just for your personal listening pleasure, how important
is a keyboard in the blues music you listen to?
is it better with or without a keyboard?

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

Since I play keys, I'm kinda partial that yeah, they sound fine and mix well with the guitars.

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

a good keyboardist can add as much to blues music as a nice harp player can. the keys definitely add a real sweet finishing touch and some more versatility to a song, although I think they are more sound better for shuffles and swings....but nice on a slow blues as well.

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

+1

Nothing like a good Hammond B3 and/or a Fender-Rhodes 88 to round out the sound and the vibe!

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

I think keys add a lot,especially a Hammond B-3 like Arjay mentioned,I've always loved Gregg Allman's playing in the ABB,simple but great sounding.
And also Reese Wynans,who has played with so many people,mostly his playing with SRV.
And not to forget Chuck Leavell.

Chuck Leavell is super! His solo on Old Love from Eric Clapton unlugged still sticks in my mind to this day

I also like Pinetop Perkins a lot! A really nice and tasteful blues keyboarder

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWmyRfynf9I

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeZhwn7F ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IBVuveY ... re=related

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Just like every other "non-essential" instrument (LOL), it's only necessary and good if it's used properly...

Seriously, though, I've always thought the best blues band lineup ever was Muddy Waters'; two guitars, bass, harp, drums, piano. No matter what comes up, you can cover it that way.

...although ZZ Top and Cream might disagree with me.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

+1

well, i grew up listening to my dad play keys. also, my late cousin was a master on the keys and an equally talented vocalist. i'd love to have a keyboard player in our band for all the reasons mentioned above. i'm too stupid and lazy to learn or i'd be playing keys/guitar in our band.
although skynyrd wasn't what i'd call a blues band, billy powell could hang with anyone and to me was a huge part of the sound and style of the band.
FREEBIRD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love a keyboard cryin the Blues............... Mike

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The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.

Keyboard = No
Piano = Yes

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

No objection to piano or keyboard on blues. It's one of those "natural for the genre" instruments, together with...

...guitar, bass, harp, drums, sax. (And sometimes, clarinet and...?)

Oh, yeah, and human voice, for the singers among us.

Something like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V25iA2XPzuA

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

Pinetop Perkins' keyboard playing was an integral part of most of the records that came from Chess Records,Muddy Waters,Howlin' Wolf andBig Momma Thornton are just a few of the blues giants who wouldn't dream of cutting a record without Pinetop.An old B 3 wailing through a Leslie is also something that goes great with blues.The last I heard old Pinetop is still gigging,he played here just a few years ago and he was either pushin' 80 or had just passed it.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.