Great Blues LPs in the Jazz Section

[danasgoodstuff]

Yes, I know, no vocals.  But its lead off tune "Chitlins Con carne" did make it into the repertoire of 'real blues' groups like Jr, Wells' and Jimmy Dawkins'.  And I've found many blues fans do enjoy stuff like this, and Jimmy Smith, etc. as well as Muddy Waters, et al.  And some don't - but then not all blues fans like the same indisputably blues singers.  And the very concept of 'blues singer' has been questioned by some too.

[JSngry]

This one looks, interesting?

 

[JSngry]

God, I'm thinking that the entire Black & Blue catalog is fair game here....

[Rabshakeh]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

God, I'm thinking that the entire Black & Blue catalog is fair game here....

Dirty Old Men is the only one I really know well. Are there any others that you’d recommend?

[JSngry]

All of them, really. I've yet to hear one that didn't hit the spot. Some maybe more than others, but not a miss in the bunch, so far.

[John L]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned Charles Brown yet.  Almost his whole discography could qualify.  

And what about BB King?  He could swing as hard as anybody.    

Percy Mayfield is not discussed much in jazz circles but a lot of his music was quite jazzy, and a number of his songs have become jazz as well as blues standards.  

I think that Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson was mentioned before.  Cleanhead falls smack in the middle of the continuum described above by Jim.   

And there is always Jay McShann as well.  

 

 

[John L]

And don't forget T-Bone Walker!   

 

 

[Big Beat Steve]

1 hour ago, John L said:

I don't know if anyone has mentioned Charles Brown yet.  Almost his whole discography could qualify.  

And what about BB King?  He could swing as hard as anybody.    

 

Yes, but can you imagine anyone filing BB King in the "JAZZ" (and NOT "Blues") section anywhere? Which would be what Rabshakeh's original question referred to, i.e. blues discoveries you would not find under "Blues" but would have to look for in the Jazz section. So IMO BB King's case is settled.

Charles Brown? Another of the R&B cases I mentioned earlier as candidates you would have to search for under "Jazz" first. But of course he might be too mellow for some blues fans.

@John L: Same for T-Bone Walker. Like BB King, who would NOT file him under "Blues"?

 

 

Edited February 26, 2022 by Big Beat Steve

[John L]

Well, OK.  But I thought that the question was musical rather than corresponding to how genres are divided in record stores.  Who really gives a damn about the latter?

 

[Big Beat Steve]

2 minutes ago, John L said:

... rather than corresponding to how genres are divided in record stores.  Who really gives a damn about the latter?

 

Who gives a damn? Like Rabshakeh said ... those who have a hunch there might be something out there that would appeal to them in the "blues" field but is consistently filed elsewhere, particularly ("horror of horrors!" ) under "jazz"!
Not that this would happen around here, but have you never met anyone who - upon discussing apparently common interests in music and this or artist or recording that you'd consider related and potentially interesting - proclaims "oh, but that's jazz". Meaning "that's too far out for me, regardless of what it actually is - if it is jazz - as it is - I can't be bothered to check it out.".
His loss? Sure ... but the kind of artificial pigeonholing that makes discussions and exchanges tiresome.

So any discussion that increases awareness of what is BEYOND those standardized categories should be worth exploring and giving a bloody damn about.

 

[Rabshakeh]

That's exactly it! 

Still happens I think - even though the days of record shops are gone, algorithms and listicles still chop music up. 

[Big Beat Steve]

10 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

Still happens I think - even though the days of record shops are gone, algorithms and listicles still chop music up. 

Oh well ... sometimes I wonder if its the fault of the algorithms. I don't buy often on Discogs but seeing what my favorite seller shop has lumped in under "jazz" has made me cringe more than once, and this cannot all be a case of algorithms but rather a matter of how those shop staff who do the listings feel they can get more exposure. Usually a case of lots of easy (or extremely easy) listening dross thrown into the jazz bag ... But I've fast learned how to adjust my search parameters.

[JSngry]

Really, at some point, people's lack of curiosity is their own fault, a choice they make.

[Big Beat Steve]

The only case of chances I may have failed to take in recent years and regret somewhat now was when at a clearout sale by one of the local 2nd hand record stores I wasn't curious enough to grab the two original Frank D'Rone LPs they had (to make matters worse, this was not long after you brought up the name here). But considering what else from a wide field of styles there is out there that I'd like to hear and get my hands on but that won't fit my racks anymore (and that with the best will in the world I'll never be the biggest 50s/60s MOR adult pop vocalist fan ) I'll survive that miss too ...