Best blues guitarist, Clapton or Green

Albert King. The man practically invented the "bending strings" technique. I also 2nd Jimmy D. Lane. Believe Mr. Clapton would agree that Mr. Green is one-up on him.

Use to have the same discussions in grade school. Then our prime choices were Hendrix, Clapton, J. Beck, J. Page. Interesting.

Really difficult to disagree with most of those talents mentioned above, really.

I consider JJ Cale ten times the bluesman Clapton is...... I just don't get this Clapton Blues god b.s., There are SO many Bluesmen who you can't even star to compare Clapton to.... it's like Calling Diana Krall an incredible Jazz singer. Give me a break.

I replied to this thread 7 years ago and read the various replies written since then tonight realizing that the thread wound through a myriad of permutations mostly having nothing to do with the original question of the two blues guitarists and no-one else.

Obviously there can be no definitive conclusion. Each of these guitarists have brought their unique best to each their forefronts.

Clapton as an interpreter bar none and Green as a Blues innovator bar none and what do we do with those observations? SRV, Hendrix and all of their brothers (and sisters) have been introduced into this thread but the comparison remains; Green vs Clapton.

Why must there be a best or a winner? Are we not the better, the more musically enriched blueswise for the both of them to have co-existed and developed in their own unique ways?

I lay down tonight to my flawed reproductive system (I am 60 after all) ecstatic in the knowledge and audible estate knowing that I have lived in a time of greatness where I have physically and recordibly heard the works of contemporary genius unfold for the pleasure of those the receptive masses to which I humbly belong. To make scale of 10 choices as to who is superior seems irrelavent at this humble point in my short life.

It would be nice to lay this thread to rest reflecting merely upon the privilege of having so much musical Blues art available to all of us regardless of our individual preferences...

Having personally seen both of these men many times from the time they were in their early twenties until recently, I think the thread question is moot but then that's the personal and worthless opinion of just one musical soul among the millions who have an opinion totally worthwhile and of their own...

rel2

Rel2,

Quite an eloquent, poignant, insightful, and even enjoyable response. Thank you.

For me, Green is the better guitarist of the two.

Even Eric Clapton will tell you he just cobbles together well known riffs to form a cohesive solo and has to think his way through every tune. The blues do not flow through him naturally. I think he called it "patchwork" playing. I like him at times but he is not imho among the best blues players. - Jim