need some suggestions for Acoustics Blues


What are your favorite artists/recodings for acoustic Blues besides Muddy Waters MSFL "Folk Singer" and Buddy Guy "Alone and acoustics" (got them already)? Dont you just love the sound of acoustic guitar, harmonica, and vocal sound of the human soul/spirit? Any suggestion is appreciated...
jeanluc07
Blind Willie Johnson: The Complete Blind Willie Johnson (Sony)
Mississippi Fred McDowell: First Recordings (Rounder)
Mississippi Fred McDowell: You Gotta Move (Arhoolie)
Alvin Youngblood Hart: Big Mama's Door (Sony)

Only the last is a top-notch recording, but musically they are all amazing. Enjoy!

Son House needs to be on the list.
I also second the Mississippi Fred McDowell suggestions.
And Mississippi John Hurt, folk/country type delta blues.
Also, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee, they have done a few albums together.
Hans Theesink, Roy Book Binder, Guy Davis, Ann Armstrong, &
Jorma Kaudonen are some of my favorites and of course you do have to get the Robert Johnson complete set. Just had Rory Block Live in Dallas.
Second, no third Rory Block. Surprised no one has mentioned the late GREAT John Lee Hooker (The Healer would be a great one to start with, but he's got a lot of recorded work to choose from). I like the Fat Possum artists too: R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough are both great.

Marco
"Catfish" Keith has won numerous Grammy awards for his acoustic solo playing.

Try Jessie May Hemphill, a contemporary of Burnside and Kimborough. Once a singularly unique performer, sadly a victim of a stroke and now unable to perform. I hope she is still alive.
Depending on how much you like early blues, and how "authentic" you want to get, there are a number of early, great acoustic blues men that you should listen to, including: Robert Johnson, Huddie Leadbetter, Big Bill Broonzy (one of my all-time favorites), Blind Lemon Jefferson, Mississippi John Hurt, Son House, Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon (one of the most important influences on Mick Jagger, The Beatles, and other English "blues" groups of the 1960's), Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee (Piedmont-style blues), Reverend Gary Davis, etc.

If you want to really delve into the blues, then you can get a lot of great information from the book by Bill Wyman titled "Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey", which can be ordered from Amazon.com. Wyman is a former Rolling Stones member, and his book offers a very good introduction to the styles of blues and the great singers of each style (from Delta blues through modern urban blues).
Boy, there are so may good artist to choose from. My favorite style is the Delta Blues. Great quality is so hard to find though. For Great Quality recording, which one are you listening to? thanks
"Screamin' And Hollerin' the Blues" by Charley Patton. Contains all known recordings by Patton plus assorted recordings by Son House, Howlin' Wolf and Willie Brown. The recordings date from the early 30s so don't expect high fidelity, butt the music is amazing.
Precious Bryant, Fool Me Good is absolutely wonderful. Just her and her guitar, recorded at home or a local joint, I believe...

Gordy
Charley Patton *is* the beginning. The recorded Delta Blues tradition
starts there. The recordings were originally done on cheap plastic like
all "race" records and these recordings were recovered when producers
went door to door in the Delta and found local residents who still had
Patton's records long after his death. So, the recording quality is
sketchy, but the depth of Patton's emotions and the beauty of his
amazing play shines through with crystal clarity. Patton taught Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolfe, Muddy Waters, and many more. Any serious blues enthusiast should start with Charley Patton, Robert Johnson,
Son House, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolfe -- that's where it came from
and there's nothing more authentic than that.



For acoustic blues, one album comes immediately to mind: Hot Tuna (RCA LSP-4353) features Jefferson Airplane's Jorma Kaukonen on acoustic guitar, Jack Cassidy on bass and Will Scarlett on harmonica. It's a live album from the modern era - 1970!
Some others that have not been mentioned yet - Otis Spann 'Walkin the Blues', Champion Jack Dupree 'Blues From The Gutter', Skip james 'Devil Got My Woman & The Immortal', Robert Pete Williams 'Free At Last', Ted Hawkins 'Watch your Step',Buddy Guy & Junior Wells 'Alone and Acoustic'
Doug MacLeod — Come To Find
It's on the JVC-XRCD label and is a great recoring featuring Charlie Musselwhite on blues harp. Friends will think Doug's in the house!
Some great suggestions so far, particularly anything that Willie Dixon played on, and any recording you can find of Son House. However, to make a less traditional suggestion, a good acoustic recording, with some blues aspects, is Eric Clapton Unplugged. I find this to be an especially involving recording, and I often use it when auditioning new equipment.

