the roots, the rest is the fruits."
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25	Another form of the genre appeared in TheSixties - BluesRock.
26	----
27	!!Blues performers:
28	[[index]]
29	* Creator/LongJohnBaldry
30	* Music/BarbecueBob: the stage name of Robert Hicks, an early American Piedmont blues musician. He got his nickname from working as a cook in a barbecue restaurant. He was born in 1902 and died in 1931.
31	* Music/BlindBlake (a hugely influential ragtime guitarist)[[note]]Many early bluesmen were indeed blind. It may not make playing the instrument particularly easy, but back then it was one of the few jobs they could do.[[/note]]
32	* Music/BlindBoyFuller (the first really successful acoustic bluesman)
33	* Music/CaptainBeefheart - His management referred to him as "potentially the greatest white blues singer of all time". He is best known for a series of experimental albums which contained an uncategorizable mix of [[{{Jazz}} Free Jazz]], Blues and [[ProgressiveRock Art Rock]].
34	** 1967: ''Music/SafeAsMilk''
35	** 1968: ''Music/StrictlyPersonal''
36	** 1969: ''Music/TroutMaskReplica''
37	** 1970: ''Music/LickMyDecalsOffBaby''
38	** 1974: ''Music/UnconditionallyGuaranteed''
39	** 1974: ''Music/BluejeansAndMoonbeams''
40	** 1975: ''Music/BongoFury'' (with Music/FrankZappa)
41	** 1978: ''Music/ShinyBeast''
42	** 1980: ''Music/DocAtTheRadarStation''
43	** 1982: ''Music/IceCreamForCrow''
44	* Music/EricClapton[[note]]Also see Music/{{Cream}}, Music/TheYardbirds, and Music/DerekAndTheDominos[[/note]] - Guitarist who earned the nickname "God" in TheSixties, and is still considered one of the best guitarists in rock.
45	** ''Music/FromTheCradle'' was Clapton's first true, grits and all blues album. He did another one in 2004, ''Me and [[Music/RobertJohnson Mr. Johnson]]'' as a tribute to the man (see below).
46	* Music/RebeccaFerguson: Not to be confused by the [[Creator/RebeccaFerguson actress]] of the same name.
47	* Music/ReverendGaryDavis (blind Baptist minister)
48	* Music/BoDiddley (a key player in the transition from electric blues to rock and roll)
49	* Music/WillieDixon (the greatest blues songwriter of all time, especially during the early electric era; wrote most of Howlin' Wolf's material)
50	* Music/MarianneFaithfull: From the late 1970s and 1980s on she reinvented herself as a jazz and blues singer.
51	* Music/SamanthaFish: Guitarist/singer from the 2010s who primarily plays blues, with occasional forays into roots rock, country, or R&B.
52	* Music/BuddyGuy (the big blues guitarist of the '60s in America, as well as one of the pioneers of "heavy" electric blues guitar; had a big impact on Music/JimiHendrix and Music/EricClapton). He continues to tour to this day.
53	* Music/JeffHealey
54	* Music/JohnLeeHooker (one of the few to smoothly transfer his Delta style to the electric guitar; notable for his one-chord songs and his "talking" vocal style)
55	* Music/SonHouse (excellent early slide guitarist, though perhaps most famous for teaching Robert Johnson)
56	* Music/MississippiJohnHurt
57	** "[[Music/StaggerLee Stack O' Lee Blues]]"
58	* [[Music/HowlinWolf Howlin' Wolf]] (one of the many fine artists contracted to Chess back in the day, notable for a voice you could sand with; also notable for being smart and avoiding the common pitfalls that afflicted blues artists, namely alcohol abuse, gambling, sketchy girlfriends, and bad business decisions)
59	** 1959 - ''Music/MoaninInTheMoonlight''
60	** 1969 - ''Music/TheHowlinWolfAlbum''
61	* Music/{{Hozier}} (rare modern example)
62	* Music/ElmoreJames (one of the first great electric slide guitarists, popularised Robert Johnson's "Dust My Broom")
63	* Music/SkipJames
64	* Music/BlindLemonJefferson (another blind bluesman, apparently had a habit of wearing spectacles if the publicity photo is to be believed)
65	* Music/BlindWillieJohnson (also a blind Baptist minister)
66	* Music/LonnieJohnson (one of the first blues guitarists to go electric)
67	* Music/RobertJohnson (the guy who was rumoured to have sold his soul to the devil for talent, one of the most influential blues musicians ever)
68	** 1990 - ''Music/RobertJohnsonTheCompleteRecordings''
69	* Music/TommyJohnson (popularised the crossroads myth before Johnson; also, Canned Heat took their name from a song of his)
70	* Music/JuniorKimbrough (a notable blues musician "rediscovered" in the 90s for being apart of the [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_country_blues North Mississippi hill country blues]] tradition)
71	** ''Music/SadDaysLonelyNights''
72	* Music/AlbertKing (another pioneer of heavy electric guitar; his solos were revolutionary for their day; he was also a physically imposing man at 6'5" tall.)
