Recommended BLUES recordings

IMHO the place to start would be "Robert Johnson: The Complete Recordings" on Columbia/Legacy. The blues just about started here, and it does not get much deeper or more profound. The 2 CD set contains all the material Mr. Johnson ever recorded. The recordings are from 1936-37 and were first released on 78rpm, so no audiophile stuff here in terms of room, perspective, details....but anyone who loves the blues should own this. Sorry, but I can't think of any really GREAT all instrumental (traditional) blues albums. Enjoy the music! Robert.

If you have the capability to play DVDs, then by all means check out the David "HoneyBoy" Edwards disc, titled "Shake' em On Down" on the Analog Productions label (APO DAPO 2010), available through Acoustic Sounds. This a wonderful A/V project with 24/96 audio and real time video of the actual recording. Included is a nearly 18 minute interview of Mr. Edwards experiences as a blues player in the early days.

All though it is not instrumental blues... Muddy Waters - Folk Singer on MFSL. Incredible!!! Might be the best.

The only consistent way to listen to blues in instrumental form that I can think of is 'Jazz-blues.' A few titles that spring to mind are John Coltrane 'Plays the Blues' (Atlantic), Wynton Marsalis 'The Majesty of the Blues' (Columbia) and Lionel Hampton 'Just Blues' (not sure of the last title or label). There is a LOT of blues-influenced Jazz to be found. True "Blues" (sorry, couldn't resist the pun) IS vocal-based. That's why they call it "singing the blues" :-(

The Mississippi Fred McDowell double album on Capitol.