My introduction to the blues, about '65.

[panader0]

I remember the night I first heard this stuff. He played with the Yardbirds when
Clapton was the lead. I have three of his albums. I play a bit of harmonica too.

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[bigbrother05]

1. Probably heard some earlier, but Jimmy Reed's Big Boss Man circa '60-'61

With 2 older brothers, can remember all the early R&R and R&B stuff from Elvis, Buddy Holly, & Eddie Cochran and the Rockabilly that led to it in the mid '50s.

[BluesRunTheGame]

2. I saw Yank Rachell sometime in the early 80's.

Before that I knew what a 12 bar blues sounded like but not much more.

One of just a few mandolinists who played the blues. Started out in Memphis in the 20’s with Sleepy John Estes.

Here’s a recording of him with Washboard Sam and John Lee Sonny Boy Williamson (Sonny Boy 1).

Here he is playing electric mandolin in 1989.

[ProudLib72]

3. Love me some Sleepy John Estes!!!

I think this one is my favorite:

[BluesRunTheGame]

4. I LOVE that song!

Every line is perfect!

After I saw Yank play live I looked around for albums. The first one I found was “Broke and Hungry”

Shortly thereafter I found one by their friend, Big Joe Williams



Those two albums absolutely changed the way I hear music.

[ProudLib72]

5. Lookie what I found!

Two of my favorites at once:

You know, I may listen to a lot of blues guitar, but I will always come back to Son House.

This particular song gives me chill bumps. I think it's quite possibly the most perfect song ever recorded.

BTW: If you couldn't tell, I have a thing for the steel bodied International. What I heard was that no other guitar could stand up to the pounding Bukka gave it. I don't know about that, but man does it have a certain, very recognizable sound.