There are several different styles of blues music, some originating from
different geographical regions and others simply from different musical genres.
In 1920, when blues first made it onto records, they were dominated by female
singers and musicians. Most of them performed in tent shows or medicine shows
and had voices so loud and strong that amplifiers were not necessary. This from
of Classical Female Blues usually encompassed only pianos, but had some singers
backed by a full jazz band and went strong until the 1930's. Some of the most
famous ladies from this sect of music include Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Mamie
Smith and Victoria Spivey.
Jump blues grew out of the boogie woogie piano craze of the 1940's It had a
quick beat, a jazz influence, a horn section and a lead vocalist, some of which
include Louis Jordan, Big Joe Turner an Johnny Otis.
Country blues describes all various forms of acoustic blues. It covers all
the regional styles of blues which I will later address in fuller detail. Two
very famous musicians came from these origins; Skip James and the often covered
Leadbelly.
Piano blues has been a part of the blues scone the turn of the century, long
before blues was ever recorded. It includes ragtime, boogie woogie, second
line, barrel house blues, "supper club" blues and the Chicago
style blues. Otis Spann and Sunnyland Slim were some of its most infamous
performers.
During the 1950's and 1960's, our neighbors across the ocean took notice of
this amazing art form and soon began replicating American blues, working mostly
off of electric Chicago Blues artists and acoustic folk blues musicians. They
performed their music with great respect for these originators, almost
bordering on elevating them to sainthood. Eric Clapton, The Yardbirds and the
early recordings of the Rolling Stones are the most famous examples.
Modern electric blues is what most of us hear these days. It copies older
styles of blues playing, mostly from the 1950's and 1960's and mix it with
contemporary influences. It really is a little rock, soul and funk all mixed
together. I'm sure you recognize the name Johnny Lang, Bonnie Raitt, Kenny
Wayne Shepherd and Stevie Ray Vaughan, don't you?
Modern acoustic blues may also sound familiar, seeing as it's modern music
that's rooted in tradition, particularly older blues artists from the 1920's
and 1930's. This form of blues is usually performed by a solo artist and is
strictly guitar based, although sometimes a harmonica can also be heard. Guy
Davis, Taj Mahal, Keb' Mo and Kenny Sultan seem to have mastered this form.