The blues, and where to begin?

[Bunk McNulty]

For a master class in how to play the electric bass in a blues band, I highly recommend these albums: Invalid Link Removed; Invalid Link Removed'; and Invalid Link Removed.

from the story:
No bass player ever layered so much bottom. Ferguson's trademark wasn't licks, riffs, slapping, or thumb popping -- just a swinging elephant trunk of bottom beneath every song. This deceptive gift earned him a lower pedigree than "musician's musician," itself a poverty-stricken but honorable curse: Ferguson is a bass player's bassist.

Beautiful Loser: Keith Ferguson

 

[George Dennis]

For me the Blues is about paring music back and playing only what's essential.
For example:

 

[AGCurry]

I love Howlin. There are so many blues players and singers. I can’t say there was a best but he’s one of my favorites for sure.

I discovered the Wolf's "The Real Folk Blues" record in 1970. It was my first real blues record, and I wore it out.

I saw him in concert, Kansas City, around 1971. He wasn't happy, and it showed; a hall meant for about 5000 people, and maybe 500 showed up. But he was the Wolf, and Hubert Sumlin was with him, so it was worth much more to me than the price of the ticket!

 

[MichelD]

BB said that “the blues ain’t nothin but a good man feelin’ bad.”

It’s all about the feel. First you gotta learn the blue notes, then you gotta learn where to put ‘em.

While I agree it is about the feel, I would respectfully suggest that for most major key blues songs, the bassist stays mostly on the root, third, fifth and sixth notes of the scale for each chord, using the flat seventh when appropriate as in going from the One to the Four chord.

Different story for minor key songs of course where you'd use the minor third for a minor chord.

As far as "blue" notes, well that's for the soloists.

 

[Killing Floor]

Hey, y’all, I know this is not all blues but a lot of it is. There is a one-of-a-kind library you can listen to online or in person (with reservations). I have found some real treasures.

It’s a lot of gospel, some blues, some soul. Many of these recordings are one of one.
Seriously, if you like real vintage gospel or blues bookmark this.

Baylor University Black Gospel Music Restoration Project. This musical library is magnificent.
Explore the Collections - Quartex site

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I grew up in the 80's and missed most of the music from the 70's. Just a few years ago I was playing with a band and they wanted "China Grove". Huh? Never heard of it. Fortunately, I missed disco too.

 

[Phalex]

I spent a lot of my youth smoking weed and playing along with John Lee Hooker cassette tapes.

I did steal lots of cool licks from Johnny B Gayden. He played with Albert Collins, Johnny Winter…. He’s all over the Alligator records stuff.

 

[singlemalt]

Find the book, What Duck Dunn.

 

[Skip Chucker]

Hey guys,

I've been swallowing music in much any type or form since I was a toddler, now I'm almost 44....yet for some unknown reason I never got around to the world of blues. Strange. I know Zeppelin, The Doors etc were heavily influenced by blues, and I've had a Robert Johnson album, John Lee Hooker, etc....but I never gave them much time.

What would be a good starting point to really get to know blues a genre? Any artists, bands you could recommend?

View attachment 4911906

Find the book, What Duck Dunn.

This, and go watch The Blues Brothers

 

[AGCurry]

This, and go watch The Blues Brothers

While I like and respect the MUSICIANS in the movie, we shouldn't think that Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi are real blues singers. IMNSHO of course.

 

[Michedelic]

BB said that “the blues ain’t nothin but a good man feelin’ bad.”

Sometimes it’s a bad man out for no good…


In real life, he delivered on his promise.

 

[Father Gino]

“It’s all blues” I believe is a Muddy Waters quote. I could be mistaken, but it’s a great statement.

I answered an add in the classifieds: Chicago Blues bands seeks bass player. My very first band. I asked my big brother what Chicago Blues was. He gave me a few records, one of which was “It’s My Life Baby” by Junior Wells and Buddy Guy. Some tasty studio stuff and some down and dirty live and drunk stuff too. All great imho.

I’d also recommend “Burglar” by Freddie King. It’s Freddie with an English studio soul band. Not your typical 1/4/5, 12 bar. Freddie is my favorite of the Kings.

The genre is so large and varied, that it’s hard to say where to start.

 

[Michedelic]

While I like and respect the MUSICIANS in the movie, we shouldn't think that Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi are real blues singers. IMNSHO of course.

Aside from the fact that so much talent(who, at that time, where overlooked or forgotten about)got some exposure, that film is a demeaning, patronizing fraud. Plus, there’s precious little actual straight ahead blues in it.

 

[Rib 13]

Hey guys,

I've been swallowing music in much any type or form since I was a toddler, now I'm almost 44....yet for some unknown reason I never got around to the world of blues. Strange. I know Zeppelin, The Doors etc were heavily influenced by blues, and I've had a Robert Johnson album, John Lee Hooker, etc....but I never gave them much time.

What would be a good starting point to really get to know blues a genre? Any artists, bands you could recommend?

Start with Willie Dixon.......Willie played bass as well as wrote many classic blues songs

Willie Dixon was a UB player who wrote a ton of blues songs.

Just saw this.....+1

 

[Rib 13]

While I like and respect the MUSICIANS in the movie, we shouldn't think that Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi are real blues singers. IMNSHO of course.

It should also be noted that The Blues Brothers were more of a Stax/Volt RnB band than a blues band, despite their name

 

[Killing Floor]

Aside from the fact that so much talent(who, at that time, where overlooked or forgotten about)got some exposure, that film is a demeaning, patronizing fraud. Plus, there’s precious little actual straight ahead blues in it.

It wasn’t country, it wasn’t western. So…

 

[Father Gino]

Aside from the fact that so much talent(who, at that time, where overlooked or forgotten about)got some exposure, that film is a demeaning, patronizing fraud. Plus, there’s precious little actual straight ahead blues in it.

Belushi single handedly started a blues revival that is still going on.

 

[BadSanta1281]

Aside from the fact that so much talent(who, at that time, where overlooked or forgotten about)got some exposure, that film is a demeaning, patronizing fraud.

Aretha, John Lee Hooker, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles + 104 cars destroyed = one great movie.

 

[REV]

Someone told me to check out Howlin Wolf.

Only song I’ve heard of is Smokestack Lightning.

No "Little Red Rooster" ?

 

[Ostie]

Belushi single handedly started a blues revival that is still going on.

I would submit that SRV had a hand in that as well.