Delta, Chicago, Texas Blues. What's the dif?

Subject: Delta, Chicago, Texas Blues. What's the dif?
From: Steve S
Date: 27 Apr 98 - 10:27 PM

I am just getting into the Blues and I want to know what ypou think or if you know of any good books which can tell me the defining features of the styles of blues. thanks

Subject: RE: Delta, Chicago, Texas Blues. What's the dif?
From: Gene E
Date: 27 Apr 98 - 10:41 PM

Howdy Steve S,

Delta blues is that accustic rattly slide stuff where the singer hollers the words. The kind of stuff that gets you in your throat when you listen to it.

Chicago blues is up beat, electric and has some really great blues harp lead and harmony parts. It ususlly has some drums and is played by combos like rock and roll.

Texas bluEs is a mix, mostly delta roots mixed with some electric mixed with some red hot chili peppers.

Delta is Missippi Fred McDowell Chicago is Muddy Watters Texas is Stevie Ray Vaugn

And many others!

Subject: RE: Delta, Chicago, Texas Blues. What's the dif?
From: dwditty
Date: 28 Apr 98 - 06:42 AM

To learn more, here is a listening list:

Texas: Henry Thomas (Fishing Blues), Lemon Jefferson (Bad Luck Blues), Blind Willie Johnson (Motherless Children), Leadbelly (Pigmeat), Lightnin' Hopkins (Katie May), Mance Lipscomb (Captain Captain), Lil' Son Jackson (Homeless Blues)

New Orleans: Bo Carter (Old Devil), Skip James (Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues), Toomy Mclennan (Brown Skin Girl), Arthur Big Boy Crudup ( Death Valley Blues)

Delta: Charlie Patton (Moon Goin' Down), Willie Brown (M&O Blues) - there are several Willie Browns, listen to them all - Son House (The Pony Blues), Robert Johnson (etire catalog), John Hurt (Soike Driver Blues, Candyman Blues, etc.), Bukka White (Fixin' to Die)

Memphis: Frank Stokes ('Tain't Nobody's Business), Furry Lewis (Billy Lyons & Stacker Lee), Robert Wilkins (Tha't No Way to Get Along), Sleepy John Estes (Stack O' Dollars)

Georgia: Barbecue Bob (Barbecue Blues),Blind Willie McTell(Statesboro Blues)
North Carolina: Blind Boy Fuller (Bye Bye Baby Blues), Rev Gary Davis (Candyman, Hesitation Blues)

St. Louis: Lonnie Johnson (Careless Love), Hi Henry Brown (Titanic Blues), Henry Townsend (Poor Man Blues)

Chicago: Big Bill Broonzy (I Can't Be Satisfied, Long Tall Mama), Tampa Red (You Got to Love Her With a Feeling), Sonny Boy Williamson (Bad Luck Blues), Kokomo Arnold (Mean Old Twister), Muddy Waters (Hoochie Coochie), John Lee Hooker (Black Snake)

This list is by no means complete, but it will point you in a direction. Lot's of good vidoes of many of these guys are avalaible from Stefan Grossman Guitar Workshop, Sparta, NJ.

Enjoy

DWDitty

Subject: RE: Delta, Chicago, Texas Blues. What's the dif?
From: Jon W.
Date: 28 Apr 98 - 11:33 AM

Be aware also that a lot of blues players started out in the Delta or Texas or whereever and ended up in Chicago (Muddy Waters, Bill Broonzy, Elmore James), either musically or literally or both, so don't classify too rigidly. (All generalizations are false, including this one.) Just enjoy the music.

Subject: RE: Delta, Chicago, Texas Blues. What's the dif?
From:
Date: 28 Apr 98 - 08:08 PM

The book "Blues People" by LeRoi Jones attempts to trace jazz from slave songs to Monk (and beyond). There is some discussion of the difference between country and urban blues in it, although there aren't the finer distinctions.

He has some axes to grind. As you read it take this extension of Jon's advice: Don't accept other people's generaliztions either.

Murray

Subject: RE: Delta, Chicago, Texas Blues. What's the dif?
From: Earl
Date: 29 Apr 98 - 12:27 AM

Another great and very comprehensive book is _Nothing But the Blues_ by Lawrance Cohn.