Your favorite Blues Guitarist

[Vimana]

Mine would probably be Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton.

Jimi and Eric are very good at soloing, they can start solos very well. Like The Wind Cries Mary, and Claptons cover of Born Under A Bad Sign

IMO Jimi is better at soloing. The only Clapton solo I'm not a fan of is Sunshine of your Love, that solo bored me compared to his other ones. It sounded like he was trying to save the solo the entire time.

 

[Unfaithfully Metalhead]

Stevie Ray Vaughn of course.. and the Allman brothers guitarists on Statesboro Blues... awesome solos.. but i also like the old timers like Robert Johnson, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters etc..

 

[Vimana]

Stevie Ray Vaughn of course.. and the Allman brothers guitarists on Statesboro Blues... awesome solos.. but i also like the old timers like Robert Johnson, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters etc..

Fuck yeah, Johnson was a genius. I think Jack White used his trick of playing a lead and rhythm at the same time in the second solo of Seven Nation Army.

 

[Babykabob]

Fuck yeah, Johnson was a genius. I think Jack White used his trick of playing a lead and rhythm at the same time in the second solo of Seven Nation Army.

man I couldn't get into the white stripes for the longest time, but I'm really feelin' them lately...oh, and I gotta say SRV for fav blues guitarist...don't think he's the BEST, but he's MY personal favorite. I love Clapton, but I feel he was always hit and miss.

 

[challenge_everything]

Hendrix and SRV for me. And I guess I better mention Page even though he was more of a blues influenced rock guitarist.

 

[razoredge]

Ok, yea, Stevie, no doubt, but Ill step outside the box for a minute here and throw two names that get over shadowed by Stevie Ray

Frank Marino
and my favorite foggy blue evening mood creator
Robin Trower

Claptons a great player, when less is more, great phrasing, tone and giant footprint in the history of Rock

 

[razoredge]

Page even though he was more of a blues influenced rock guitarist.

Jimmys work on "Since I've Been Loving You" did and still does make my heart bleed. Plant, Page and the whole band for that matter nailed that one.

 

[challenge_everything]

Jimmys work on "Since I've Been Loving You" did and still does make my heart bleed. Plant, Page and the whole band for that matter nailed that one.

One of my top 10 songs of all time.

 

[1TON]

"my favorite blues guitarist?"


i guess that would depend on what you consider blues by definition .

it seems there is a tendency to (imo) incorrectly catagorize blues influenced rock players.....
clapton, hendrix,page,young.....ect...as being "blues".
there is no denying there roots and influence, but they dont play traditional style blues.

even SRV wasnt totaly one sided traditionally but ill let him slide on a technacality..... ...he helped bring the blues back to life and introduced it to alot of people.....RIP>

i feel that it is people like muddy waters ,bb king. albert king, types that are the traditional "purists" blues guitarists.

still after all that nit pickin i did ill admit traditional blues isnt my cup of tea......i prefer the rock blues players.

 

[Vimana]

Yeah I know the guitarists you named were blues influenced but Im talking about the blues they played, not the rest of the stuff, I guess I couldn't completely count them.

 

[razoredge]

"my favorite blues guitarist?"


i guess that would depend on what you consider blues by definition .

it seems there is a tendency to (imo) incorrectly catagorize blues influenced rock players.....
clapton, hendrix,page,young.....ect...as being "blues".
there is no denying there roots and influence, but they dont play traditional style blues.

even SRV wasnt totaly one sided traditionally but ill let him slide on a technacality..... ...he helped bring the blues back to life and introduced it to alot of people.....RIP>

i feel that it is people like muddy waters ,bb king. albert king, types that are the traditional "purists" blues guitarists.

still after all that nit pickin i did ill admit traditional blues isnt my cup of tea......i prefer the rock blues players.

OK, I bought the Hendrix ?Blues? CD years ago. Im sorry, I forget the exact title and am too lazy to go dig it out. There is a good write up on the sleeve. One part was about how the old blues players shuned him cause "he didnt really play the blues". Then in this CD its loaded with cuts of Hendrix just smokin the blues far beyond those older players. He just didnt want to "only play the blues". And these now older dudes that didnt want to only play the blues gave us hard rock. Those that came after Hendrix, those we have mentioned, took Hendrix blues two steps further. See these guys in the late 60's and 70's had this blues influence and blues scale but wanted to do something else with it beside a 1-4-5 progression all night long which is what Rock n Roll also did, 1-4-5 all night long. Well these then young "blues players" developed hard rock and its just continued to evolve through the decades and musical trends. So real blues was not a closed book after the 40's and 50's

Side note : I bought Cinderellas "Long Cold Winter" CD just because the title track blew me away. Its definantly influenced by "Since I've been Lovin You" and really kicks. I also found that even though you would assume them as a glam metal band, they actually had gobs of old country blues seeping through the seems in many songs. AND, as shrill as the guys voice is, if you close your eyes you can hear the soul of Janis Joplin pullin on ya and Janis was as blue as blues gets.

