Blues Standards Log Out | Topics | Search
Moderators | Register | Edit Profile

Alembic Club » Miscellaneous » Archive through November 11, 2010 » Archive: 2008 » Archive through January 14, 2008 » Blues Standards « Previous Next »

Author Message
jet_powers
Advanced Member
Username: jet_powers

Post Number: 353
Registered: 2-2003
Posted on Thursday, January 10, 2008 - 10:21 am:   Edit Post

Some cohorts and myself are planning to do a blues project. None of us are really from a blues background but we still want to give this a try. My question to the fine, knowledgable folks here is....

What are some of the blues standards any self respecting blues band worth their salt needs to play in order to keep true blues fans from finding another joint to do their drinking in?

JP
keith_h
Senior Member
Username: keith_h

Post Number: 937
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Thursday, January 10, 2008 - 1:10 pm:   Edit Post

Around here you need to look into doing some modern blues folks such as Tommy Castro or Gary Moore. As far as traditional stuff just about anything from Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf or Willie Dixon will go over down here. You couldn't hurt yourself by adding in some Buddy Guy or SRV either.

Keith
pas
Intermediate Member
Username: pas

Post Number: 107
Registered: 3-2003
Posted on Thursday, January 10, 2008 - 1:37 pm:   Edit Post

Thrill is Gone; Stormy Monday; Caledonia; Sweet Home Chicago; Mustang Sally; All Blues; Everyday I have the Blues; You Win Again...
bracheen
Senior Member
Username: bracheen

Post Number: 1305
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Thursday, January 10, 2008 - 2:45 pm:   Edit Post

Spoonful is a favorite of mine. Calling Card would be another.
wideload
Intermediate Member
Username: wideload

Post Number: 117
Registered: 6-2003
Posted on Thursday, January 10, 2008 - 3:14 pm:   Edit Post

Not a standard, but alot of fun- Blues of the Month Club, T. Graham Brown.

Larry
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 5980
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Thursday, January 10, 2008 - 6:47 pm:   Edit Post

A great place to start in putting together a blues set list is Stevie Ray Vaughan. I've played a bunch of stuff off his albums in bands I've been in, some of it stuff he wrote and some stuff he covered. Practically everything he did is now a standard.

Another source is Clapton. His "From The Cradle" is a blues album. A couple of the songs I've done that are on that album are "Tore Down" and "Third Degree". Another standard Clapton covered is "Further On Up The Road". And there are many others.

Which leads me to Johnny Winter. Tons and tons of stuff there. Some of the most .. well there's some stuff here that'll make you want to crawl into a dark corner and get stone drunk.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 5981
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Thursday, January 10, 2008 - 6:57 pm:   Edit Post

Johnny Winter - Mississippi Blues; drenched in it.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 5982
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Thursday, January 10, 2008 - 7:10 pm:   Edit Post

Excuse me for hijacking the thread, but ..

More Johnny
It just pours out of him.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 5983
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Thursday, January 10, 2008 - 7:23 pm:   Edit Post

And Stevie!!!
Soaking in it!

[edit: longer version of song]

(Message edited by davehouck on January 10, 2008)
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 5984
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Thursday, January 10, 2008 - 7:39 pm:   Edit Post

More Stevie

By the way, Tommy Shannon is a great example of a bass player for a blues band. He's not only locked in to the drummer, but he's locked in to, and supporting, the emotion coming out of the guitar.
olieoliver
Senior Member
Username: olieoliver

Post Number: 1689
Registered: 2-2006
Posted on Friday, January 11, 2008 - 7:12 am:   Edit Post

Dave you're dead-on about Tommy he is an awesome blues basssist, with whom ever he's playing.

One of the bands I was working with in the 90's played a gig with the Arc Angels (Doyle Bramhall Jr., Charlie Sexton, Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton) back in the 90's at the Hard Rock in Dallas and Tommy and Chris were just rock solid man.

I beleive that first video is "Live at El Macombo" which is an incredible dvd.

Olie
terryc
Senior Member
Username: terryc

Post Number: 411
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Friday, January 11, 2008 - 7:51 am:   Edit Post

Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Leadbelly, the great Robert Johnson, B.B.King, Albert Collins... there are so many to chose.
Plus the modern guys, Stevie Ray V, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Gary Moore, Jeff Healey.
Listen to them all, use there songs, play 'em slow, play fast, funk them up they are all so versatile..a great education that every musician should try
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 5991
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Friday, January 11, 2008 - 8:29 am:   Edit Post

Arc Angels.
cozmik_cowboy
Advanced Member
Username: cozmik_cowboy

Post Number: 253
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Friday, January 11, 2008 - 12:47 pm:   Edit Post

Albert King, John Lee Hooker, Luther Allison, Fenton Robinson, Lonnie Brooks.

