Reddit mentions: The best blues music

don't listen to people saying look at tabs, that's a horrible idea

get an A harp or a C harp, or better yet both. i recommend not being too cheap about your first harmonica purchase, a good harp not only feels way better to play but it's actually much easier to play and master new techniques on too. i strongly recommend:

hohner special 20

after that you just need to learn the basics, there are a ton of really good harmonica lessons on youtube nowadays. harmonica is something you really learn by just listening and playing around, with a few subtle tricks/secrets here or there that need to be told to you.

try this guy:

http://www.youtube.com/user/KudzuRunner

if you want to get decent, I'd highly recommend this:

http://www.amazon.com/Jerry-Portnoys-Blues-Harmonica-Masterclass/dp/B00005KJ36

it comes with CD's etc

all of this is assuming you wanna learn blues harp though

My cut & paste answer for every time this is asked....

Here's a chronological mix of songs, briefly covering the history of jazz:

King Oliver - Dippermouth Blues

Bessie Smith ft Louis Armstrong - St Louis Blues

Louis Armstrong - West End Blues (1928)

Duke Ellington - The Mooche (10-17-1928 -- best version)

Billie Holiday - Summertime

Coleman Hawkins - Body and Soul

Dizzy Gillespie & Charlie Parker - Shaw Nuff

Charlie Parker - Cool Blues

Thelonious Monk - Round Midnight (solo)

Miles Davis - All Blues

Ornette Coleman - Lonely Woman

John Coltrane - A Love Supreme pt. 1

Alice Coltrane - Journey to Satchidananda

Miles Davis - Miles Runs the Voodoo Down
**

Here's a list of great/important albums by decade:


1920s

For the 20s, it's really important to get the right remaster, or else it will sound like shit. The releases below are all top-notch.

[King Oliver] (http://www.amazon.com/Off-Record-Complete-1923-Recordings/dp/B000K2VK8Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410051369&sr=8-1&keywords=off+the+record+king+oliver)

[Louis Armstrong] (http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Fives-Sevens-Louis-Armstrong/dp/B00001ZWLP/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410051403&sr=8-1&keywords=louis+armstrong+hot+fives)

[Sidney Bechet] (http://www.amazon.com/Young-Sidney-Bechet-1923-1925/dp/B001CKYVNO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=8-1&keywords=sidney+bechet+young)

[Duke Ellington] (http://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Clinkscales-Cotton-Club-Vol/dp/B0007GFFZM/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410051511&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=duke+ellington+clinksales)

Song highlights:
King Oliver -- Canal St Blues, Dippermouth Blues, Riverside Blues, Chimes Blues

Louis Armstrong -- West End Blues, Muggles, Tight Like This, Gutbucket Blues, St James Infirmary

Sidney Bechet -- Kansas City Man Blues, New Orleans Hop Scop Blues, Texas Moaner Blues

Johnny Dodds -- Perdido St Blues

Jimmie Noone -- Blues My Naught Sweetie Gives to Me

1930s

Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Lester Young. I dunno, I need to learn more about the 30s.

1940s

Charlie Parker -- A Studio Chronicle 40-48. Nuff said.

1950s

Thelonious Monk - With John Coltrane, With Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Misterioso, Brilliant Corners.

Miles Davis - '58 Sessions, Kind of Blue, The Legendary Stockholm Concert

Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come

1960s

Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um, Antibes, Presents Charles Mingus

John Coltrane - Plays the Blues, Village Vanguard Master Takes, A Love Supreme, First Meditations

Pharoah Sanders - Tauhid, Karma

Miles Davis - Filles de Kilimanjaro, In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew

1970s

Alice Coltrane - Journey in Satchidananda

Miles Davis - On the Corner, Agharta

1. You are obviously an intelligent, free thinking individual. It also appears you are selflessly sacrificing yourself for your family and your future. That takes a lot of will power and I commend you for that.
   
2. It sounds to me like you have a lot of opportunity at hand. You are at a point in life where any action can have a long term effect for you. Take advantage of this situation and make the best of it.
   
3. Not knowing what kind of freedom you have in your job, there are small tasks you can use to make the day go by. Try to have meaningful conversations with people, learn to write with your opposite hand, read up on a particular country's literature (Russian, Japanese, etc).
   
4. this
   or this or maybe this

He did a very good job with a certain sort of relaxing jazz. Good stuff. And there's Brubeck and Goodman and Ellington and Basie and others. For some fine stuff that's more energizing than relaxing, check out Neal Hefti's arrangements for Count Basie in The Complete Atomic Basie or, even perhaps better, Count Basie and His Orchestra Play Neal Hefti. Indeed, these same arrangements are well done by The Frank Capp Juggernaut in In a Hefti Bag. Great stuff.

