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.

Classic Blues Guitars 1 - The Gibson ES 335

So aren't all electric guitars the same? No they are not. Each guitar is a unique amalgamation of steel and wood, every aspect of its manufacture contributing to its. tone. There are a few guitars that are most identified with the blues, and the first that we will look at is the Gibson ES 335.

First of Gibson is one of THE premier guitar manufacturers. While there are many fine and talented luthiers in the world, Gibson is the most prevalent and associated with craftsmanship and quality.

Gibson originally made hollowbody guitars, but electrified versions were prone to feedback. The solid body Les Paul had been introduced, but it lacked the warmer, darker tones of the hollowbodies.

The ES 335 was a middle ground in that the center span of the guitar is solid, but the wings are hollow with violin style "f holes" in the sides.

Players of this guitar include Billy Gibbons, Chuck Berry, Peter Green and Keith Richards. By far the most famous guitarist to use is B.B. King, whose trademark "Lucille" has its own custom reproduction model in the Gibson catalog.

The Yardbirds

Another influential British rock band, th Yardbirds started the careers of three famous guitarists, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page. They pioneered guitar effects such as fuzz tone, backwards echo, feedback, and distortion. Clapton was the first lead guitarist in the band, but left over creative differences. Clapton was a blues purist and the Yardbirds were straying into pop territory. Page was propositioned next, but unsure about leaving a lucrative life as a studio guitarist, recommended Jeff Beck who got the job, Page was eventually taken on as well and became lead guitarist after Beck was fired. Page brought in his own style of playing that included the use of a wah pedal and occasionally a cello bow. The Break-up came when the rest of the band wanted to pursue folk and classically inspired music while Page wanted to continue a "harder" style of rock, a la Cream and Jimi Hendix. The Yardbirds where the father of what would Later become Led Zeppelin.

Cream

Well I'm not going to lie, I kind of ran out of guitarists to talk about for now, so I will be talking about one of the most influential bands in Rock and Roll history: Cream.

Cream was formed in the 60's by Ginger Baker (drums), Jack Bruce (vocals and bass guitar) and Eric Clapton (vocals and guitar). They set the format for the standard power trio setup and were the first "super group". They called themselves "Cream" because they were the "cream of the jazz blues musicians". While impressive musicians, Clapton was unaware that Bruce and Baker had quarreled in the past even going so far as to sabotage each other's instruments. The two put their differeneces aside but their egos eventually came to haunt them and ultimately resulted in the band's collapse.

In my opinion, Cream is to Blues and Rock and Roll as Elvis was to Rockabilly and Soul. They took cues from many of the Blues Grandfathers (doing uptempo covers in some cases) and repackaging the blues for a new generation.

Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry of fame in Back to the Future as Marvin Berry's cousin and original composer of "Johnny B. Goode" is a true Father of the Blues and Rock 'n' Roll. Chuck berry was the first to popularize "double stops" or paying two trings at the same time while soloing, a must in any guitarist's repertoire today. His sorces of inspiration were Muddy Waters and T-Bone Walker. Berry actually got a a chance to meet Muddy Waters when he went to Chicago. Waters told him to look Walter Chess of Chess Records and cut a record. Berry did just that. Berry recorded "Maybelline" and it was his first hit. Berry went on to record other hits such as "No Particular Place toGo", "Nadine", and "You Can Never Tell". Berry was among the first guitarists to be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when it First opened in 1986 and was named as on the "Top 100 Guitarists of  All Time". Chuck Berry is 84 and continues to play.  Chuck Berry is about "classic" classic rock and roll as you can get and required listening in my opinion.

Eric Johnson

Eric Johnson is another underrated blues guitarist. As anyone who plays Guitar Hero knows, he is most famous for his song "Cliffs of Dover". However, Johnson is no one trick pony. His cross string licks and emotive style are legendary.

Johnson was born into a musically gifted family in Austin, Texas. He started playng at age 11 and was inspired by Eric Clapton Chet Atkins, Jimi Hendrix and Wes Montgomery. Johnson was an admitted perfectionist and actually scrapped much of his work during his career. Hey plays a Stratocaster and Gibson ES 335.

Jimmie Vaughan

Stevie Ray Vaughan's Older and less well known brother is a living legend in his own right. Compared to his brother, Jimmie has a thinner, brighter sound when he plays. His style is simple and straight forward but can really reel you in and is a must for any blues guitarist out there. His biggest influences are “the Kings”, Albert, Freddie, an B.B. But the guitarist he spent the most time studying was Johnny “Guitar” Johnson. Jimmie played a variety of guitars, but he mostly played a stratocaster and has his own custom series.

