Recommended BLUES recordings

If you have the capability to play DVDs, then by all means check out the David "HoneyBoy" Edwards disc, titled "Shake' em On Down" on the Analog Productions label (APO DAPO 2010), available through Acoustic Sounds. This a wonderful A/V project with 24/96 audio and real time video of the actual recording. Included is a nearly 18 minute interview of Mr. Edwards experiences as a blues player in the early days.

All though it is not instrumental blues... Muddy Waters - Folk Singer on MFSL. Incredible!!! Might be the best.

The only consistent way to listen to blues in instrumental form that I can think of is 'Jazz-blues.' A few titles that spring to mind are John Coltrane 'Plays the Blues' (Atlantic), Wynton Marsalis 'The Majesty of the Blues' (Columbia) and Lionel Hampton 'Just Blues' (not sure of the last title or label). There is a LOT of blues-influenced Jazz to be found. True "Blues" (sorry, couldn't resist the pun) IS vocal-based. That's why they call it "singing the blues" :-(

The Mississippi Fred McDowell double album on Capitol.

For purely instrumental blues,you have to have Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" on Columbia. There are also some re-issue versions as well. William Clarke's "Blowin' Like Hell" on the Alligator label and Roy Gaines "I Got the T-Bone Walker Blues" on Groove Note are also enjoyable. The Muddy Waters mentioned above is excellent. Also,just popped into my head- Sonny Boy Williamson's "Keep it to Ourselves" and the Don Euell Quartet "Yellow Dog Blues" . You could probably order all this stuff from Acoustic Sounds in Kansas at 1-800-716-3553. Enjoy! Nothing's better than good Blues!