To quote Muddy Waters, “The blues had a baby, and they named it rock and roll.” While most fans of the latter are generally aware of this fact, it’s often surprising to discover that so few have actually explored the roots of their favorite music. For many, the blues start with Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones, but the fact remains that a significant portion of the rock and roll vocabulary — both in style and substance — was born in the two-bit recording studios and juke joints of Chicago’s South side, the Mississippi Delta, and Eastern Texas. If you’re looking to get a little deeper into the blues, the following selections make an excellent starting point for any collection.
Continue reading ‘Essential Blues: 10 Must-Have Collections For Rock & Roll Fans’
Over the course of the past 50 years, few artists serve as a better bridge between the classic Chicago Blues sounds of the 50’s and 60’s and modern Rock and Roll than Buddy Guy. Beginning his recording career in 1957, Guy recorded and performed live with three generations of artists; starting with Blues legends such as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Little Walter and continuing through the British invasion of the 60’s all the way through the Blues revival of the 1990’s. Oddly, it wasn’t until the later stage of his career that the 2005 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee began to receive the recognition that he deserved.
Every year, the GRAMMY association’s charity arm designed to provide aid to musicians and people of the musical community – Musicares – honors a musician whose contributions to the music go beyond writing and performing memorable tunes. It’s a lifetime achievement award, of sorts, and in 2006 Musicares honored singer-songwriter James Taylor as its Person of the Year for his contributions to popular music and the musical community. There’s no doubt that Taylor is one of the most successful and gifted talents to come out of the 70’s songwriting generation, and he has provided the music community with a body of work that remains vital 30 years later. In order to properly honor such an artist, Musicares staged a star-studded gala, and packed the stage full of big names ready to pay tribute. The backing band featured some of the best talent in the industry including session legends Steve Gadd (drums), Michael Landau (guitar), and Jimmy Johnson (bass).
2006 is a year that has, so far, seen no fewer than 25 officially released Willie Nelson compilations and reissues, but of all of them the handsomely packaged The Complete Altantic Sessions is arguably the best of the bunch. Covering Nelson’s two year stint at Atlantic, this boxed set includes a pair of his most enduring and influential works, as well as a previously unreleased live record.
Before I get started, let me offer all of you rockers out there the opportunity to bow out of any commitment you might feel for reading this Springsteen review. If you believe that a mandolin belongs in the kitchen; if you need another collection of protest songs like you need another hole in your head; if you find established artists who decide an acoustic album is just the thing they need to kick-start a sagging career offensive, then by all means go read 
