Recommended for rock fans too! — A classic album of modern blues
The birth of the blues, often called the root of rock ’n’ roll and jazz, dates back to the late 19th century.
Its forms are diverse and can’t be summed up in a single phrase: from Delta blues and country blues—often referred to as prewar blues—to Chicago blues and modern blues, which developed after the war in Chicago and incorporated electric instruments.
In this article, we introduce classic blues albums whose style and spirit continue to be carried on by many musicians even in the 2020s.
The lineup focuses mainly on modern blues that’s easy for beginners to enjoy, so even those who usually listen to rock will find it accessible.
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Recommended for rock fans too! — Masterpieces of Modern Blues (91–100)
SomedayRobert Nighthawk
Before the war, Robert Nighthawk played acoustic blues that made extensive use of slide guitar, but after the war he began performing band blues with an electric guitar, which is said to be the first use of the electric guitar in blues.
Leaving TrunkTAJ MAHAL
Experience the innovative sound that opened up the future of the blues! Taj Mahal’s self-titled debut album, released in 1968, is a masterpiece that breathed new life into traditional blues.
Boldly reimagining songs by pioneers like Blind Willie McTell and Sleepy John Estes, it sparked attention with its fresh sonic approach that incorporated elements of electric blues and folk blues.
The participation of accomplished guitarists such as Jesse Ed Davis and Ry Cooder further enhances the album’s appeal.
While honoring the blues tradition, its pursuit of new forms of expression influenced many musicians and can be said to have laid the foundation for the modern blues scene.
I can’t quit you, babyWillie Dixon
Willie Dixon, a blues singer who also had a background as a former professional boxer.
Many musicians have performed and covered his compositions.
This classic as well was written by Willie and recorded by Otis Rush.
It is included on “I Am the Blues.”
Fixing To Die BluesBuck White
Bukka White, born in 1909, was a Delta blues guitarist and singer from roughly halfway between Aberdeen and Houston, Mississippi, in the United States.
He was commonly known as “Bukka.” He was a cousin of B.
B.
King’s mother, favored a steel guitar made by the National String Instrument Corporation, and also occasionally played piano.
He made his first recordings for Victor Records in 1930, and the songs “Shake ’Em on Down” and “Po’ Boy,” recorded around 1939, are considered his best known.
In 1962, Bob Dylan covered White’s 1940 release “Fixin’ to Die Blues,” and in 1963 guitarist John Fahey and Ed Denson “rediscovered” White.
The song was later covered by Robert Plant and G.
Love, and “Fixin’ to Die Blues” was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame list in 2012.
At lastEtta James
Etta James, born in 1938 in Los Angeles, California, was an R&B singer known for her powerful blues voice.
A gospel prodigy, she sang on the radio at just five years old as part of a church choir in L.
A.
At 15, she auditioned for a female trio called the Peaches, caught the attention of Johnny Otis, and in 1954 he took her to Modern Records in L.
A.
to record.
Their song The Wallflower reached No.
1 on the R&B chart in 1955.
She is known for hits such as At Last, Tell Mama, and I’d Rather Go Blind.
She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, and in 1994 she released Mystery Lady, a tribute to Billie Holiday, which won a Grammy Award.
In 2008, Beyoncé portrayed James in the film Cadillac Records, which depicts Chess Records and blues musicians.
Crazy BluesMamie Smith
Mamie Smith, born in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio, was a vaudeville-trained female singer who toured and recorded with jazz bands featuring horns.
Crazy Blues, first recorded in 1920 for Okeh Records, became a sensational hit for its time and marked her as the first Black woman to record the blues.
As a work of historic and cultural significance, it earned her the title “Queen of the Blues” in the Grammy Hall of Fame, and the recording is preserved by the Library of Congress.
In an era steeped in racial discrimination, Mamie’s achievements won strong support from women and people of color, and her success helped usher in the golden age of blues featuring Black female singers.
Cross RoadRobert Johnson
Robert Johnson, born in 1911 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, was a legendary African American blues singer.
Accompanying himself on a single acoustic guitar, he performed solo blues and became known for the Crossroads legend, inspired by the tale of the crossroads, as he roamed across the American continent.
He left behind only 29 recorded tracks in his lifetime and died at the young age of 27.
In 1961, King of the Delta Blues Singers was released on LP by Columbia Records, bringing renewed attention to his work.
Love in Vain and Stop Breaking Down were covered by the Rolling Stones on the albums Let It Bleed and Exile on Main St.
, respectively.