Some Blues Recommendations, But Not the Kind That're Blue

[Rooster_Ties]

3 hours ago, John L said:

If you haven't heard it yet, I would suggest checking out his earlier album "False Accusations."  That really blew my mind when it first came out, and it is still my favorite Robert Cray album.  

Yeah, Cray’s False Accusations is great too!  I also remember the one before that too, Bad Influence, being tasty too.

(Side note: Eric Clapton covered Cray’s song “Bad Influence” quite nicely on Clapton’s August (1986) — which Clapton recorded like 6 months before Cray’s Strong Persuader and the single  “Smoking Gun” broke nationally for Cray in late, late ‘86 and early ‘87.  I’m not a huge Clapton guy, but I have a soft spot for his 3 big MOR albums from 1985-89.)

Edited April 25, 2023 by Rooster_Ties

[Rooster_Ties]

14 hours ago, John L said:

I am a huge Robert Cray fan, although I find his albums to be a bit uneven in inspiration.  

Hey John, if you ever happen to see Cray is playing in DC or anywhere in the DMV, I’d love to go hear him sometime, we should go!

As I said, I’ve always had in the back of my mind to catch him someday, but just never have (or he’s been at venues that were too much of a pain to get to without having to rent a car).

 

[kh1958]

I have heard Robert Cray live, though only one time. The way he attacked the guitar to get that sound was interesting to see.

[John L]

1 hour ago, Rooster_Ties said:

Hey John, if you ever happen to see Cray is playing in DC or anywhere in the DMV, I’d love to go hear him sometime, we should go!

As I said, I’ve always had in the back of my mind to catch him someday, but just never have (or he’s been at venues that were too much of a pain to get to without having to rent a car).

 

I saw him at the Birchmere not long ago.  He was great.  

[JSngry]

18 hours ago, JSngry said:

Snatch & The Poontangs

This is a serious rec, btw. A Johnny Otis project  No YouTube links will be posted because of the lyrical content.

But Shugie Otis plays some serious guitar on there. 

 

[soulpope]

Robert Cray with Hi Rhythm covering  O.V. Wright .... not too shabby ....

[Д.Д.]

You want weird? You want genius? Here we go:

 

[John L]

46 minutes ago, soulpope said:

Robert Cray with Hi Rhythm covering  O.V. Wright .... not too shabby ....

Yes, indeed.   Robert is a huge O.V. fan.  He has been using O.V.'s Ace of Spades lately as theme music that is played as his band comes on stage.  

[soulpope]

29 minutes ago, John L said:

Yes, indeed.   Robert is a huge O.V. fan.  He has been using O.V.'s Ace of Spades lately as theme music that is played as his band comes on stage.  

Thnx .... didn`t know that ....

[Rooster_Ties]

Speaking of Robert Cray — I was just poking around YouTube looking for Cray video (something I’d never done, btw), and the algorithm served up this… just off-center enough to wanna share.

Kinda lacks some of the punch of the original (and maybe needs more finesse - or something), but still interesting?

[Tom in RI]

So happy to see the rec for Mighty Sam McClain, he was terrific. I’d second ‘60’s and into early ‘70’s Paul Butterfield too. Another guy you might check out is Joe Louis Walker, try Live at Slim’s vol 1 or vol 2.. From Paul Rishell & Annie Raines try Swear to Tell the Truth (listed as by Paul Rishell). From Ronnie Earl try Grateful Heart with healthy doses of David Fathead Newman sitting in.

One more, Pacific Northwest session guitarist Terry Robb tends to share a lot of styles on his releases. One I keep coming back to is Heart Made of Steel.

Edited April 28, 2023 by Tom in RI
Accuracy

[soulpope]

Little Milton "Bad Water" (Stax unreleased)   1974 .... veering towards Soul ....

 

[soulpope]

Swamp Dogg "Mama`s Baby Daddy`s Maybe" (Canyon Records)         1970 ....

[clifford_thornton]

I'd think those later Earl Hooker LPs on Arhoolie would fit the bill. Hooker is weird and awesome.

[soulpope]

Son Seals "Going Home (Where Women Got Meat On Their Bones)" (Alligator)     1984 .... tight cover of the song written by Memphis Soul songwriter legend Bettye Crutcher ....

 

[Rabshakeh]

This list concentrates on postwar acoustic blues. Some idiosyncratic choices but overall a good list with lots of it that I don't know.

https://www.thecountryblues.com/articles/top-100-country-blues-favorites-1960s-to-today/

 

On 5/2/2023 at 6:16 AM, soulpope said:

Son Seals "Going Home (Where Women Got Meat On Their Bones)" (Alligator)     1984 .... tight cover of the song written by Memphis Soul songwriter legend Bettye Crutcher ....

I missed this when you first posted it. Great tune.

[T.D.]

On 5/2/2023 at 1:16 AM, soulpope said:

Son Seals "Going Home (Where Women Got Meat On Their Bones)" (Alligator)     1984 .... tight cover of the song written by Memphis Soul songwriter legend Bettye Crutcher ....

 

I grew up in the Chicago area and saw many great blues performers live in clubs. Son Seals was one of the most memorable, and of course Alligator is an excellent label.

I never purchased many blues LPs (this was well before CD age), because the ones I heard never measured up to the live performances.

[soulpope]

8 hours ago, T.D. said:

I never purchased many blues LPs .... because the ones I heard never measured up to the live performances.

To me a general problem with blues music ....

[soulpope]

Robert Belfour "Done Got Old" (Fat Possum)     2000 .... superb ....

[Rabshakeh]

On 5/12/2023 at 4:07 PM, soulpope said:

Robert Belfour "Done Got Old" (Fat Possum)     2000 .... superb ....

I was playing this whilst driving yesterday. Such a great record.

[soulpope]

3 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:

I was playing this whilst driving yesterday. Such a great record.

Yes, wonderful indeed ....

[soulpope]

Taj Mahal "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry" (House Of Blues)      1999 .... excellent Bob Dylan Cover....

[Rabshakeh]

Roosevelt Sykes – Dirty Double Mother (Bluesway, 1973)

This one's been showing up recently on my socials. I initially assumed it was just another guy with the name Roosevelt Sykes.

A great funky update on one of the very earliest blues sounds. 

[soulpope]

On 7/3/2023 at 8:44 PM, Rabshakeh said:

Roosevelt Sykes – Dirty Double Mother (Bluesway, 1973)

This one's been showing up recently on my socials. I initially assumed it was just another guy with the name Roosevelt Sykes.

A great funky update on one of the very earliest blues sounds. 

Good one ....

[soulpope]

Conjure „Fool-Olygy“ (American Clave)         1984 …. sort of funky blues with Lester Bowie on trumpet/vocals ….  and bass provided by Jamaaladeen Tacuma and Andy Gonzalez ….