Peter
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 5992
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Friday, January 11, 2008 - 1:48 pm:   Edit Post

I've seen Luther's son Bernard Allison a few times; great player.
funkyjazzjunky
Junior
Username: funkyjazzjunky

Post Number: 35
Registered: 5-2007
Posted on Friday, January 11, 2008 - 2:14 pm:   Edit Post

Boogaloo Joe Jones, Shirley Scott, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Leadbelly, Robert Johnson, B.B.King, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Albert King, John Lee Hooker
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 5994
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Friday, January 11, 2008 - 2:58 pm:   Edit Post

I found an old set list from eight years ago when I was playing in a blues band.

So Excited - Stevie Ray Vaughan

Come On - Jimi Hendrix (Earl King)

Bad Sign - Cream (William Bell/Booker T Jones)

Stormy Monday - Allman Brothers (T-Bone Walker)

Use Me - Bill Withers

Tell Me - Stevie Ray Vaughan (Howlin' Wolf)

Killing Floor - Howlin' Wolf

Quitter Never Wins - Tinsley Ellis

Cold Shot - Stevie Ray Vaughan (W.C. Clark)

Love I Been Missing - [couldn't find this anywhere]

Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix

Red House - Jimi Hendrix

Rock Me Baby - B.B. King

Them Changes - Buddy Miles

Tin Pan Alley - Stevie Ray Vaughan (Robert Geddins)

Everyman Blues - [couldn't find this anywhere]

Old Love - Eric Clapton

Spanish Castle Magic - Jimi Hendrix

Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan (Larry Davis)

Thrill Is Gone - B.B. King

Red Rooster - Howlin' Wolf (Willie Dixon)

It's Not My Cross To Bear - Allman Brothers

Whipping Post - Allman Brothers

Further On Up The Road - Eric Clapton (Joe Medwick)

Stone Free - Jimi Hendrix

Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix (Billy Roberts)

Voodoo Child - Jimi Hendrix

(Message edited by davehouck on January 11, 2008)
keith_h
Senior Member
Username: keith_h

Post Number: 940
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 5:51 am:   Edit Post

I forgot an album that I have been listening to in the car recently, Larry Carlton's Sapphire Blue. It is mostly upbeat blues with horns.

Keith
hankster
Intermediate Member
Username: hankster

Post Number: 148
Registered: 6-2004
Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 6:37 am:   Edit Post

NIce list, Dave, and thanks for the Arc Angels and Stevie links.

As for modern players, Robert Cray and his band are fine. And up north here (canada) we are all pretty fond of Colin James. James in particular has some great guitar/horn ensemble stuff.
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 2855
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 8:25 am:   Edit Post

I can't believe no one's mentioned John Mayall yet! And listen to early Fleetwood Mac (with Peter Green, before they got Buckingham/Nicks and got "cute").

Bill, tgo
jet_powers
Advanced Member
Username: jet_powers

Post Number: 354
Registered: 2-2003
Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 12:15 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks for all the input.... we've got a few of those mentioned, still there's a few more suggestions here we can use.

Let's throw a wrench into the works....

How about with female vocals?

JP
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 2857
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 3:05 pm:   Edit Post

Bonnie Raitt, especially the early stuff. I love her version of the old Sippy Wallace song: "Woman Be Wise, Keep Your Mouth Shut Don't Advertise Your Man"
And, of course, almost anything recorded by Janice Joplin.

Bill, tgo
keith_h
Senior Member
Username: keith_h

Post Number: 942
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 5:17 pm:   Edit Post

There's Koko Taylor and Etta James.

Keith
foth
Intermediate Member
Username: foth

Post Number: 169
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Sunday, January 13, 2008 - 1:56 am:   Edit Post

I play with Dave Brown, who grew up with Stevie and Jimmie. Some of Dave's favorites are: Pride & joy, Dimples, Mary had a little lamb, Thunderbird, Got me runnin', Why I sing the blues, Cold shot.
Don't forget the slow ones, gettin' close is what it's all about: Have you ever loved a woman, Love her with a feeling, Sweet little angel.
Other crowd pleasers: All night long, Killin' floor, Yonders wall.
Good for a female vocalist: Honey hush.
bracheen
Senior Member
Username: bracheen

Post Number: 1308
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Sunday, January 13, 2008 - 7:20 am:   Edit Post

female singer - Susan Tedeschi.

I like that list Dave. I think Born Under a Bad Sign was the second song I learned.
Sam

Topics | Last Day | Last Week | Tree View | Search | Help/Instructions | Program Credits Administration