 

[ashaman7122]

Jon Butcher...that dude can play...

Rock on!

 

[Vimana]

OK, I bought the Hendrix ?Blues? CD years ago. Im sorry, I forget the exact title and am too lazy to go dig it out. There is a good write up on the sleeve. One part was about how the old blues players shuned him cause "he didnt really play the blues". Then in this CD its loaded with cuts of Hendrix just smokin the blues far beyond those older players. He just didnt want to "only play the blues". And these now older dudes that didnt want to only play the blues gave us hard rock. Those that came after Hendrix, those we have mentioned, took Hendrix blues two steps further. See these guys in the late 60's and 70's had this blues influence and blues scale but wanted to do something else with it beside a 1-4-5 progression all night long which is what Rock n Roll also did, 1-4-5 all night long. Well these then young "blues players" developed hard rock and its just continued to evolve through the decades and musical trends. So real blues was not a closed book after the 40's and 50's

Side note : I bought Cinderellas "Long Cold Winter" CD just because the title track blew me away. Its definantly influenced by "Since I've been Lovin You" and really kicks. I also found that even though you would assume them as a glam metal band, they actually had gobs of old country blues seeping through the seems in many songs. AND, as shrill as the guys voice is, if you close your eyes you can hear the soul of Janis Joplin pullin on ya and Janis was as blue as blues gets.

I wouldn't say they took it further, I would say they took influence from it and created something new. Stuff influenced by Hendrix doesn't have the power and energy that songs like Voo-doo Child has.

 

[razoredge]

Stevie Ray
Robin Trower and
Frank Marino

all went beyond Hendrix, you could listen to Marino and say this could have been the direction where Jimi took his music. But I believe he would have gone into fusion for a spell, he was supposed to have played with Cobham and Hammer but the clock stopped and Tommy Bolin got the gig. Then you had the black musician community telling him to come home and play soul, blues & funk. I imagine he would have done a wide varity of things which is what his albums were anyhow.

You could listen to Stevie Ray and easily realize he had way more skill than Jimi. Trower had his channel of the Hendrix experience and had it far more perfected than Jimi. I could be said to be one of Hendrixs oldest and best fans but I have also heard way to many of his blunders and know him for what he really was to music in his prime, but I wont make him out to be anything more than he was. Hendrixs strong suit was his lyrics, humor, rythmns and creativity which was getting lost toward the end. His improvising was hit and miss, his three disciples smoothed it all out and took it further.

 

[Unfaithfully Metalhead]

Without Hendrix.. SRV would have no skill.. SRV was hugely influenced by Hendrix and it was obvious.... and to say he has more skill then Hendrix is very naive... Hendrix created alot of techniques that SRV and others later on emulated and/or made better... Perhaps SRV is more technical but he did nothing new... don't get me wrong... I love SRV and his music but you are downplaying Hendrix who contributed more...

As for Zep and Since I've Been Loving You.... their best version is the live version on the video Song Remains the Same...

 

[Mega Mosha]

Gary Moore = /


Haven't Heard of Him?

Add me on msn...
guitar-x-god@hotmail.com
Ill send you some =/

 

[razoredge]

Without Hendrix.. SRV would have no skill.. SRV was hugely influenced by Hendrix and it was obvious.... and to say he has more skill then Hendrix is very naive... Hendrix created alot of techniques that SRV and others later on emulated and/or made better... Perhaps SRV is more technical but he did nothing new... don't get me wrong... I love SRV and his music but you are downplaying Hendrix who contributed more...

As for Zep and Since I've Been Loving You.... their best version is the live version on the video Song Remains the Same...

OK sorry, been a Hendrix fan since 68 and the only naive statement is that Stevie would have no skill without Hendrix. Stevie had many influences. I did say I know what Jimis strong points were, one of them was obviously electric guitar sound innovation and his double stop rythmns, as well as experimental diversity, awsome lyrics and smooth flowing vocals, often with a sence of humor. However when it comes down to dexterity, improvisation and flow Stevie was far more naturally talented and gifted. Jimis musically creative career was in a slump toward the end, Stevies was exploding. Different times and different pressures no doubt. I love Hendrix, I even still occasionally listen to his bizzare live jams (like Winterland) that were off the planet, just to try to appreaciate what he was trying to do but still he had many ugly moments. He's the godfather of wild heavy playing but I still believe people place too much godlyness on him. I believe he felt the same way while living. He even stated Terry Cath was beyond him which surely was not true, but I love Terry Cath too. Now the notes always flowed out of Stevie like water from a spring.

