Most Innovative, Original Post-War Blues

Favoriting this thread for later reference. Thanks for this.

 

J.B. Lenoir, basically everything he recorded was original and different. A favorite is his Mama Talk to your Daughter for Parrot, with the endless one note solo. Also great JOB recordings like Mojo Hand and Let's Roll, Parrot/Chess songs like Don't Touch my Head (very different!) and the political Eisenhower Blues and Everybody Wants to Know.

J.B. Hutto - his 6 1950s Chance recordings are all excellent (his guitar was Elmore inspired, but he was a unique songwriter), especially check out Pet Cream Man and "Things Are So Slow", another interesting song commenting on the economy.

Floyd Jones is not much remembered today but was one of the first to record in the postwar Chicago style - listen to his 1947 songs Stockyard Blues (again a song about economic problems) and Keep What you Got. Also the early 50s recordings including Hard Times and Dark Road (for JOB and Chess), inspired by Tommy Johnson but turned into his own song.

Eddie Boyd - Five Long Years for JOB and 24 Hours for Chess.

All influential, important blues songs from the early postwar period in Chicago. I could go on.

 

Along similar lines, what you say about Pat Hare can also be said of Willie Johnson's work on Howlin' Wolf's Memphis sides.

I've always been a big fan of the stuff the Wolf recorded on the sly at the same time he was recording for Sam Phillips. That is, the stuff that was leased to RPM as opposed to Chess. Johnson is on all the Memphis recordings, but these sides are rawer, and certainly Johnson's fat, distorted tone was an influence on guitarists who discovered him later.

The OP seems more focused on songs than he is sound, and I know he's already mentioned Wolf. But I couldn't help but respond to your post to put in a plug for this aspect of his earlier career (collected on this CD). Some of Johnson's most explosive playing is heard on "House Rockin' Boogie" (often known as "House Rockers").

If it's a matter of songs, I would point out that "Crying at Daybreak" exploits the Smokestack Lightning theme a few years before the track with that title came out. Though in truth, that motif goes back even further.

 

Otis Rush, Double Trouble or All Your Love (I Miss Loving) from 1958.

 

Plus I don't think Hendrix could do a split.

 

You have to have Boogie Chillun' and One Burbon, One Scotch and One Beer and House Rent Boogie.

 

I forgot Robert Nighthawk (McCoy), he recorded pre war for Bluebird and Decca but is best remembered (and was most influential) for his postwar electric guitar recordings for Chess and United (even though many of his songs were not original (he apparently was a Tampa Red fan and recorded some Tampa Red titles) his guitar playing was definitely original).

 

One Bourbon, One Scotch and One Beer was a 1960s Hooker cover of Amos Milburn song from 15 years earlier, Milburn is someone who definitely belongs on a list of innovators.

 

Yeah, Hound Dog was written for her, so her version is still the original, even though it's Lieber/Stoller. And she did write Ball and Chain, but I think that's a 1960's song, so I don't know if it's too late.

 

While it was cited as derivative above (indeed, it's a cover of Robert Johnson!), but Elmore James' version of "Dust My Broom", the version on Fire Records, just cooks. It has an electric drive that blows you away from the intro! It definitely serves as an origin for a lot of distorted guitar work that followed.

I have to echo T-Bone Walker. From him you get Buddy Guy and Chuck Berry, among others.

 

Freddie King: Hideaway
Slim Harpo: I'm a King Bee
Arthur Big Boy Crudup: That's All Right (or My Baby Left Me)
I'm a Man: Bo Diddley
Junior Wells: Messin' with the Kid

 

John Lee Hooker:
Dimples
Boom Boom

 

Thanks to all for the interest and suggestions.

I decided to temporarily set aside this project to revamp the a pre-War set instead, but here are my preliminary choices at the time I stopped.

• 
  1. B.B. King - Three O'Clock Blues (3:01)
  2. Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five - Caldonia (1945) (2:43)
  3. Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup - That's All Right (1946) (2:52)
  4. Roy Brown - Good Rocking Tonight (1947) (2:59)
  5. T-Bone Walker - Call it Stormy Monday (1947) (3:03)
  6. Muddy Waters - I Can't Be Satisfied (1948)) (2:43)
  7. Billy Boy Arnold - I Ain't Got You (2:15)
  8. Bo Diddley - Who Do You Love (2:30)
  9. Bobby 'Blue' Bland - Farther Up the Road (2:57)
  10. Freddie King - I'm Tore Down (2:37)
  11. Two Gospel Keys - You've Got to Move (1948).mp3
  12. Willie Mae 'Big Mama' Thornton - Hound Dog (1952).mp3
  13. Tampa Red - Sweet Little Angel (1950).mp3
  14. Joe Turner - Shake, Rattle & Roll (1954).mp3
  15. Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats - Rocket 88 (1951).mp3
  16. Slim Harpo - I'm A King Bee.mp3
  17. Sonny Boy Williamson II - Don't Start Me Talkin'.mp3
  18. Little Junior Parker - Mystery Train (1953).mp3
  19. Lowell Fulson - Reconsider Baby (1954).mp3
  20. Jimmy Reed - Big Boss Man.mp3
  21. Buddy Guy - American Bandstand (a.k.a. American Bandstand Thing).mp3
  22. Little Walter & His Jukes - My Babe (1955).mp3
  23. Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put A Spell On You (1956).mp3
  25. Otis Rush - All Your Love I Miss Loving (1958).mp3
  26. Howlin' Wolf - Smoketack Lightning (1956).mp3
  27. Junior Wells - Messin' With The Kid (1960).mp3
  28. Rev. Gary Davis - Samson & Delilah (1960).mp3
  29. Elmore James - Done Somebody Wrong (1960).mp3
  30. Freddie King - Hide Away (1961).mp3
  31. John Lee Hooker - Boom Boom (1962).mp3

 

Earl King:
Come On

 

Guitar Slim:

The Things That I Used To Do

 

Emerson, Lake & Palmer Tiger In A Spotlight

 

Did I enter the wrong thread? ...

 

Lowell Fulsom:

Reconsider Baby

 

Little Walter My Babe is just Willie Dixon's secular take on the pre war This Train (see Sister Rosetta Tharpe). Possibly the worst example for Little Walter since it doesn't showcase his harmonica. The Little Walter track that made him a name, transformed post war blues harmonica and influenced countless musicians is Juke, recorded for Chess in 1952.

 

Yep. It's just a place holder at this point. I have "This Train" in the pre-War set. I was originally thinking of ordering them back-to-back before deciding to break out the pre-War material.

 

Good idea.
Lots of good recs. here.
(I have practically most and all of these, but gives ideas for making home made compilations for the car)

 

Innovative: "Calling All Cows" by the Blues Rockers, Excello, 1955.

 

Hop Wilson & His Chickens, "Chicken Stuff," Goldband Records, c. 1958

 

Baby for the classic Jimmy Reed siund but I think Ain’t That Lovin You Baby has been covered a crazy large number of times.

 

Guitar Slim And His Band "Down Through The Years" Atco, 1956. A lot of his songs could be on this list; virtually any of them, they're all so good. Highly innovative guitarist ( supposedly a big influence on Buddy Guy and Jimi Hendrix) and his singing style was ahead of its time. A rough screamer, who really cut loose and screamed, years before that type of singing was fashionable or widespread.