To my taste, a lot of the old classic blues is tough for modern ears to listen to. It's the real deal and part of understanding the genre but not always easy going... that btw was the stuff that influenced the 60's british bands. Listen to early John Mayall, Stones etc.
In the rock genre Johnny Winters is a definitive one along with the aforementioned Stevie Ray. Totally random that no one has mentioned BB King is a mystery. To say nothing of Albert King. Actually check out Eric Clapton's "Riding With The King" which is a duet with BB King; and "Me & Mr Johnson" which is a tribute to seminal bluesman Robert Johson
For a change of pace try some of the great jazz singers - Peggy Lee, Dinah Washington and Ella Fitzgerald all have albums with "Blues" in the title. Maria Muldaur is more contemporary - "A woman alone with the blues" is full of feeling.
My newest, latest greatest find is an obscure Duke Ellington album called Back To Back which is a small ensemble with Johnny Hodges on trumpet. Coubt Basie has one called Good Time Blues that really gets rolling. And there is an early Basie with Jimmy Rushing that is pretty raw. All of the Verve/Blue Note gang did some blues - as did Satchmo.
In the rock genre Johnny Winters is a definitive one along with the aforementioned Stevie Ray. Totally random that no one has mentioned BB King is a mystery. To say nothing of Albert King. Actually check out Eric Clapton's "Riding With The King" which is a duet with BB King; and "Me & Mr Johnson" which is a tribute to seminal bluesman Robert Johson
For a change of pace try some of the great jazz singers - Peggy Lee, Dinah Washington and Ella Fitzgerald all have albums with "Blues" in the title. Maria Muldaur is more contemporary - "A woman alone with the blues" is full of feeling.
My newest, latest greatest find is an obscure Duke Ellington album called Back To Back which is a small ensemble with Johnny Hodges on trumpet. Coubt Basie has one called Good Time Blues that really gets rolling. And there is an early Basie with Jimmy Rushing that is pretty raw. All of the Verve/Blue Note gang did some blues - as did Satchmo.