Best of the Blues: A Musical Journey

Best of the Blues is a musical journey through the best blues songs of all time. Featuring artists like B.B. King, Muddy Waters, and Howlin’ Wolf, this blog is a must-read for any blues fan.

What is the Blues?

The blues is a genre of music that originated in the African-American communities of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is characterized by its foundation in African-American work songs and spirituals, its use of blue notes, and its lyrical content which often focuses on the hardships of life. The blues has influenced many other genres of music, including jazz, rock and roll, and country.

Origins of the Blues

The origins of the blues is a matter of some debate. There is no question, however, that the blues has its roots in African-American culture and that it began to take shape in the early 1900s in the southern United States.

The blues was influenced by a number of African-American musical traditions, including gospel and spirituals. The distinctive sound of the blues was also shaped by the work songs and field hollers of slaves and sharecroppers.

The first recorded use of the term “blues” was in 1908, when W.C. Handy published his now-famous ” Memphis Blues.” Handy’s composition was based on a folk song he had heard sung by a street musician in Mississippi.

By the 1920s, the blues had spread to cities like Chicago and New York, where it became popular with both black and white audiences. In the 1930s and 1940s, the blues underwent a major evolution with the rise of artists like Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, and B.B. King. These artists brought a new level of sophistication to the music, infusing it with elements of jazz and creating what is now known as “urban blues.”

The 12-bar blues

The 12-bar blues is the most common form of the blues. It is usually a slow to mid-tempo song and is played in 4/4 time (meaning there are four beats per measure). The chord progression typically follows a I-IV-V pattern, which means that the first, fourth and fifth chords of a major key are used. For example, in the key of C, the 12-bar blues progression would be C-F-G.

The standard 12-bar blues consists of three 4-bar phrases. The first phrase (bars 1-4) is called the “A” section; the second phrase (bars 5-8), the “B” section; and the third phrase (bars 9-12), the “C” section. In its simplest form, each of these sections contains just one chord. However, more often than not, each section will contain two or more chords.

Key Figures in the Blues

The Blues is a genre of music that was created by African Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Blues has its roots in African American spirituals, work songs, and folk songs. The Blues is a very important part of American music and has influenced other genres of music such as rock and roll, jazz, and country.

Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that have influenced later generations of musicians. Johnson’s poorly documented life and death have given rise to much legend.

On Saturday, May 8, 1938, Robert Johnson died in Augusta, Georgia, of strychnine poisoning. He was 27 years old

Muddy Waters

Muddy Waters was an American blues artist who is considered the “father of modern Chicago blues”. His style of singing and playing slide guitar influenced many other artists, including Rolling Stones frontman, Mick Jagger. Waters recorded over 50 albums and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Blues Hall of Fame.

B.B. King

B.B. King was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, and his career spanned more than 50 years. King was born in Mississippi in 1925 and began performing in the early 1940s. He rose to fame in the 1950s with hits like “Three O’Clock Blues,” “You Know I Love You,” and “Sweet Little Angel.” In the 1960s, he collaborated with rock musicians like Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, and he continued to release successful albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s. B.B. King died in 2015 at the age of 89.

The Blues Today

Though it’s impossible to pinpoint the exact origins of the blues, the genre has come to be defined by both its African American roots and its ability to evolve over time. The blues has been a major influence on genres like rock and roll, jazz, and country music, and its legacy can still be heard in the music of contemporary artists.

The influence of the Blues

The blues today are the roots of almost all popular American music. Virtually every music genre has been touched by the blues in some way, whether it’s a direct influence or a more subtle one. The blues have also had a huge impact on American culture, reshaping attitudes and perceptions about race, class and sexuality.

The blues first emerged in the late 19th century as a form of African-American folk music. It was shaped by the work songs, spirituals and ballads of slaves and former slaves, who were often able to retain only fragments of their African musical heritage. Over time, the blues developed its own unique sound and feel, becoming one of the most important and influential genres in American music history.

The early 20th century saw the rise of the first generation of BluesStars like W.C. Handy, Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong. These artists helped to popularize the blues and bring it to a wider audience. In the 1940s and 50s, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson and other Chicago-based musicians gave birth to Electric Blues which would go on to have a profound impact on rock ‘n’ roll.

Today, the blues are as popular as ever thanks to a new generation of artists who are keeping the genre alive while also putting their own stamp on it.

The popularity of the Blues

The popularity of the blues has waxed and waned since the form’s inception in the late 1800s. But, even at its lowest ebb, the blues has always been popular with a small, dedicated group of fans. In the early 2000s, the popularity of the blues increased dramatically, due in part to a newfound appreciation for the form by young people. This newfound interest was due to several factors: the release of several successful Hollywood movies that featured blues music (such as “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and “Cadence”), the popularity of “retro” styles such as swing dancing, and the rise of “authentic” blues performers such as Koko Taylor, Buddy Guy, and John Lee Hooker.