Jeff Beck

Jeff Beck is one of the great Triumvirate of British blues rock guitarists. The other two in the club are Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. Jeff Beck Played with the Yardbirds just as the other two did, and actually played with Page at one point. After the demise of the Yardbirds, Beck and Page formed their own groups, the Jeff Beck Group and what would eventually become Led Zeppelin. At the time, people thought that both were competing for the vacant throne left by Cream and the Yardbirds, but in actuality, comparing the two was like comparing apples and oragnes. Beck had a bluesier base than Page who had a certain affection for Celtic and Folk music which made its way into many of Led Zeppelin's longs.

Beck Is a truly creative guitarist. His sounds range from weepy to grungy hard rock. On many of his songs, his guitar is the vocalist. Beck plays a Stratocaster and is a master of the tremolo, or whammy bar. Often times, rather than bending a string up a note, he will use the tremolo to raise the note. Jeff Beck will sometimes feature vocalists to sing for his singles, but undoubtedly the guitar is the central piece in the song. Check out Over the rainbow by Beck if you get a chance, a true showcase of his talent.

The Black Keys

So the Black Keys broke onto the scene with their hit “Tighten Up”. To be honest, I didn't get any of their music until after I heard that single on the radio. I was truly surprised by this band. I used to be a die hard KROQ fan, but these days most of the new music isn't that good, in my opinon. In interviews that I have listened to with Dan Auerbach (guitar and vocals) and Pat Carney (drums), everything they did was almost “anti-success” in the music they played and the venues they chose. Definitely a band to check out if you haven't already. They are almost what I would call “neo blues”. Dan's moaning vocals and playing lend a blues flavor and a melancholy undertone to their music. In a few of their songs, they do have a syncopated 8ths or “shuffle feel. A very bluesy riff kicks off “Set You Free” which was released on the “School of Rock” Soundtrack. Songs like “Strange Times” bring around some funky grooves, throughout all of their music, they maintain that bues undercurrent. So if anybody feels that the blues is to music what Latin is to the spoken word, then I hoop this makes you think otherwise.

Freddie King

Freddie King is one of the premier influences in the Blues area. Nicknamed "The Texas Cannonball", King drew inspiration from Texas blues and Chicago style of playing. King was the first bluesman to have a multi racial backing band an was known for songs such as "Hide Your Love Away" and "Have you ever Loved a Woman". King would later influence such guitarists as Americans Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan, as well as being a key influence for the blues revival in the UK for artists like Eric Clapton and Peter Green.

King has a very bright, contiguous sound. While not "sweet", most of his work is pretty upbeat. His tone is pretty clean with a hint of dirt in it to color his playing style. John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers as well as Cream (among others) would later go on to do covers of Kings work.

The Black Crowes

The Black Crowes were formed in 1989 and are dedicated to the 70's era blues rock. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, the Band's core has centered around Chris and Rich Robinson, and Steve Gorman on vocals, guitar, and drums, respectively. However, a high turnover rate has trailed the band throughout their history, with a hiatus from 2002 to 2005. The band has been heavily influenced by The Rolling Stones, Faces, Buddy Guy, Otis Redding, and Humble Pie.







While entering the ballgame relatively late compared to some of the other bands that have mentioned, The Black Crowes have stayed true to the blues rock tone that they sought to emulate. Many of their songs, such as "She Talks to Angles", "Jealous Again", and "Twice as Hard", made their first album a success, even in a period when hair bands were fading and grunge was taking root in the music scene. The Black Crowes have a very "Southern" sound that is truly their own. They may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I think they are an important milestone in the blues rock genre.

Derek Trucks

Derek Trucks is an American guitarist, producer, and songwriter as well as a member of the Allman Brothers Band.

Trucks was born in Jacksonville, Florida and raised in a family steeped in music. His Uncle was Butch Trucks and a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band. Trucks picked up his first guitar as a child and secured his first gig by age eleven. touring with the Allman Brothers Band as a teenager, His father and guitar mentor served as chaperone and manager for young Trucks. Trucks is known for playing slide guitar, being a fan of its emulative ability of the human voice. Intially h picked it up because it didn't hurt his fingers as much.

Trucks gained profiency with the instrument and formed his own band called "The Derek Trucks Band" which served as the primary engine for his creativity. Trucks was listed on the Rolling Stones Magazine's top 100 guitarists of all time at number 81 in 2003, the youngest guitarist at age 24.

Classic Blues Guitars 3 - The Gibson Les Paul

The Les Paul, also put out by Gibson, is another one of the "Classic Three" guitars (Les Paul, Stratocaster, Telecaster). The Les Paul was designed by Ted McCarty of the Gibson Corporation and famous jazz guitarist and innovator Les Paul. Paul had created his own "home made" electric guitar called "the long", as it was little more than a fret board attached to a piece of pine wood. Fender came out with the first commercially viable guitar called the Telecaster and suddenly electric guitars were a national craze. Gibson's final Les Paul, or LP, was far from a market copy. Accounts differ, but it was most likely influenced by the shape of Gibson's acoustic guitars.

The Les Paul comes with many different features today. Generally, all LP's have a dense mahogany core with a maple top to reduce weight and provide a nice grain for dying purposes. The early "Gold Tops" came with a trapeze style tailpiece (part of the guitar that braces the string near the tail, or rear of the guitar), bur shortly thereafter and since LP's have been constructed with "stop bars", essentially a straight piece of metal with holes in it to slide the strings through. The Gold Tops came with P-90, or single coil pickups, however most models now come standard with humbuckers that provide the chunkier sound that LP's are known for.

Classic Blues Guitars 2 - The Fender Stratocaster

The Stratocaster, or "Strat", is an iconic guitar that spans blues as well as rock and roll.

It was developed by Leo Fender who ironically enough, didn't play guitar himself. The Strat uses single coil pickups that give it a brighter, "twangier" sound than the humbuckers used in most Gibsons. The Strat's construction is different than Gibson as well. The Strat is made of Alder which lends to a brighter tone as opposed to mahogany in solidbody Gibsons. Ever practical, Leo Fender constructed the Strat with a bolt on neck to make repairs easier (Gibsons use a set neck, or glued in).

While there is debate over which has superior tonal qualities, the Stratocaster is a highly customizable guitar. Eric Clapton's "Blackie" was a conglomeration of parts from multiple Stratocasters (quality control was not as tight back then, sometimes negligent workers might overwind pickups twice as much as stipulated in design specs leading to a "hot" sound that many musicians found desirable).

While humbuckers lend themselves better to distortion, the single coil pickups of a Strat are better for a nice clean tone that is appropriate for certain blues styles.