Mississippi Celebrates Its Blues Heritage

I am glad that Mississippi is really starting to shine a little light on their musical past. A state that boasts such greats as Elvis Presley, Muddy Waters, BB King, Jimmy Rogers and Willie Dixon, Mississippi has more musical heroes per square mile than any other state I know. The Mississippi Blues Trail will feature a tour of the state that spotlights its famous residents along the way. It features clubs, historical markers, museums and other landmarks. I would love to do a bicycle tour down there in the near future. My "must see" sites include BB King's hometown, Muddy Water's hometown, the Blues Museum in Leland, Jimmy Rogers birthplace, Willie Dixon's hometown and that is just scratching the surface. As Kentucky is the home of Bluegrass, Mississippi is the home of the Blues. I can't wait to get down there sometime soon. www.bluestrail.org Another interesting site is www.deadbluesguys.com. I am kinda creeped out by the name of the site, but it features photos of the headstones of famous bluesmen and women throughout the country. It is tastefully done, despite how the name of the website sounds.

New Release of Eva Cassidy Material

If you aren't familiar with Eva Cassidy, she was one of the most pure voices I have ever heard. Seldom does a singer come along with such a true voice. Emmylou Harris and Joni Mitchell are such voices. So is Eva Cassidy. Her material spanned diverse categories, recording folk, jazz, blues, and pop in her short career. Eva's life reads like the script from a Lifetime Network movie. Just at the time she is about to fulfill her dreams, she is told she is dying from malignant melanoma.
It has been over 10 years since Eva Cassidy's death, but their is still strong interest in her recordings. This new release, entitled "Somewhere" is a collection of cover tunes and standards along with a pair of original tunes she wrote. It is available at Amazon and other outlets around the web.
Listening to Eva's music is a mixture of joy and sadness for me. Joy at the beauty of a true artisan, and sadness that she is no longer with us, her great talent unfulfilled.

Ten Essential Blues Artists to Know

So you want to learn more about the Blues? Here is a list in random order of essential artists and recordings to get familiar with the genre. Start your collection from the vast resources of eBay listings! You will find a treasure trove of rare and valuable tunes!!!
In no particular order:
1. Muddy Waters: "The Father of the Chicago Blues"
Great albums include "Hard Again" which was a compilation of old and new tunes with an allstar band including Johnny Winter, Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton et al. No collection should be without a collection of Muddy's hits and there are many nice compilations out there. Muddy took the Delta sound and electrified it in Chicago, with such musicians as Willie Dixon, Koko Taylor, Little Walter and James Cotton.
2. B.B. King: "The King of the Blues"
The most widely recognized blues artist of all time, BB has made it from the Mississippi cotton fields to the White House and Buckingham Palace. A true worldwide artist, BB has played the blues EVERYWHERE. My favorite is the boxset "King of the Blues" which covers his career from the 50's to the 90's. "Live at the Cook County Jail" is another classic. BB King "Live at the Regal" is classic BB live. It was described as an opera of humor, depression and every emotion in between.
3. John Lee Hooker " The King of the Boogie"
JLH is a great storyteller and his songs are full of emotion. I like his early stuff, which is great with tracks like "Dimples", "Boom Boom", "Mighty Fire" etc. I also like his later works such as "Mr. Lucky" which featured Hooker's tracks with Dr. John and Carlos Santana. Hooker was an original whose influence can be heard everywhere, in such groups as ZZ Top and others. Get a greatest hits compilation and you won't be dissatisfied.
4. Albert King "Godfather of the Blues"
I like Albert for his more modern urban style blues, with full horn sections and the Hammond organ blaring away. "I'll Play the Blues for You" is a classic of the early 70's era that I still listen to all the time. Self taught, Albert played a Gibson Flying V which is a strange choice for a bluesman. It is his signature axe.
5. Koko Taylor " The Queen of the Blues"
Koko entered the traditionally all-male blues genre and demanded respect. Songs like "I Can Love You Like a Woman or Fight You like a Man" say it all. Koko teamed up with Willie Dixon early on and she learned how to take a song and make it a hit. "Wang Dang Doodle" is her signature tune, penned by Willie Dixon. "I Got What it Takes" is a classic recording from her early days. At 72 years old, she shows no signs of slowing down.
6. Elmore James "King of the Slide Guitar"
Delta bluesman Elmore James brought the slide guitar to the attention of blues fans early on. Slide guitar is a difficult style to master, and can still be heard by the likes of Little Ed, Bonnie Raitt, and others. Elmore's early tracks were very influential and his style still rings through today.
7. Robert Johnson "King of the Delta Blues"
Early blues artist Robert Johnson was a delta bluesman, favoring the folksy and sparse style of the region. There is a nice box set of Robert Johnson available that contains his essential tracks. This is early blues so the recording quality is not always the greatest. The singing and playing shines through these rough tracks, however.
8. Willie Dixon "The Poet Laureate of the Blues"
A writer, producer and bass player, Willie Dixon was also an artist in his own right. An influential artist of the Chicago scene, his tracks have been recorded by the likes of Led Zeppelin, the Doors, Grateful Dead, the Kinks, as well as all the usual blues artists. A good book on Willie is "I Am the Blues" [ISBN-0-7043-0253-5]. Many good compilations exist of his material. Get one!
9. Howlin' Wolf "Smokestack Lightning"
From Mississippi, like so many other artists of the genre, Wolf moved to Chicago and the whole Chess Records scene in the 1950s. An influential artist, his Blues Shouting style was unique. A nice compilation "His Best" contains all the hits.
10. Bo Diddley "The Originator"
Bo was the bridge between blues, boogie and rock and roll. Still rocking it after all these years, his trademark square guitar in hand, Mr. Diddley still rocks the house. Voted to Rolling Stone's 100 most influential artists list, many great recordings exist of Bo Diddley.
Hope this helps. I love the Blues and want to help others who want to get some discs, but maybe didn't know where to start. Happy Listening!