YEAR OF THE BLUES 2003





		By the mid-1950s, Sun had mostly jettisoned the blues in favor of rockabilly. Not only did the emerging genre appear to offer greater commercial possibilities than straight blues, but also many dominant talents in the Memphis scene had moved on, often to Chicago, the undeniable national center of electric blues. In Memphis the older delta styles were supplanted in the streets and clubs by musicians emulating the smoother style established by B.B. King and his fellow Beale Streeters. Songs B.B. King: “3 O’Clock Blues” Recorded 1951, Memphis YMCA. A hit in 1948 for Lowell Fusion, King’s cover reached number one in February, 1952, launching a nationwide career that continues to this day. King’s personal style is not yet fully in evidence, but the record demonstrates the more urbane approach he and the Beale Streeters (including Johnny Ace, here on piano) were beginning to bring to the blues. Listen: Windows Media » Howlin’ Wolf: “Moanin’ at Midnight” Recorded May or August, 1951, Memphis Recording Service. Howlin’ Wolf maintained Memphis’ most scorching band at the time, reckoned by Rufus Thomas to have outdrawn even national star Ray Charles. In stark contrast to the urbane styles of the Beale Streeters, Wolf maintains a solid delta blues feel that is nonetheless highly urban, electrified, and intense. Listen: Windows Media » Joe Hill Louis: “We All Gotta Go Sometime” Recorded December, 1952, Memphis Recording Service. Louis forgoes his one-man band format, but the raw, driving style of the country blues meeting the city remains. He has the unique distinction of recording for both Phillips’ original, short-lived "Phillips" label, and the more successful Sun, for which this was one of the first releases. Listen: Windows Media » Little Junior’s Blue Flames: “Mystery Train” Recorded October, 1953, Memphis Recording Service. “Little” Junior Parker’s smooth vocal approach would carry many hits in forthcoming years, but this, itself loosely based on a country standard, was not one of them. However, two years later when Elvis Presley covered the song for his final Sun release, it earned national attention. Interestingly, the flip side of Parker’s version, a song called “Love Me Baby,” is often considered one of the first recorded examples of rockabilly. Listen: Windows Media » James Cotton: “Cotton Crop Blues” Recorded May, 1954, Memphis Recording Service. Cotton’s song is a stunning example of the electrification of the country delta blues. Lyrics detailing the economic trap of sharecropping are backed by the scathingly distorted guitar and sharp lead playing of Pat Hare, a tone rarely heard on records of the time, and highly influential in years to come. Cotton would go on to gain renown as a harmonica player with the Muddy Waters band. Listen: Windows Media » Next Page: Memphis Blues: The Soul Era and Today>> Page \| 1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4 \| 5 \|



		Ten Things to Help You Become a Better Blues Musician, by Don Mock
		Sweet Home Chicago: Big City Blues 1946-1966 Excello Records and the Swamp Blues 2003 W.C. Handy Blues Awards Weekend (Feature Article) The British Blues A Once-in-a-Lifetime Lineup Salutes the Blues Memphis: A Century of the Blues Clarksdale: Delta Blues Past and Present The Piedmont Blues: Alive and Well in D.C. Q&A with Peter Guralnick Don Robey and Duke-Peacock Records Celebrating the Year of the Blues






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