Knee Deep in the Blues

Reading Keith Richards' autobiography is really bringing me back to my love for the blues.  I was knee deep in the blues at one point in my life.

My love for the blues spiraled out of control after I had seen The Last Waltz and was on my search for the elements of rock and roll.  That and visiting Levon Helm and listening to the blues; eating, sleeping, breathing the blues.

I didn’t realize how much Keith and Mick loved the blues.  I mean, yeah their first singles were blues covers, but I had never read any biography’s of theirs.  Actually, my search for the elements of rock and roll were all American based, and I can honestly say at this point, I am reading for the first time how and when the blues exploded in the UK.  Didn’t I mention that some of the greatest rock and roll bands came from the UK?  Led Zeppelin is 100% blues influenced, Eric Clapton, Free and Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green.

I need some book recommendations for the birth of rock and roll in the UK.  Believe it or not, while I was actually LIVING in the UK I went crazy over country music.  London and country music.  Who knew?  I came home a country gal.

Anyway, I was right heavy over Chicago blues’ Willie Dixon, obviously Muddy Waters and Jimmy Reed.  Man, Jimmy Reed is one cool cat.  “Bright Lights, Big City”, “Big Boss Man” and “Baby What You Want Me to Do” is a real groovy ditty.

I have met some blues legends and greats when I was knee deep!  Little Sammy Davis, Bob Margolin, Luther Johnson, and Hubert Sumlin to name a few.

Chicago blues and the Delta blues.  Delta blues artists like R.L. Burnside, John Lee Hooker, Son House, Elmore James, Lead Belly, Sonny Boy Williamson, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and of course Robert Johnson.  My love for both Chicago and Delta are both the same.

To discover more blues, I used to go to the record shop and pick any album that had a great cover.  I discovered Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee that way!

It has been really great rekindling my love for the blues through reading Keith’s biography.  I am pulling out some albums that I haven’t listened to in a while.

The blues just filters through you.  Right to the bone; the sound of the blues.  Real soul music. 

I can't not mention the attitude that comes with being a blues cat too.  Bad ass.

I always loved Son House's quote about blues being about a man and a woman in love.