Jimmie was actually personally coached by Freddie King. He also opened for Jimi Hendrix who broke Jimmie's Vox wah pedal and gave him his touring pedal. He also played with blues legend W.C. Clark who founded a bunch of different blues bands around Austin. After going out on his own, Jimmie later founded “The Fabulous Thunderbirds”. Jimmie left the group in 1989 and made one family album with his brother before Stevie died in a helicopter crash. He continues his solo career to this day and has made appearances at the Crossroads Guitar Festival among others

Here is Jimmie playing “Six String Down”.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk2JWah7LGQ&feature=related

Crossroads Guitar Festival

The Crossroads Guitar Festival is a day long concert put on by Eric Clapton featuring "the past, present and future of music". The first was held in 2004, then in 2007, and again in 2010. The proceeds go to fund the Crossroads center for rehabilitation of those fighting alcohol or drug habits. In addition to the concert, several of Eric Clapton's amps and guitars were auctioned off for a total of 2.5 million (2010)

I think that the Crossroads Guitar Festival is one of the best concert events out there. The Living Legend himself is leading a collaborative colossus. If Eric Clapton invites you to play at his event, you can rest assured that you have just about reached the pinnacle of blues stardom. The guest list ranges from greats like B.B. King and Clapton to the newer generation of blues guitarists. The concert is a veritable smorgasbord of artists.

I think it's important because there are some fine guitarists out there that just aren't that famous. The Festival allows people to get a glimpse of artists they might never have heard of otherwise.

Joe Perry

Alright, so for this post, I'm going to cover Joe Perry. Being the guitarist for Aerosmith, he's not exactly an unknown blues guitarist, but I think it's important for folks to appreciate what a good guitar player he is. Aerosmith is a wonderful band, but I don' think it should overshadow Perry's entire career.

Perry was born in 1950 and was influenced by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, so much so that when Aerosmith first hit the stage, they were bruted about as a "Rolling Stones knock-off". It's true that Perry plays in the "rock" side of "blues-rock", but his playing is still rooted in the blues. The bluesiest album they put out was Honkin' on Bobo. Songs like "Back Back Train" conjure up a deep South atmosphere.

After Aerosmith, Perry launched "The Joe Perry Project". Album sales were decent, but they thrived more as a live act.

Perry also published a solo album where he played every instrument except for the drums, leading to favorable reviews.



Here's a Link to
Let the Music Do the Talking
By the Joe Perry Project

King of the Blues

Alright, So this post isn't about an artist, but rather a competition that Guitar Center puts on every year called King of the Blues.

So the idea is pretty straight forward. The nation is broken up into various districts and three levels of competition weed out all but about 10 or so competitors that go head to head in a final show at the House of Blues in LA. Winners of the various levels win prizes, but the Grand Prize Winner takes home some walkin' around money, a sweet Gibson guitar and a recording contract.

The reason I take the time to write about this is that I think competitions like these keep the blues alive. As I have said, blues seem to have taken a back seat to punk rock and alt rock. Such a major competition gives guitarists an incentive to hone their inner blues man.

In addition, like Ernie Ball's "Battle of the Bands", I think any competition that seeks out the truly talented from amongst the "average Joes" and gives them a foo in the door is a boon to industry. Bands get their music heard and industry execs may just find "the next big thing". Everyone wins and the music industry as a whole benefits from it in my opinion.

What are the Blues? Pt. 2

Now I will discuss some of the musical aspects that make the blues sound the way that they do.

Most music has a structure called a chord progression, that is, chords within the key that follow a certain pattern. The most widely used is called a I-IV-V (1,4,5) progression. For example, in th key of 'C':

C-I (root or tonic)

D-II

E-III

F-IV

G-V

A-VI

B-VII

C-VIII/I (root one octave higher

by counting off, F and G are the IV an V respectively. In the I-IV-V progression, the chords are C, F, and G. G is the last chord played and finishes or resolves the sequence and the progression will start over or end on the root chord (C in this case).

There are many different Chords out there, but called the "7" is most commonly used on the V chord of a progression. It is within the key signature of the key, and gives an extra bit of urgency in resolving the progression. Blues often use sevenths for the I, IV, and V, giving the blues their characteristic, edgier sound. slapping sevenths in all three chords goes outside the key signature and gives a more meloncholy undertone. Without going into every key, the seventh for F is E flat, which is the minor 3rd for C, the note that makes the chord a minor chord, or a "sad" chord. Normally this is E natural and makes the chord sound "happy". In addition, solos usually use the minor pentatonic (5 note scales) on top of this progression to further give a darker sound.

What are the Blues? Pt. 1

So I'm going to take some time aside to write about blues and what makes it a distinct musical genre.

To begin with, it is a fusion of Western and African musical influences. A lot of classic blues have a "swing" or "shuffle" feel picked up from its Gospel roots. Many rhythms for blues songs came from something as simple as the rhythm of a horse trot on the road.

