Blues

The blues, the folk music of former enslaved Africans in the U.S. South and their descendants, heavily influenced by West African cultural and musical traditions, that evolved as black musicians migrated to the cities.  The blues resonates throughout much of American and Western popular music, with echoes in ragtime, jazz, bluegrass, R&B, rock and roll, hip-hop, country music, and conventional pop songs.

The blues is a state of mind that is often used in lyrics to describe a depressed mood. The blues are often expressed musically through guitar, harmonica and/or voice. Those in the blues' state of mind include Muddy Waters,  and B.B. King. 

Noted Artists

• B.B. King 
• Muddy Waters 
• Screamin' Jay Hawkins 
• This artist is most famous for his morbid and lascivious song entitled I Put a Spell on You,  which was featured in a popular Levis commercial in 2004 -2005.
• Joe Turner 
• Stevie Ray Vaughan 
• Robert Johnson 

Blues-Rock Fusion Pioneers

• Canned Heat 
• Janis Joplin 
• Johnny Winter 
• The J. Geils Band 
• Ry Cooder 
• Jimi Hendrix

British Blues-Rock Fusion Pioneers

• Fleetwood Mac 
• John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers 
• The Rolling Stones 
• The Yardbirds 
• Cream 

Current Players in Blues-Rock Fusion

• The Fabulous Thunderbirds 
• ZZ Top 

Essential Albums

• Howlin' Wolf London Sessions  with Eric Clapton
• Best of Bizarre Sessions  featuring Screamin' Jay Hawkins
• The Very Best of Big Joe Turner  featuring Joe Turner
• The Paul Butterfield Blues Band  featuring The Paul Butterfield Blues Band