As a confirmed card carrying member of "Blues Lovers Anonymous" I'm always interested in hearing or finding those "blues jems" by artists that you wouldn't typically associate with the blues...as an example say, Bruce Cockburn who has written occasional blues tunes like Mama Just Wants to Barrelhouse, Up on the Hillside, and Blues Got The World By The Balls. Or perhaps Dylan with Blind Willie McTell,Catfish,High Water(for Charlie Patton.) and even more unlikely Neil Young with a whole LP, This Notes For You. So what are your favourite 'hidden blues jems' ?

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Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancin'

Here's a couple for ya:

Queen
Travis Tritt

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

I have a few favorites that are a bit on the obscure side. Don't know if they will qualify for what you're asking, and you may or may not have heard of these albums, but here goes.

Jimmy Rogers - Blues, Blues, Blues
His last album, he died a few months later. It features Clapton, Jagger, Richards, Steve Stills, Kim Wilson, Jeff Healy, among others. A really fun album.

Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom
It isn't all blues but there are some good ones on here. Chicken Fried Snake and Why Do You Stay Out So Late are faves of mine.

Lucky Peterson's albums - Move, and I'm Ready are worth checking out. Lucky smokes the guitar and organ, and the venerable Johnny B. Gayden plays bass on the Move album.

Byther Smith - Smitty's Blues has many different blues styles on it. Good, solid blues!

Granny's Bathwater - Dig It Or Book. Yes, that's the name of the band.
A 70's era Springfield, Mo. based 10 piece horn band, Granny's played originals and covers of jazz, blues, and R&R, and were one of the best live bands I've ever heard. Their version of Kansas City is hot and the jazz originals ('I Can't Stand It' is one of them) are world class.
I highly recommend checking these guys out. Several band members have passed on and they're no longer a unit. Their lone CD is available on Amazon.

Hope you can use some of these.

This one isn't exactly blues but it's in keeping with your hidden gems theme. It's a rare glimpse of Poison attempting to tap into the "Gospel Revival" sound. There's some very tasty, almost bluesy guitar work on this track and done with a Telecaster, no less.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

Again, gotta go with: Fleetwood Mac in Chicago, 1969

This was a Studio collaboration between Fleetwood Mac and Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Willie Dixson, Otis Spann, Shakey Horton, J.T. Brown, S.P. Leary and Honeyboy Edwards.

This is Fleetwood Mac pre-Christine McVie/Lindsey Buckingham/Stevie Nicks... before the Band became Pop Royalty, and less than 2 years since they broke away from John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.

Peter Green (who replaced Eric Clapton in Mayall's Bluesbreakers) is amazing given the time frame and Jeremy Spencer on Slide is phenominal !

Recorded the first two weeks in January, 1969 at Chess Records. January in Chicago for 2 weeks... you know they were feeling the Blues !!

Produced by Mike Vernon (Vernon Records) and Marshall Chess (son of Chess Records Founder).

Original LP release was 500 (I've never seen another copy but mine) and a later double-CD release in 1994 by Sire/Warner Bros./Blue Horizon Records - Catalog # 9-45283-2

cheers!

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Melvin Taylor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnttI7aE ... re=related

Nice cover

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OK, I'll hum a little bit, got it now?

Steve Miller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDc9_8WIFkA

Lydia Warren:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMQxjZX59Ro

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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!

Recently found a cd at the library by Eric Bell called Belfast Blues in a Jar. He is in Thin Lizzy which isn't my gig but really good electric blues on this recording.

Boz Scaggs, loan me a dime,

Jelly roll kings!!