• Agreed, Robert Johnson is a good start. Some describe his style as a blend of other musicians at his time, or at times blatant homages (or ripoffs?). For example, Johnson's Sweet Home Chicago was 'inspired' by Kokomo Arnold's Kokomo Blues.
  
  
• Skip James is another good one. If you ever watched 'Oh Brother Where Art Thou,' the song hard time killing floor blues played by the guitarist in the movie at the camp fire is a Skip James tune. One distinguishing feature of Skip is that a lot of his songs are minor key blues played (in fact, he started learning guitar in open D-minor tuning). Another classic of his is Devil Got My Woman. Artists like Cream have covered his songs, like I'm so glad, and was an influence to Robert Johnson (for example, compare 22-20 blues and 32-20 blues.
  
  
• Son House is another blues musician who influenced Johnson and people after him. An example of a modern cover of one of his songs is the White Stripes cover of Son's Death Letter Blues.
  
  Other standards that should be explored more are
  
  
• Blind Lemon Jefferson,
  
• Blind Willie McTell,
  
• Blind Willie Johnson,
  
• and the not-so-blind Kokomo Arnold, others as well.
  
  
  One good start for Folk Music in general is The American Folkways Collection, which has a few highlights from some a few other blues musicians.
  
  Wikipedia is good for discovering blues music, by reading the articles on these guys and looking at who they played with or were influenced by. Also good to read articles about rock musicians like Led Zeppelin, Yardbirds, Cream, Clapton, and look at the background or inspiration to their music since a lot of their songs are covers of some old blues tunes (e.g. compare Led Zeppelin's version of 'Nobody's Fault of Mine' to Blind Willie Johnson's version.
  
  

In my opinion, the tracks he recorded in 1930 are what makes him special. There's a night-and-day difference between the urgency and grit of those few songs and his "rediscovery" stuff. They're all available on Spotify. If you want a hard copy or want to ensure that you get the best sound quality, this Yazoo release of Skip James tracks weirdly enough has four of those Son House tracks tacked on and Yazoo is known for doing a good job of transferring from old 78s. Also, Skip James is life-changingly good. Listen to Cypress Blues or Hard Time Killing Floor.

Yazoo has another cool compilation that includes the very recently discovered Clarksdale Moan. It's pretty lucky that that one random record survived for 80 years!

I love "Duck" Dunn. He's one of my biggest influences. You're right, he did record with Albert King but this, however, is Gus Thornton. This video is from a great recording called In Session (sometimes with '83 at the end.) This makes a great stocking stuffer!

Resonance Records finds a lot of excellent but previously unreleased recordings and issues them in nice sets. For instance, they have this Thad Jones/Mel Lewis orchestra set as well as this Jaco Pastorius big band set.

For a more recent big bands/large ensemble recording, there's Maria Schneider's The Thompson Fields.

If considering them, take a listen to the samples to see how it compares to what you know he likes. For instance, if his big band tastes are more in line with 30s/40s swing, these may not be a big hit.

Finally, I was mainly thinking of releases from the last few years to reduce tha chance he already has them. If you want a couple classic big band albums, there are The Complete Atomic Basie and Ellington at Newport.

Three that spring to mind are:

Johnny Winter with The Return of Johnny Guitar

John Campbell with A Man And His Blues

Freddie King with King Of The Blues

This covers a range of styles and some fantastic music.

And just as a wildcard here is some French blues - Johnny Hallyday with Le Coeur d'un Homme. Some great songs really well sung.

Enjoy the blues and keep exploring.

Paul Allen on the role of music in his life:

• "For someone like me who tilts toward the analytical, jamming taps into my creative, intuitive, more emotional side."
  
• "I've rarely gone a week without picking up a guitar. It's more than a hobby; it gives me balance and keeps me in the moment, which can be a challenge with all the projects I'm pursuing at any one time… I take music with me wherever I go."
  
  
• ”I’m still moved by the power of live music, and I seek it out every chance I get."
  
• Fun fact: Paul received his first guitar at age 16, and saw Jimi Hendrix for the first time later that same year.
  
