BS: Fave Blues Women?

Subject: Fave Blues Women?
From: JenEllen
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 04:59 PM

Who are your favorites?

If you haven't seen Susan Tedeschi, there is a webcast link in the 'old stuff' portion of this site. First heard her years ago, and was floored. She's still got it.

~J

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: JenEllen
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 05:03 PM

Another great one: "Life is too short to be joyless" (from a blues singer??) Hohner goddess and wailer out of Portland OR, LynnAnn Hyde

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Morticia
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 05:48 PM

would probably have to go with Bonnie Rait....especially some of her collaborative stuff

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Justa Picker
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 06:12 PM

Francine Reed.

(I also loved the soundtrack and the job that Diana Ross did on "Lady Sings The Blues". I've not heard anything that good from her, before or since that album.)

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: AliUK
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 08:03 PM

forget Diana Ross and go for the original. There will never be anyone like Billie Holiday. Bessie Smith is a great one too.

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Sorcha
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 08:30 PM

Lady Billie, and Ethel Waters.

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: flattop
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 08:56 PM

It's hard to bet Betty Wright singing 'Just making it easy for the clean-up woman' or Etta James singing 'I feel like sugar on the floor.' If you quibble over blues versus soul, Betty Wright may be disqualified. What is the dividing line?

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: DancingMom
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 09:36 PM

Etta James

Susan Tedeschi-my daughter's favorite. We saw her on Austin City Limits on a Super Bowl night when we didn't want to watch the game and she blew us away. Bonnie Raitt

There's a psychiatric nurse here in town that just released a blues CD. She sings blues as therapy for herself after the loss of her son. "Lady Ethel", I think. I thought it was such a cool, proactive thing for her to do.

I would love to follow in their footsteps someday. Sharon

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Lepus Rex
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 09:40 PM

Right now? Lottie Kimbrough. Not a big Susan Tedeschi fan, myself.

---Lepus Rex

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: khandu
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 09:45 PM

Janis Joplin, especially on the "Kosmic Blues" CD.

khandu

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Mudlark
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 11:19 PM

Bonnie Raitt, Billie H. , Nina Simone...just the first 3 that came to mind...

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: ddw
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 11:44 PM

Gaye Adegbalola and Ann Rabson — Both great soloists (Gaye plays guitar and harmonica and probably other things and sings, Ann plays guitar well, but is a dynamite barrelhouse piano player) and super as Saffire: The Uppity Blues Women (with a third woman whose name isn't coming to me at the moment, who plays mandolin and fiddle).

david

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 12:12 AM

TRACY NELSON, later with the band Mother Earth, made a wonderful LP for Prestige back in the 60s. Produced by Sam Charters, I think it featured Charlie Musselwhite on harp. All acoustic if I remember correctly.
In recent years Ms Nelson works in Nashville mostly I think.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: MAG
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 01:37 AM

I've had a hard time relating to Tracy Nelson after she dissed her folk audience upon taking a hiatus from folk.

Last week's NPR soul special played somebody named Ann Cole who I'm gonna hafta check out. Memphis Minnie. Roberta Hunt. Sippie Wallace. Big Mama Thornton.

Rory Block is considereda fine instrumentalist, but to me she's not what the blues are all about.

Nobody has mentioned Koko Taylor.

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Mudlark
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 03:27 AM

Yes! Koko Taylor....and what about marcia ball, who also plays a mean piano...

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: jaze
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 06:31 AM

Bonnie Raitt had the blues born in her voice. I just wish she would do one scorchin blues record. You know-just really let loose and belt them out. Sharon, I'm interested in the record you referred to by the local nurse. Do you have any more info?

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Tedham Porterhouse
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 06:39 AM

My favorite blues album so far this year is Maria Muldaur's "Richland Woman Blues." A couple of years ago, it wsa Odetta's "Blues Everywhere I Go." Both are superb collections of classic blues.

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Oversoul
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 09:32 AM

Remember Jo Ann Kelly?

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: GUEST,maire
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 10:50 AM

Ruth Brown! If you haven't heard "If I Can't Sell It, I'll Keep Sittin' on It" (Blues on Broadway), you've missed one of the classics.

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: pattyClink
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 10:51 AM

Sweet Miss Coffy. And Koko Taylor.

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Wesley S
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 11:15 AM

I'm a Rory Block fan, Bonnie Raitt too. But Georgia O'Keefe's use of the blues is amazing.

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Jim Cheydi
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 11:37 AM

That one out of 'Farscape'

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 12:48 PM

Hey all fellow blues-lovers--

I am asking all blues lovers to go see the thread, "Spirituals Posted at Mudcat." It's a list of links to other threads. If you see a spiritual listed that you think may have been the basis for a blues tune you know, could you open its thread and post about it?

