Best blues guitarist, Clapton or Green

In this order..Duane Allman,S.R.V, Peter Green, Buddy Guy, Dickey Betts, Eric Clapton, some of My favorite tunes of these guys, Duane/A.B.B. Dreams, SRV>Little Wing, Peter Green>Rattlesnake Shake, Dickey Betts/A.B.B. Back to where it all begins. Clapton>Forever Man, Buddy Guy> I do not have any recordings by Buddy Guy, but seen Him Live, And He is Very Good. Just My oppinions of course.

This has been a very interesting thread for me because I spent the late 60's and all of the 70's living in Austin, most of the time working as a photographer covering music, so that I got to see most of the great blues guitarists performing during that time, many of them repeatedly. (Austin has always been more of a blues town than a country town, despite its association with Willie Nelson.) I wouldn't presume to judge who was best among them, I loved them all. The one thing that stands out for me, though, is the wonder of listening to Stevie Ray Vaughn dozens of times when he was playing lead for Paul Ray and the Cobras. He never played the same thing twice and every time he played a tune in a new way it was extraordinary. With all the other great players you knew pretty much what you were going to get when you heard a song begin, within a certain range, but with SRV you were always surprised, and amazed. It's too bad that as extraordinary as recorded music can be it's really just a snapshot of the landscape a great musician can create.

It is an awe inspiring album. Clapton was and is not capable of doing the things Hendrix does on this album. If you haven't heard it yet, you should order it right now. Simply stunning.

Between Peter Green and Clapton my vote would be for Clapton. I have seen them both many times. I was at an original FM concert where they played with Savoy Brown, both bands grouped together for a 90 minute encore of straight blues. I lost count of the number of guitarists on the stage. Also saw Dickey Betts at the first concert they played following the death of Duane Allman. Some of the best playing I have ever seen. Dickie has never played like that before or after. That's why they call it the blues.

Surprised to see no mention of Lightnin' Hopkins amongst all the rest. His playing on his Smithsonian Institute CD is fabulous. Following are a few random comments on my reaction to the names mentioned here. Clapton is a wonderful guitarist in terms of his exquisite timing and accomplishment of technique, but as a blues man he is merely average - hence difficult to comment on him as a blues guitarist. Buddy Guy is a definite contender, but I far prefer his work behind Junior Wells and Muddy Waters than when he leads himself. Stylistically speaking I don't like Green, so will refrain from further comment on that score. Anything Green or Clapton offer was bettered by Roy Buchanon. But if there has to be a best - it would have to be Hendrix when he played the Blues.