  
  His band was called Paul Allen and The Underthinkers. His website describes it blues-based guitar rock. They released one album, titled Everywhere at Once. I checked it out and my favorite song on it is “Six Strings from Hell.” :)
  
  
  Streaming links:
  
  Spotify (currently only at 133 monthly listeners)
  
  
  Apple Music/iTunes
  
  
  
  Amazon Music
  
  
  
  Sources on quotes:
  
  
  Idea Man (his memoir)
  
  
  Quincy Jones interview
  
  
  
  Note: Quincy sometimes exaggerates a tiny bit here and there, also referring to the Beatles as “the worst musicians in the world”, and called Paul McCartney “the worst bass player I ever heard.” :P That being said, I still think the video is pretty cool.
  
  
  
  

You can get it on CD/DVD. http://www.amazon.com/In-Session-Deluxe-Edition-DVD/dp/B00377V6J2

Or, if you'd rather get it from PBS as just the DVD. http://www.shoppbs.org/product/index.jsp?productId=11278706

EDIT: Honestly, my favorite parts of this are where they're just shooting the shit between songs. You don't really get to see that sort of stuff anymore and it's cool to see their personalities kind of feel each other out a bit and not be jerks or anything.

I love that Stack O'lee track. I had no idea Bussard had a copy but I can't say I'm surprised. I got The Stuff Dreams are Made of a few years ago and that song really stood out for me. It's a great compilation of the worlds rarest 78's.

My suggestion would be to start digital and play the soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's The Blues: A Musical Journey and try to narrow down what you like. There's so many different styles of the blues and you're sure to have your favorites. Once you pick your guys, then start looking for records and getting deeper into the stuff you like.

check out this version by [Tommy Jarrell] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e56j2jDGHw)

Defining folk music is tough, because the term has become a catchall for many different types of music. Folk music was very much an oral tradition for a long, long time. Songs would melt into one another and many common themes could be found in many different songs. Look at the story of Stack-O-Lee and Billy Lyons or Betty and Dupree. These stories have been told in different songs dozens of times.

I would point you to the [Folkways Anthology of American Folk Music] (https://www.amazon.com/Anthology-American-Music-Edited-Harry/dp/B000001DJU) as a great starting point for the "genre." It does a great job of showing the many different styles of music that have since come under the folk umbrella. It also basically lays out the blueprint for so much of the popular music that followed in the decades since it's release.

Three boxed sets to start with. This is some of the best stuff around:

James Brown: Star Time

The Temptations: Emperors of Soul

The Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968

Also, more on the early R&B/soul tip (rather than the funk stuff that would follow a little later), check out the Hot Slop Podcast.

Hope that helps.

Ornette - Art Of The Improvisers (or Shape Of Jazz To Come...or Dancing In Your Head)

Mingus - Oh Yeah

Miles - Live-Evil

Sonny Rollins - Our Man In Jazz

Albert Ayler - Spiritual Unity

and, some bonus box sets that won't cost much (if any) more than a cd:

Charlie Parker - Chasin' The Bird

Cecil Taylor - 2 T's For A Lovely T (mp3)

Duke - Mrs. Clinkscales To The Cotton Club

I want to strongly recommend the "Psychedelic Soul" album that this appears on if you dig this more socially conscious late sixties early seventies vibe.

https://www.amazon.com/Psychedelic-Soul-2-CD-Temptations/dp/B00009V7U8

Also, Undisputed Truth did a slightly grittier version around the same time that's definitely worth listening to.

https://youtu.be/sunSBaRCcq8

| | |
|-:|:-|
|name|Shuggie Otis|
|about artist|Shuggie Otis, born 1953, is the son of Johnny Otis, a rhythm and blues musician. He started performing in his youth and released his first record in 1970. He not only writes songs, but also plays guitar, piano, organ, and bass. He has recorded with Frank Zappa, Al Kooper, Etta James, and Eddie Vinson, and more recently Mos Def. The Brothers Johnson's version of his composition "Strawberry Letter 23" reached #1 in the Billboard rhythm and blues chart and #5 in the Billboard pop chart in 1977. Shuggie's albums include: "Here Comes Shuggie Otis", "Freedom Flight" and "Inspiration Information". ([more on last.fm](http://www.last.fm/music/Shuggie Otis))|
|album|INSPIRATION INFORMATION, released Nov 2008|
|track|Freedom Flight|
|images|album image, artist image|
|links|facebook, twitter, official homepage, imdb, discogs, allmusic, lyrics, wikipedia, track on amazon, album on amazon|
|tags|soul, funk, psychedelic, psychedelicsoul, jazz, funkjazz|
|similar|Johnny Otis, Terry Callier, Cymande, Roy Ayers, The Impressions, Sly & The Family Stone|
|found in|r/treemusic, r/listentothis|
|metrics|lastfm listeners: 223,816, lastfm plays: 1,807,368, youtube plays: 70,000, radd.it score: 6.5|


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A is optimal because it is not too deep or too high, and it's cross position (blues position) is E, which is very natural for the guitar to play blues from.