I need to learn more about Gary Moore but to me Stevie Ray Vaughn pretty much closed the book on the blues. Im always anxious for someone to come along and prove me wrong. Kenny Wayne... great blues man but he was mearly channeling Vaughn in his tradition blues songs.

 

[Unfaithfully Metalhead]

OK sorry, been a Hendrix fan since 68 and the only naive statement is that Stevie would have no skill without Hendrix. Stevie had many influences. I did say I know what Jimis strong points were, one of them was obviously electric guitar sound innovation and his double stop rythmns, as well as experimental diversity, awsome lyrics and smooth flowing vocals, often with a sence of humor. However when it comes down to dexterity, improvisation and flow Stevie was far more naturally talented and gifted. Jimis musically creative career was in a slump toward the end, Stevies was exploding. Different times and different pressures no doubt. I love Hendrix, I even still occasionally listen to his bizzare live jams (like Winterland) that were off the planet, just to try to appreaciate what he was trying to do but still he had many ugly moments. He's the godfather of wild heavy playing but I still believe people place too much godlyness on him. I believe he felt the same way while living. He even stated Terry Cath was beyond him which surely was not true, but I love Terry Cath too. Now the notes always flowed out of Stevie like water from a spring.

I need to learn more about Gary Moore but to me Stevie Ray Vaughn pretty much closed the book on the blues. Im always anxious for someone to come along and prove me wrong. Kenny Wayne... great blues man but he was mearly channeling Vaughn in his tradition blues songs.

I'm sorry to say but if you base your observations on who is a better blues player on how technical a guitarist is then you really do not know the blues. The blues is more about the "feel" then how fast or how many notes you can play in a 5 minute song. Though SRV had alot of "feel", he in no way had more "feel" then Hendrix. And yes SRV had other influences but he had a fanboy worship of Hendrix and it was evident in his music as well as interviews of him in magazines where he constantly mentions Hendrix.

As for you to have been a fan of Hendrix since 1968 you would have to be in your 50's or so. Somehow I don't think you are but correct me if I'm wrong. But anyways if you cannot acknowledge Hendrix's "feel" you only have to listen to Hear my Train a Comin (acoustic version). Blows anything SRV did and with less notes/technicality.

And this may be prejudiced but white artists will never capture the "feel" of a black artist who sings/plays the blues.

 

[Vimana]

What about Clapton?

 

[razoredge]

I'm sorry to say but if you base your observations on who is a better blues player on how technical a guitarist is then you really do not know the blues. The blues is more about the "feel" then how fast or how many notes you can play in a 5 minute song. Though SRV had alot of "feel", he in no way had more "feel" then Hendrix. And yes SRV had other influences but he had a fanboy worship of Hendrix and it was evident in his music as well as interviews of him in magazines where he constantly mentions Hendrix.

As for you to have been a fan of Hendrix since 1968 you would have to be in your 50's or so. Somehow I don't think you are but correct me if I'm wrong. But anyways if you cannot acknowledge Hendrix's "feel" you only have to listen to Hear my Train a Comin (acoustic version). Blows anything SRV did and with less notes/technicality.

And this may be prejudiced but white artists will never capture the "feel" of a black artist who sings/plays the blues.

I was 10 in 68 and yes we did listen to Purple Haze, Hey Joe and Red House. I had older friends and they had older brothers.
Stevie Ray was black and dont give me the "you cant really hear Hendrix" thing. He was the sole reason I started playing guitar and stuck with it, his was my idol for decades, still so today. I was still listening when music moved on.No I did not base it on notes per minute, I based it on Hendrixs short falls which at times were done at great revolutions per minute. Hendrixs solo for all Along the Watch Tower and Bold as Love, are still amoung of my top 10 favorites, not that they are "blues". I could make a list of songs but thats not the topic.

When all was said and done Vaughn closed the book. If you can not acknowledge Stevies feel you only need to listen to Riviera Paradise or the riff for Couldnt Stand the Weather, I dont hear much Hendrix in either one of those songs. You cant say poor white boys cant feel the blues. Some of that old black blues stuff is dry as hell

Clapton is a great musician, song writer and well rounded. Great feel and voicing but not in same league as Jimi and Vaughn. Eric was always safe, not balls to the wall, pushing the boundry.

A more recent prodigy that is quite impressive with a strat in his hands is John Mayer, catch some live footage and tell me he doesnt feel it. Dont judge his guitar playing for his commercial work, though if you listen hes still always working the groove.