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Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: jet_powers on January 10, 2008, 10:21:40 AM

Title: Blues Standards
Post by: jet_powers on January 10, 2008, 10:21:40 AM: Some cohorts and myself are planning to do a blues project. None of us are really from a blues background but we still want to give this a try. My question to the fine, knowledgable folks here is....

What are some of the blues standards any self respecting blues band worth their salt needs to play in order to keep true blues fans from finding another joint to do their drinking in?

JP
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: keith_h on January 10, 2008, 01:10:27 PM: Around here you need to look into doing some modern blues folks such as Tommy Castro or Gary Moore. As far as traditional stuff just about anything from Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf or Willie Dixon will go over down here. You couldn't hurt yourself by adding in some Buddy Guy or SRV either.

Keith
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: pas on January 10, 2008, 01:37:04 PM: Thrill is Gone; Stormy Monday; Caledonia; Sweet Home Chicago; Mustang Sally; All Blues; Everyday I have the Blues; You Win Again...
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: bracheen on January 10, 2008, 02:45:00 PM: Spoonful is a favorite of mine. Calling Card would be another.
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: wideload on January 10, 2008, 03:14:35 PM: Not a standard, but alot of fun- Blues of the Month Club, T. Graham Brown.

Larry
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: David Houck on January 10, 2008, 06:47:26 PM: A great place to start in putting together a blues set list is Stevie Ray Vaughan. I've played a bunch of stuff off his albums in bands I've been in, some of it stuff he wrote and some stuff he covered. Practically everything he did is now a standard.

Another source is Clapton. His From The Cradle is a blues album. A couple of the songs I've done that are on that album are Tore Down and Third Degree. Another standard Clapton covered is Further On Up The Road. And there are many others.

Which leads me to Johnny Winter. Tons and tons of stuff there. Some of the most .. well there's some stuff here that'll make you want to crawl into a dark corner and get stone drunk.
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: David Houck on January 10, 2008, 06:57:31 PM: Johnny Winter - Mississippi Blues (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKSONbPbafI); drenched in it.
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: David Houck on January 10, 2008, 07:10:20 PM: Excuse me for hijacking the thread, but ..

More Johnny (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSZ8wqwySOE)
It just pours out of him.
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: David Houck on January 10, 2008, 07:23:06 PM: And Stevie!!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWLw7nozO_U)
Soaking in it!

[edit: longer version of song]

(Message edited by davehouck on January 10, 2008)
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: David Houck on January 10, 2008, 07:39:23 PM: More Stevie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAAJj_zJb78)

By the way, Tommy Shannon is a great example of a bass player for a blues band. He's not only locked in to the drummer, but he's locked in to, and supporting, the emotion coming out of the guitar.
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: olieoliver on January 11, 2008, 07:12:19 AM: Dave you're dead-on about Tommy he is an awesome blues basssist, with whom ever he's playing.

One of the bands I was working with in the 90's played a gig with the Arc Angels (Doyle Bramhall Jr., Charlie Sexton, Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton) back in the 90's at the Hard Rock in Dallas and Tommy and Chris were just rock solid man.

I beleive that first video is Live at El Macombo which is an incredible dvd.

Olie
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: terryc on January 11, 2008, 07:51:16 AM: Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Leadbelly, the great Robert Johnson, B.B.King, Albert Collins... there are so many to chose.
Plus the modern guys, Stevie Ray V, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Gary Moore, Jeff Healey.
Listen to them all, use there songs, play 'em slow, play fast, funk them up they are all so versatile..a great education that every musician should try
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: David Houck on January 11, 2008, 08:29:20 AM: Arc Angels (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfMKHcfh2MQ).
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: cozmik_cowboy on January 11, 2008, 12:47:55 PM: Albert King, John Lee Hooker, Luther Allison, Fenton Robinson, Lonnie Brooks.

