Best Blues Rock recommendations?

Well, gosh, where to begin. Based on the folks you have been listening to, you seem to gravitate toward urban/Chicago-style electric blues (see item #5 below). I will, however, throw out some names that represent a number of styles, since you may enjoy hearing more than one approach to the blues.

1. Early 1920's and 1930's blues (almost exclusively women): the best-known would include "the Empress of the Blues" Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Ida Cox, Alberta Hunter, Sippie Wallace, and Victoria Spivey.
2. Mississippi Delta / country blues: Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, Huddie Leadbetter (Leadbelly), Son House, Mance Lipscomb, Big Bill Broonzy, David "Honeyboy" Edwards.
3. Piedmont blues: Blind Boy Fuller, Mississippi John Hurt, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, and Cephas & Wiggins.
4. Early urban blues: Leroy Carr, Roosevelt Sykes, Tampa Red, and Sonny Boy Williamson.
4. West coast "jump": Joe Liggins and the Honeydrippers, Roy Milton, Charles Brown, Percy Mayfield, T-Bone Walker, and Ray Charles.
5. Chicago/contemporary urban blues: Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Otis Spann, Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf, James Cotton, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Lightnin' Hopkins, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Albert Collins, Albert King, Professor Longhair (Henry Byrd), Johnny Copeland, Luther Allison, Robert Cray, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and -- of course -- the "King", B.B. King.
6. British and American blues bands: John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, The Yardbirds (later Led Zeppelin), Eric Clapton, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, Roomful of Blues, Canned Heat, Siegel-Schwall Band.
7. Contemporary blues vocalists: Koko Taylor, Esther Phillips, Etta James, Katie Webster, Marcia Ball.

There are many, many lesser-known blues artists that you may also thoroughly enjoy. To learn more about the blues, I recommend an inexpensive but enjoyable and informative book ($20), "Rhino's Cruise Through The Blues", written by Barry Hansen, and published by Miller Freeman Books. The book is sold by Barnes & Noble and other large book chains, and can also be ordered from Amazon.com.

Hi Raymond; Most of the "heavy weights" of Blues/Rock are covered above-- and I agree with most, but if you're really serious about wanting Blues/Rock CDs that REALLY ROCK, nobody does it better than Lonnie Brooks-- he has several absolutely smokin' CDs out-- and they're all good-- recording quality is very slightly bright, but otherwise very good.

I just went through them last night, and would recommend "Turn on the Night", Wound Up Tight", "Satisfaction Guaranteed", "Hotshot", and "Roadhouse Rules" CDs, and half a dozen others! His "Teenage Boogie Man" song is incredible, and check out "Belly Rubbin' Music" for a little slower music.

I don't know why Lonnie Brooks doesn't have a "BIGGER" reputation, but he has several CD tracks where Johnny Winters plays guitar-- fantastic, and a duet with Koko Taylor (maybe that's on a Koko CD?). And he has played with some of Chicago Blues "greats", and is one himself. He is originally from Louisana, and started his career there. Another I like is Otis Rush, and Lonnie Mack's "Strike Like Lightning" CD is HOT-- Mack's best CD, IMO.

BTW, I'm in the process of putting together 3-4 CD-Rs that I'm going to call "Blues and Rock, Nice and Hot"-- I have all the Artists, CDs, and tracks picked out from about 200 CDs. Now it's just a matter of putting them together. This CD-R is for my own use, and so your thread caught me at a good time;>) Let's ROCK! Craig.

Excellent addition to the list, Craig. I should have listed Lonnie -- you are right, the guys rocks like hell.

Buddy Guy - How could I forget Buddy Guy's "Damn Right I Got The Blues" This is a good Buddy Guy cd to begin with.

Derek & The Dominos: Layla and Other Love Songs. This cd features some amazing blues guitar riffs between Eric Clapton and Duane Allman, expecially on the cuts: Key To The Highway, and Have You Ever Loved A Woman. There's a 20th Anniversary Edition [BOX SET]:The Layla Sessions. It's a three cd package of this with one whole cd where everyone just jams.

Eric Clapton also has a cd titled: From The Cradle. He performs blues standards, and his guitar work is phenomenal.

Some more suggestions are Doug MacLeod, anything by him...Mighty Sam McClain....give it up to love...terry evans-puttin' it down....philadelphia jerry ricks-empty bottle blues....way recommended...ted hawkins..happy hour & the next hundred years...awesome.....and the holmes brothers...