I love the Blues! More examples of humans making music. Blues creators were the among the earliest recording artists. Most of these blues artists didn’t have the luxury of a combo of musicians to accompany them. So, simple self-accompaniment was common. Much of the material reflects an individual’s impression of life in the Deep South for the American Negro. The unique combination of song and vocal conveying a singular message is the formula for most of the early Blues. There are so many unique Blues songs, and their influences are felt far and wide. The song and the vocal are very important in popular music and also are essential in the blues. These humans making blues music were rarely rewarded and were usually paid a flat fee for their efforts. Record royalties weren’t given to these artists. The recording budgets were very small, one take, one microphone, one small payment to the artist. The recording was considered “race” music, only sold and marketed in minority regions, basically in the American South. Many of these recordings made their way to Europe where they became considered art and considered very valuable. These recordings and the genre heavily influenced the artists of the golden age of recording. Many artists who earned enormous royalties based their works on Blues artists of the past.
The Blues needs to be enjoyed in its original form, so the selected music contains all the elements of the blues. I’ve selected blues songs that rocked my world!