With regard to the other suggestions, I have many recordings by the above-referenced artists, but so many of them are not well recorded, mixed, or produced. Any suggestions on specific recordings that are worth acquiring? I was fairly impressed with what I heard on the PBS airing of Martin Scorcese's "The Blues", so I have high hopes for the derivative CDs and DVDs of that production.

Tom.
I cast my vote for Mississippi John Hurt as well, very pleasent and smooth to listen to.
Early Tuna features harmonica, fiddle, and great bluesy guitar work. Live at Sweetwater I & II are very good sounding for digital.

Spencer
I second the vote for Eric Bibb. All three albums on hybrid SACD/CD on the Opus3 label are great and each of his several others on regular CD (that I have listened to) are good as well. Great music which is fabulously recorded to boot. Start with the Opus3 discs - I recommend " Just Like Love" as a starting place.
Mississippi Fred McDowell - Mississippi Delta Blues
Blind Lemon Jefferson - King of the Country Blues
Big Bill Broonzy - BBB Sings Folk Songs
Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry - BM and ST Sing
Elizabeth Cotten - Freight Train and Other NC Folk Songs
Mississippi John Hurt - Today

Son House - Death Letter

Joseph Spence - Music of the Bahamas (phenomenal guitar playing!)

Reverend Gary Davis - Ragtime, Sun is Going Down, Pure Religion, Guitar and Banjo

Robert Johnson - King of the Delta Blues

John Hammond - Country Blues

Cephas and Wiggins - Dog Days of August

Rory BLock - Rhinestones & Steel Strings

Eric Bibb - Spirit

R.L. Burnside - Acoustic Stories

Kelly Joe Phelps - Shine Eyed Mister Zen

Guy Davis - You don't know my Mind

And 3 that few have heard of:

Jackson Delta - Lookin' Back (this is a superb album)

Bill Bourne - No Special Rider

Jimmie Lee Robinson - ... all my life
Doc Watson, "Trouble in Mind" his new country blues anthology. Plain and simply "Doc" is one of the great pickers of all time with a great singing voice to boot. You really can't go wrong with virtually anything "Doc" has put out.
Here are some Goodins'
Luther Allison- Help me Keep my Moonshine
Buddy Guy & Junior Wells-Alone & Acoustic
Junior Wells-Come Inside my House
Any & all by Alvin Youngblood Hart
Doug MacLeod-You Can't Take my Blues( this is on Audioquest & aviable on vinyl)
How about Big Joe Williams? He's a bit unique in that he played a 9-string guitar (that he improvised himself), and he had all kinds of great bass runs that you just won't hear elswhere.

Also, Brownie McGhee (with Sonny Terry) are considered by many to be the standard for guitar/harmonica duos.
Lots of good suggestions so far that I don't have to mention, and I didn't read all of the lists, but......
- Otis Taylor on Northern Blues or Telarc labels.
- any Harry Manx on Northern Blues, and also with Kevin Breit in "Jubilee"
- Somebody already mentioned Guy Davis on Red House Records, but on the same label: Paul Geremia, Koerner Ray & Glover.
- Chris Smither and John Hammond.
- "Memphis BBQ Sessions" with Kim Wilson and Big Jack Johnson, on MC Records. It was nominated for a Handy Award.
I've got a million of them...
Correction: Big Jack Johnson & Kim Wilson's "Memphis BBQ Sessions" WON the WC Handy Award for Best Acoustic Blues album in 2003. :-)
Check out John Hammond. He is a true acoustic blues artist. Fantastic guitarist, great blues voice, and plays a pretty mean harp also. Lots to choose from but "Got Love If You Want It" is one of my favorites.