Who's your favorite "blues" guitar player? (dead or alive)

[Frunobulax]

Buddy Guy is right up there in my book.

I’ll also throw in a wild card ... Billy Gibbons. Perhaps not known as a blues guitarist, the man knows how to play the blues and their music is heavily influenced.

A lot of our Rock Guitar Gods have blues roots. I'm thinking Blackmore, Iommi, Page. Those sorts of guys. They could likely hang with the best of them.

 

[Frunobulax]

Amongst the pre-War musicians, Charley Patton is my favorite. I've always loved John Lee Hooker and Albert King, too. For me, though, Jimi was the pinnacle. Purists would disagree, but none of the earliest blues musicians made a living playing strictly blues.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=704767793810014

Go see Robin Trower while you still can.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Man, hard to pick just one. So many great blues pickers, from the early days, Delta, Chicago, Texas...all the way up to the British Invasion rock and roll and more modern players. I'd say the best are the ones with the distinctive sound...who you immediately recognize just from the tone of the guitar, even if you've never heard the song. Three players stand out to me in that regard: Robert Johnson, B.B. King, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. You can argue whether or not they were the greatest, but hear one note, and you know who it is. That's hard to do.

 

[crawlinkingsnake]

There's a young guy in Clarksdale, Mississippi that's outstanding. Christone "Kingfish" Ingram is 21 years old and has as what some would say "an old soul". Well worth searching out. He plays the Juke Joint Festival each April, and good lord willing and the Creeks don't rise, aka we're Covid free, he'll be there again in 2021.

 

[Warlord of The Weejuns]

Luther Allison, I especially like his “Live In Chicago”. Next would be Gary Clark Jr.

 

[DesertDan]

So many great ones, can't pick just one as "best" or "favorite".
Warren Haynes deserves mention, phenomenal player and talented songwriter.

Also check out Watermelon Sim;

 

[sal]

There's a young guy in Clarksdale, Mississippi that's outstanding. Christone "Kingfish" Ingram is 21 years old and has as what some would say "an old soul". Well worth searching out. He plays the Juke Joint Festival each April, and good lord willing and the Creeks don't rise, aka we're Covid free, he'll be there again in 2021.

agreed. He is a phenom. If he lives long enough he will be a “great”

 

[belfastboy]

Not flashy, not a shredder by any means but just good ol blues guitar....John Hammond. I have been to 7 or 8 of his concerts...Not sure if he is still touring. I saw him at a local blues club on a hot summer's eve probably 15 years ago. The side door was open to increase air flow and they had a 20 something security guy on the door. John Hammond came strolling in through the door and the young guy accosted him by the arm and was about to escort him out. I leaned over from out table, tapped the security on the shoulder and advised him he should let the guy in as he was the headliner for the night and the reason we were all here. He apologized to Mr Hammond and let him pass.

 

[Frunobulax]

Not flashy, not a shredder by any means but just good ol blues guitar....John Hammond. I have been to 7 or 8 of his concerts...Not sure if he is still touring. I saw him at a local blues club on a hot summer's eve probably 15 years ago. The side door was open to increase air flow and they had a 20 something security guy on the door. John Hammond came strolling in through the door and the young guy accosted him by the arm and was about to escort him out. I leaned over from out table, tapped the security on the shoulder and advised him he should let the guy in as he was the headliner for the night and the reason we were all here. He apologized to Mr Hammond and let him pass.

I've also seen him several times. He hasn't been to Funkytown for a while, tho.

 

[crawlinkingsnake]

Not flashy, not a shredder by any means but just good ol blues guitar....John Hammond. I have been to 7 or 8 of his concerts...Not sure if he is still touring. I saw him at a local blues club on a hot summer's eve probably 15 years ago. The side door was open to increase air flow and they had a 20 something security guy on the door. John Hammond came strolling in through the door and the young guy accosted him by the arm and was about to escort him out. I leaned over from out table, tapped the security on the shoulder and advised him he should let the guy in as he was the headliner for the night and the reason we were all here. He apologized to Mr Hammond and let him pass.

"not flashy, not a shredder"... good! As I'm sure you know, it's as much about the spaces between the notes as the notes themselves.
btw: great story. I love John Hammond but I've only seen him on TV or his video Searching for Robert Johnson.

 

[crawlinkingsnake]

agreed. He is a phenom. If he lives long enough he will be a “great”

Yeah, I know what you mean. A little concerned about his health as he seems quite a bit over weight.

 

[Warlord of The Weejuns]

I agree "Kingfish" is very good, hope to hear more from him. I would like to add Michael Burkes "The Ironman" and Coco Montoya, they both are pretty good "string benders".

 

[Jeffrey Westcott]

Among those playing these days, I love Derek Trucks's slide sound.

 

[MisterCairo]

"not flashy, not a shredder"... good! As I'm sure you know, it's as much about the spaces between the notes as the notes themselves.
btw: great story. I love John Hammond but I've only seen him on TV or his video Searching for Robert Johnson.

Reminds me of the film Ghost World. The scene where the Steve Buscemi character Seymour and the Thora Birch character Enid are at a "blues" bar, as Enid is trying to get Seymour to meet women, while Seymour wants to hear his true bluesman idol playing as the opening act for bombastic delta blues band "Blueshammer".

 

[crawlinkingsnake]

I agree "Kingfish" is very good, hope to hear more from him. I would like to add Michael Burkes "The Ironman" and Coco Montoya, they both are pretty good "string benders".

Had hoped to catch Kingfish again in April at Juke Joint Festival, Clarksdale, MS. However once again feel the need to cancel plans due to this frickin COVID thing. Even though there will be a JJF 2020, it will not look like the past, with mostly outdoor events, very limited inside venues, masks, etc. It's been extremely hard on musicians, venues, restaurants, bars, hotels, gas stations, museums, but still I totally understand. Right now we're hoping to get there for Sunflower Blues & Gospel Festival in August. We'll see what happens......

 

[Trenchfriend]

Um, Mike Bloomfield?

 

[belfastboy]

Um, Mike Bloomfield?

1965 hearing Paul Butterfield Blues Band....first album with Bloomfield on guitar was a revelation. It is still in my top 10 favourite albums....ever. I have worn out the record and now listen to it on CD.

 

[Trenchfriend]

1965 hearing Paul Butterfield Blues Band....first album with Bloomfield on guitar was a revelation. It is still in my top 10 favourite albums....ever. I have worn out the record and now listen to it on CD.

Because of G. E. Smith on youtube, I looked out for the album and curiously found the album box in electronic chain store, a while ago. Sadly, I'm born in 1984, looong after the great time...

 

[GoetzManor]

Always'll love Robert Johnson. Picked up a CD on a whim at a record shop one day and was hooked. More recently, my grandfather gave me Joe Bonamassa's Live at Radio City and I'll tell you what: that guy can play!

 

[Turnip]