Peter
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: David Houck on January 11, 2008, 01:48:49 PM: I've seen Luther's son Bernard Allison a few times; great player.
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: funkyjazzjunky on January 11, 2008, 02:14:02 PM: Boogaloo Joe Jones, Shirley Scott, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Leadbelly, Robert Johnson, B.B.King, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Albert King, John Lee Hooker
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: David Houck on January 11, 2008, 02:58:43 PM: I found an old set list from eight years ago when I was playing in a blues band.

So Excited - Stevie Ray Vaughan

Come On - Jimi Hendrix (Earl King)

Bad Sign - Cream (William Bell/Booker T Jones)

Stormy Monday - Allman Brothers (T-Bone Walker)

Use Me - Bill Withers

Tell Me - Stevie Ray Vaughan (Howlin' Wolf)

Killing Floor - Howlin' Wolf

Quitter Never Wins - Tinsley Ellis

Cold Shot - Stevie Ray Vaughan (W.C. Clark)

Love I Been Missing - [couldn't find this anywhere]

Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix

Red House - Jimi Hendrix

Rock Me Baby - B.B. King

Them Changes - Buddy Miles

Tin Pan Alley - Stevie Ray Vaughan (Robert Geddins)

Everyman Blues - [couldn't find this anywhere]

Old Love - Eric Clapton

Spanish Castle Magic - Jimi Hendrix

Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan (Larry Davis)

Thrill Is Gone - B.B. King

Red Rooster - Howlin' Wolf (Willie Dixon)

It's Not My Cross To Bear - Allman Brothers

Whipping Post - Allman Brothers

Further On Up The Road - Eric Clapton (Joe Medwick)

Stone Free - Jimi Hendrix

Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix (Billy Roberts)

Voodoo Child - Jimi Hendrix

(Message edited by davehouck on January 11, 2008)
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: keith_h on January 12, 2008, 05:51:49 AM: I forgot an album that I have been listening to in the car recently, Larry Carlton's Sapphire Blue. It is mostly upbeat blues with horns.

Keith
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: hankster on January 12, 2008, 06:37:25 AM: NIce list, Dave, and thanks for the Arc Angels and Stevie links.

As for modern players, Robert Cray and his band are fine. And up north here (canada) we are all pretty fond of Colin James. James in particular has some great guitar/horn ensemble stuff.
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: lbpesq on January 12, 2008, 08:25:25 AM: I can't believe no one's mentioned John Mayall yet! And listen to early Fleetwood Mac (with Peter Green, before they got Buckingham/Nicks and got cute).

Bill, tgo
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: jet_powers on January 12, 2008, 12:15:46 PM: Thanks for all the input.... we've got a few of those mentioned, still there's a few more suggestions here we can use.

Let's throw a wrench into the works....

How about with female vocals?

JP
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: lbpesq on January 12, 2008, 03:05:36 PM: Bonnie Raitt, especially the early stuff. I love her version of the old Sippy Wallace song: Woman Be Wise, Keep Your Mouth Shut Don't Advertise Your Man
And, of course, almost anything recorded by Janice Joplin.

Bill, tgo
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: keith_h on January 12, 2008, 05:17:19 PM: There's Koko Taylor and Etta James.

Keith
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: foth on January 13, 2008, 01:56:58 AM: I play with Dave Brown, who grew up with Stevie and Jimmie. Some of Dave's favorites are: Pride & joy, Dimples, Mary had a little lamb, Thunderbird, Got me runnin', Why I sing the blues, Cold shot.
Don't forget the slow ones, gettin' close is what it's all about: Have you ever loved a woman, Love her with a feeling, Sweet little angel.
Other crowd pleasers: All night long, Killin' floor, Yonders wall.
Good for a female vocalist: Honey hush.
Title: Blues Standards
Post by: bracheen on January 13, 2008, 07:20:19 AM: female singer - Susan Tedeschi.

I like that list Dave. I think Born Under a Bad Sign was the second song I learned.
Sam