Edit: this book is good stuff and it is in the key of A https://www.amazon.com/Jerry-Portnoys-Blues-Harmonica-Masterclass/dp/B00005KJ36

Edit: also check out this site http://www.angelfire.com/tx/myquill/

I love Psychadelic Soul a compilation of the best Funk tracks the Tempations recorded with Norman Whitfield and the Funk brothers. Papa was a rolling stone, ball of confusion, Psychadelic shack, War, It's outstanding stuff with not a dud track.

awesome thx! throwing this on here too for those in germany/netherlands

​

https://www.amazon.de/Mind-Light-Blue180-Gatefold-Vinyl/dp/B07TJKBF36

I have this great collection which is called An Anthology of Big Band Swing 1930-1955 and I really like it. It's sort of obscure though. Here's a link:

http://www.amazon.com/Anthology-Big-Band-Swing-1930-1955/dp/B000003N3T

There are some great recordings on there.

Blue.

• The blues: Bessie Smith, Son House, basically everything off the Anthology of American Folk Music, Doug Macleod, and swing/jazz stuff (the Duke).
  
  
• Alternative (?): The Pixies, Butthole Surfers, Violent Femmes, The Mars Volta, At the Drive-In, Blood Brothers
  
  
• Older Stuff: B-52s, Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Cure (Pornography), Joy Division, The Go-Gos, Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Joni Mitchell, Boingo, The Smiths
  
  
• Indie/Folk: Conor Oberst / Bright Eyes, Bon Iver, Cat Power, M. Ward,
  
  
• Rap: Anything by RZA (Gravediggaz' 6 Feet Deep album), Dr. Octagon, Beastie Boys
  
  
• Misc: Bad Religion, Bach, Warpaint, Cake, Dresden Dolls, James Blake, Joanna Newsom, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  
  
  So yeah. A little all over with a dark side I guess.
  
  (edit: formatting, and I can't believe I forgot the Smiths)

Great post. There’s an album called, “Roots of the Dead” I discovered while working at a music store way back in the day. Not sure if OP is referencing the same. Here’s the link. Highly recommend.

You may enjoy The Music Never Stopped: The Roots of the Grateful Dead.

Yep Bonamassa is a great starting point - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdZFk7l05w0

From this fully acoustic set - http://www.amazon.com/Acoustic-Evening-Vienna-Opera-House/dp/B00B6QXN56

Yuck! That's a lot of driving!

Nevertheless:

This is great driving music!

Me as well, If you haven't heard this album yet, it's an amazing listen.

Thanks! You can find it easily on Amazon:https://www.amazon.it/Inspiration-Information-Shuggie-Otis/dp/B000059TLS

The Stax/Volt box set would be a great intro to the genre in general if you have access to it.

I've always loved This for some reason.

Check out You See Me Laughin' if you haven't all of fat possum records is fantastic!

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I would just look for compilations like:

Great American Big Bands

Big Band Era Vol. 2

Anthology Of Big Band Swing 1930-1955

A Big Band Christmas

Buddy Guy's Chess Sessions, Albert King & Otis Rush's So Many Roads collection, and B.B. King's Singin' the Blues all spring to mind. Also, a good mix of starting stuff is the soundtrack from Scorsese's The Blues - A Musical Journey.

If you want a broad introduction to the blues this collection by Martin Scorsese might be a good place to start http://www.amazon.com/Martin-Scorsese-Presents-The-Blues/dp/B0000A0VA1

For european people like me
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07TJKBF36/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1

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Not even a musician? I've heard he keeps a band at ready: http://www.amazon.com/Everywhere-Once-Paul-Allen-Underthinkers/dp/B00CWHJSTS

You might try Scorsese's blues collection.

http://www.amazon.com/Martin-Scorsese-Presents-The-Blues/dp/B0000A0VA1

Folk songs for me begin and end with the Anthology of American Folk Music, collated in the '50s by Harry Smith. This is Greil Marcus's "old weird America" in spades: the last song on Disc One (the must-have record of the set) is Kelly Harrell's "My Name is John Johanna," likely the scariest music I've ever heard.

Essential album for me
The music never stopped: roots of the grateful dead

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000000DT2?pc_redir=1397153573&robot_redir=1