Thanks! (Pass the word.)

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 01:17 PM

Billie

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: mooman
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 02:42 PM

Like Davecoje I have to go for my old and very, very sadly late friend Jo-Ann Kelly.

Also agree with some of the great names above. I have to agree also with Tedham that Maria Muldaur's "Richland Woman Blues" is a corker!

mooman

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Mr Red
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 03:24 PM

Ma Rainey - "Gonna Catch You With Your Britches Down"
oh yes!

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Sooz
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 03:31 PM

Emily Druce - a young Yorkshire lass. (The Kate Rusby of the blues world!) Shes great and incidentally appearing at Gainsborough Folk Club tomorow night. Click here

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: RWilhelm
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 03:54 PM

I have to say Memphis Minnie. Probably, in the long run, as influential as Robert Johnson and she made about five times as many records. She helped bring the blues from the country to the city and is rumored to be the first person in Chicago to own an electric guitar.

For contemporary blues women I'll pick Del Ray who plays acoustic blues guitar better than any of the boys.

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: MAG
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 04:34 PM

Debbie Davis is pretty good, too --

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 04:40 PM

Well, nobody pitches a wang-dang-doodle like Koko Taylor. Etta James can belt them out, as did Janis Joplin. Susan Tedeschi a bit too derivative for me, and Bonnie Raitt too much of a pop star. I like the Rory Block I've heard.

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 01:14 AM

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 01:39 AM

Aretha, Etta James, Joanne Kelly, Susan Latimer (biased, but she can sing and play the blues).

Not a fan of, Tedeschi, Joplin.

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: GUEST,Geordie
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 07:39 AM

Ko Ko Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Ethel Waters and Ellen MacIllwaine. BTW has anone heard anything about Ellen recently, is she still recording.

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Fortunato
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 09:59 AM

Ethel Waters. I first heard her sing "Rock Me In Your Arms to Sleep" in an early Route 66 show, and I have never forgotten it. She is, too me, the queen of the female blues vocalists.

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: greg stephens
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 10:08 AM

amazing how the meaning of the word "blues" has changed in such a short time. Well, I stick withwhat i think of as blues and say Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith,who else? Trouble is with changing the meaning of words is, if you call all the people mentioned in this thread blues-singers, what do you call Ma rainey, Bessie smith and Memphis Minnie?

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: GUEST,Bardford sans cookie
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 12:07 PM

Guest, Geordie- According to her website , Ellen MacIllwaine does have a new disc out, "Spontaneous Combustion" featuring Taj Mahal. Sample files on the website. She's also instructing at the Hornby Island Blues Camp in B.C. in May.

Bardford

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 12:34 PM

Angie Scarr click here She makes little things as well click here for details

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Mooh
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 07:38 PM

Sue Foley and Koko Taylor. The real deal.

Mooh.

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Celtic Soul
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 09:56 PM

Billie is Queen in my mind. I *love* Bonnie Raitt, though she sort of defies categorization...she's not just blues, IMO.

And for local favorites, Lisa Hoitsma.

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Rolfyboy6
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 10:42 PM

Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Memphis Minnie, Lucille Bogan, Rosetta Tharpe, Katie Webster, very early Bonnie Raitt, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Koko Taylor. Rapidly joining them are Geeshie Wiley and Elvie Thomas about whom almost nothing is known other than their records from the 1930s.

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Guessed
Date: 17 Apr 02 - 09:45 AM

Originals?
of those recorded they don't come much earlier than Ma (Gertrude) Rainey.
call me Gert & leave the rude part out - she never did!

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Guessed
Date: 17 Apr 02 - 09:47 AM

Originals?
of those recorded they don't come much earlier than Ma (Gertrude) Rainey.
call me Gert & leave the rude part out - she never did!

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Socorro
Date: 17 Apr 02 - 10:40 PM

Janis Joplin's "Little Girl Blue" from Kosmic Blues is one of my all time favorites - so much feeling in her voice. For blues singers, i'd go with Ruth Brown, Bessie Smith, and Memphis Minnie.

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Wincing Devil
Date: 17 Apr 02 - 11:18 PM

Would you consider Edith Piaf to be Blues? If so, she gets my vote.

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: rich-joy
Date: 20 Apr 02 - 07:48 AM

rory block

Subject: RE: BS: Fave Blues Women?
From: Sooz
Date: 20 Apr 02 - 08:38 AM

Still Emily Druce - see her at the Trinity Arts Centre Gainsborough on Saturday May 11th.