Many blues songs feature what is called a "call and respond". Musicians like B.B. King would burst forth with a soulful vocal melody for a couple beats and "respond" with a lick on his guitar. Others like Stevie Ray Vaughan might do a purely instrumental "call and respond" where he would "call out" by playing the rhythm chords, then he would spit out a guitar lick.

Blues are commonly thought to always be "sad". A lot of classic blues songs are about women and other frustrations facing the working man. Even the more uptempo songs have a darker undertone to them, making them musically and tonally complex. However some songs can be pretty upbeat and jazzy. Indeed funk has its roots in the blues as well as rock and roll.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Kenny Wayne Sheppard is Texas Blues player and one of many competing for Stevie Ray Vaughan's Throne.

While technically born in Louisiana as Kenny Wayne Brobst, Shepherd was first inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughan to pick up the guitar at a concert that his father was promoting. Growing up, he would play on his "cheap Yamaha wanna-be Stratocaster" and listen to Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Albert Lee, reverse engineering their licks. A soulful player and and singer Shepherd teamed up early on with Noah Hunt who provided lead vocals for many of Shepherd's songs. While comparisons to SRV are fairly easy to see, Shepherd has his own tone that has a little more bite to it in my opinion.

Shepherd has put a few tracks at the top of the charts. "Blue on Black" is probably his best known song but the list also includes "Somehow, Somewhere, Someway", and my favorite from "ledbetter Heights", "Deja Voodo".

Here are a couple Clips: 

"Deja Voodoo" go ahead and skip the introduction =P

and

"Blue on Black"

Joe Bonamassa

Joes Bonamassa grew up in Utica, New York as a fourth generation musician, his father a guitar player, and both his grandfater and great father being trumpet players. Unlike most blues players, Bonamassa was inspired more by British and Irish blues rockers than by the traditional delta blues forefathers. Influences that Bonamassa cited include "The Jeff Beck Group", Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Rory Gallagher. According the Bonamassa, “I think, the English interpretation of the blues just hit me a lot better, you know?" Personally, this resounds with me as I am much the same way. I was first and am primarily influenced by artists from the later generation of 20th century blues artists.

Bonamassa debuted in 2000 with A New Day Yesterday, a play off of the '69 Jethro Tull song of the same name. Bonamassa covers the title song in the album. Bonamassa staryed into pop rock on occasiion, but by and large has remained true to his blues roots. He has a very raw sound. His vocals really belt and his guitar playing matches it. He comes from the same vein as one of his musical fathers, Gary Moore. Bonamassa plays Strats, but mostly I have seen him play a Gibosn Les Paul, which lends itself to Bonamassa's heavy, meatier style of playing.


Here are two live videos

Blues Deluxe

If Heartaches Were Nickels

Gary Moore

The world lost a premier blues man on February 6, 2011 when Gary Moore passed while on vacation in Spain.


Moore was born in Ireland and played with the Irish Rock band Thin Lizzy on several occasions as well as B.B. King, Albert King and Skid Row. Cited influences of his playing style include The Beatles, Jimi Hendix, Albert King, and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers among others.


Gary Moore plays a Gibson Les Paul. The Humbuckers lend a thicker tone than say a Stratocaster. Combined with some hefty overdrive, Moore's tone tends to stand out amongst the crowd.


Moore has dabbled in various genre's during his solo career, sometimes to the confusion of his fans, but he has always remained rooted in the blues.


Still Got the Blues is by far Moore's most popular album followed by Bad for You Baby (by internet downloads), however my personal favorite is Back to the Blues. It has two of my top five Gary Moore songs (linked below) "Enough of the Blues" and "The Prophet". The former is a raucous, driving song, and a good sampler of similiar Moore fair. "The Prophet" is at the opposite end of the spectrum. All instrumental and dripping with emotion, it is a true work of art.


"Enough of the Blues"
"The Prophet"

Sonny Landreth

Sonny Landreth is a slide blues guitarist based in Louisiana. I recommend him because he a)sounds awesome b) has a unique technique/sound. Although he uses a slide, Sonny will also fully fret some strings with his free fingers lending a hybridized sound or the best of both worlds. Doing this fluidly modulates between chords/calls and responses. He also taps, slaps and picks the strings with his picking hand. He is without a doubt a blues guitarist, but some of his songs do seem to venture into country territory. Not a complaint, but an observation. Hearing Sonny speak naturally he is a bit of a bassist, but he sings in a sonorous head voice that blends well with his guitar.

One of his more popular and recent albums "From the Reach", is a collaborative effort with Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Robben Ford, Eric Johnson and Vince Gill. As Sonny put it, it "something [he'd] always wanted to do". He mentions that they had all drawn from the same musical sources growing up, so they had a common ground to work off of, and it shows. Each guitar great throws in their flavor, yet the album does not lose any cohesiveness from track to track. I'd recommend this to any serious fan of the blues. 

Here are a couple sample videos:
Promise Land
and
Blue Tarp Blues