The Best of Piano Blues Music

This article is a collaborative effort, crafted and edited by a team of dedicated professionals.

Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

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Looking for some great piano blues music to listen to? Check out our list of the best of the best, featuring some of the genre’s most iconic musicians.

What is Piano Blues?

Piano blues is a type of blues music that is characterized by its use of the piano as the primary instrument. This style of music originated in the early 20th century, and it quickly became one of the most popular genres of blues music. Piano blues is known for its simple, yet catchy melodies and its relaxed, laid-back atmosphere.

Piano blues was first popularized by artists such as W.C. Handy and Pinetop Smith. These artists helped to develop the genre by creating new and innovative ways to play the piano. They also popularized some of the most famous piano blues songs, such as “St. Louis Blues” and ” Maple Leaf Rag.” Other early pioneers of piano blues include Jelly Roll Morton and Fats Waller.

Piano blues continued to be popular throughout the 20th century, and it spawned a number of subgenres, such as boogie-woogie, stride, and ragtime. Today, piano blues is enjoyed by music lovers all over the world, and it continues to be one of the most popular genres of blues music.

The Origins of Piano Blues

Piano blues is a type of blues music that is characterized by the use of a piano as the main instrument. The genre developed in the early 20th century and is often seen as a precursor to both jazz and rock and roll.

Piano blues has its origins in the American South, specifically in the Mississippi Delta region. This is where many of the earliest recordings of piano blues were made. The most famous early pianist was Leroy Carr, who recorded several hits in the 1920s and 1930s. Other early pioneers include Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons, and Pete Johnson.

Piano blues reached its height of popularity in the 1940s and 1950s, with artists such as Ray Charles, Fats Domino, and Little Richard scoring major hits. The genre began to decline in popularity in the 1960s, but has experienced a resurgence in recent years thanks to artists such as Dr. John and Otis Taylor.

The Best Piano Blues Musicians

Piano blues is a style of music that developed in the early 20th century in the southern United States. It is a type of blues music that is characterized by its use of the piano as the primary instrument.

The best piano blues musicians are those who have taken this style of music and made it their own, developing their own unique sound and approach to the genre. Here are some of the best piano blues musicians of all time:

Fats Domino: Fats Domino was one of the most popular musicians of the 1950s and 1960s, and his style of piano blues was a major influence on rock & roll. Domino had a string of hits including “Ain’t That a Shame,” “Blue Monday,” and “I’m Walkin’.”

Ray Charles: Ray Charles was a legendary figure in both soul and rhythm & blues, and his style of piano playing was a major influence on both genres. Charles had hits with songs like “Hit the Road Jack,” “I Got a Woman,” and “Georgia on My Mind.”

Little Richard: Little Richard was one of the pioneers of rock & roll, and his style of piano playing was a major influence on the genre. Richard had hits with songs like “Tutti Frutti,” “Long Tall Sally,” and “Good Golly Miss Molly.”

Jerry Lee Lewis: Jerry Lee Lewis was one of the pioneers of rockabilly, and his style of piano playing was a major influence on the genre. Lewis had hits with songs like “Great Balls of Fire,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” and “Breathless.”

The Best Piano Blues Songs

Piano blues is a type of music that combines elements of both traditional blues and ragtime. It is typically characterized by a heavy use of the piano as the main instrument, as well as a focus on bluesy melodies.

There are many different subgenres of piano blues, but some of the most popular include boogie-woogie, stride, and honky-tonk. Boogie-woogie is perhaps the most famous type of piano blues, and it was particularly popular in the early 20th century. Stride is a more upbeat form of piano blues that became popular in the 1920s, while honky-tonk is a more country-influenced style that emerged in the 1930s.

No matter what subgenre you prefer, there are plenty of great piano blues songs to choose from. Here are just a few of our favorites:

“The Entertainer” by Scott Joplin
” Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie” by Pinetop Smith
” Honky Tonk Train Blues” by Meade Lux Lewis
” Maple Leaf Rag” by Scott Joplin
” Ain’t Misbehavin'” by Fats Waller

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