I will talk about some of the music and artists that have defined
American music over the years. Jazz and the Blues have been around for
decades and has inspired musicians all over the world. Every genre of
today's music has roots in Jazz and the Blues.
I invite you all to check this page via Gayle's Corner every month to
be informed and enlightened. From reviews of live concerts, to the
history of the best music of all times, I'll always have something to
talk about. And, feel free to share. Let me know if you want me to
write about any related topics.
email me: qnjazzmatazz@sbcglobal.net
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Blues Legends |
When it comes to the Blues, the crown goes to the man with the name, B. B. King. B.B. has been the music's most successful concert artist and ambassador. He has been honored with more awards and honorary degrees than any other Blues man and has made the preservation of the Blues his lifetime work. B.B.'s music has influenced such artists as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Johnny Winter, Billy Gibbons and Stevie Ray Vaughn; all famous artists in their own right.
Despite his advancing age and health problems, B.B. King continues to be a vital performer and prolific recording artist. His graciousness and articulation, especially when discussing the meaning and significance of the Blues have done much in building respect for the music and its culture. His guitar style is a consolidation of deep Mississippi Blues and Jazz mixed with strains of Gospel, Rock and Pop. A true Blues listener, I am told, can detect traces of Blind Lemon Jefferson, T-Bone Walker, and Lonnie Johnson in his guitar solos as well as Jazz guitar legends Charlie Christian, Eddie Lang, and Django Reinhardt. I've attended several of his concerts and as I listened to him it was as though his guitar solos became an extension of his voice, making his music pure perfection.br>
Born in Mississippi, his earliest musical interest came in the church, where he learned to sing Gospel. His pastor taught him a few chords on the guitar and King's interest went beyond just singing. His inspiration came from listening to the guitar Jazz of Charlie Christian. When B.B. King was a young man, he was a Mississippi Delta farmhand and tractor driver. He worked the fields during the week and played music on the weekends. After World War II, he moved to Memphis to live with his cousin, Bukka White, but returned to the Delta in 1946. He became a full time disc-jockey in 1949, calling himself the Beale Street Blues Boy. After a while, he shortened his name to B.B. and gained local fame as an on-the-air personality.
He began his recording career in 1949. One of his first songs, "Three O'Clock Blues" went to Number One on the air and remained there for seventeen weeks. That sent him to the Apollo Theater in New York City. Three more Number One hits followed; "You Know I Love You" (1952), "Please Love Me" (1953), and "You Upset Me Baby" (1954). The sound of his band was another factor in his success. Two Jazz artists who made an impact on King's big blues band (usually eleven to fifteen bandmembers) was Count Basie and Duke Ellington.
B.B. King is a musician who continues to finish one tour and begin another. When not performing, his energy is put into recording. His work with Eric Clapton drew critical acclaim for both artists. In the late 1960s, King found a new and appreciative audience - ROCK fans. His 1970 recording of Roy Hawkiuns' "The Thril Is Gone" made it to Number Fifteen on the POP charts and Number Three on rhe R&B charts propelling him to legendary status among both White and Black music circles. To this day its the song people long to hear at concerts. With the passing of Muddy Waters in 1983, King became known as the Dean of Blues. He was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1980 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. When it comes to B.B. King, the thrill will NEVER be gone.
This next artist I've dubbed "THE SHOWMAN" - the one and only Buddy Guy. Buddy can be credited with moving the Blues guitar into the postmodern era along with Otis Rush and Magic Sam. A successful solo player, he was also a favorite session player. Jimi Hendrix admitted to being greatly influenced by Buddy Guy. Eric Clapton has called him the greatest Blues guitarist ever. Born and raised in Louisianam Buddy began playing professionally in and around Baton Rouge in the early 1950s. When he moved to Chicago in 1957, his career really began to take off. In 1958, he beat both Magic Sam and Otis Rush in a club-sponsored "Battle of the Blues" contest. That led him to Artistic and Cobra record Labels where he recorded two singles "Sit And Cry" and "This is The End". After signing with Chess Records in 1960, Buddy became an in-demand session guitarist, backing such artists as Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Little Walter, KoKo Taylor and Sonny Boy Williamson. In 1962, he recorded his own song "Stone Crazy" which went to Number 12 on the R&B charts. Then came the chart busting albums, "This is Buddy Guy", "A Man and His Blues", and "Hold That Plane".
Buddy is a great mimic. During his concerts he'll do Howlin Wolf and Guitar Slim. But the crowds go wild when he does a mean Jimi Hendrix. In 1991, he was invited by Eric Clapton to perform with him at the Royal Albert Hall in London. His incredible performances with Clapton lead to a recording contract with Silvertone Label and he released Damn Right, I've Got The Blues", and "Feels Like Rain" in 1993. Buddy Guy is still recording and working incredible performances on stage with with great musicians, including Steven Tyler and the Rock band Aerosmith.
All I can say is that for guys whose birth dates span 1927 - 1936, B.B. King and Buddy Guy put the Energizer Bunny to shame. They keep going and going....... Until next month, pump up your Jazz with Blues! Love and Jazz to all!!! Robin