73	* [[Music/BBKing B.B. King]] (one of the finest blues guitarists ever)
74	* Music/LeadBelly (Music/{{Nirvana}}'s favourite)
75	* Music/MaRainey (the first female blues singer, if not the first blues singer, period[[note]]but not the first to be recorded, who was Mamie Smith[[/note]], had a big influence on Bessie Smith and others)
76	* Music/JohnMayall: Founded the Bluesbreakers, the "finishing school for British blues guitarists". Nearly every British blues player you've ever heard of was a Bluesbreaker at some point.
77	* Music/JohnMayer: A highly blues-influenced pop rock singer and guitarist who played by and is praised by classic blues guitarists such as Music/BBKing.
78	* Music/BlindWillie [=McTell=] (one of the great blind bluesmen, notable for his distinctive voice and Piedmont style)
79	* Music/MemphisMinnie (the first great female blues guitarist...)
80	* Music/CharliePatton (arguably the first great recorded Delta bluesman)
81	* Music/BonnieRaitt
82	** 1972 - ''Music/GiveItUp''
83	* Music/JimmyReed (the most popular bluesman of the 50s, with one of the simplest and most easily approachable bodies of work in blues)
84	* Music/JimmieRodgers: While generally remembered as one of the early country music stars, his style incorporated a number of Blues elements (hence why he was later inducted in the Blues Hall of Fame)
85	* Music/NinaSimone
86	* Music/GuitarSlim (born Eddie Jones, considered an innovator in the usage of high stage volume to shape his instrument's tone; also renowned as a show-stopping performer, as he would color coordinate his suits, guitar, and ''hair'' for concerts)
87	* Music/BessieSmith (...and the first great (arguably) female blues singer)
88	* Music/TajMahal
89	* Music/JamesBloodUlmer (along with {{jazz}}, {{funk}} and AvantGardeMusic)
90	* Music/LittleWalter (former Muddy Waters associate, one of the great harmonica players of the blues, and of ''all'' music)
91	* [[Music/BookerTWashington Booker T. Washington "Bukka" White]] (slide guitarist, cousin of B.B. King)
92	* Music/MuddyWaters (another Chess artist, had a massive influence on electric blues, perhaps most famous these days for the "Hoochie Coochie Man" riff)
93	** 2000 - ''Music/TheAnthology19471972''
94	* Music/JohnnyGuitarWatson: Best known for "Space Guitar", "Gangster of Love" and "A Real Mother for Ya".
95	* Music/OVWright
96	* Music/ZealAndArdor (mixed with [[GenreBusting numerous other styles]], including GospelMusic and BlackMetal... no, seriously)
97	* Music/JohnZorn
98	** 1987 - ''Music/{{Spillane}}''
99	* Music/{{Zucchero}}: The main resposible for bringing Blues music to the history of Italian music, being often credited as "the father of Italian blues"
100	[[/index]]
101	!!Tropes:
102	* LeadSingerPlaysLeadGuitar: As the guitar is an instrument basically tied to the genre, plenty of blues singers are proficient guitar players too.
103	* TechnicianVersusPerformer: The genre greatly leans towards the performer end, in contrast to its closely related genre {{Jazz}}. Within the genre, players such as Music/HowlinWolf and Music/JimmyReed are performers, whilst BB King and Albert King are technicians.

Context Main / Blues