So, you only like Blues when it's Old and Black? That's like loving the Root but not the Tree.

_________________
"Persistence Is The Father Of Invention"
-Crazy Old Man In Training

Ain't nothing like the real thing!!

Unfortunately , very few people are interested in Elmore James,Freddie King or Mississippi John Hurt.It was from listening to SRV and Clapton that led me to Albert King,Freddie King ,Jimmy Reed and all the others.Both of those guys (EC and SRV) were quick to give credit to the original blues artist.I see them guys as modern interpretation of the blues.Same with Michael Bloomfield.Guys like that keep the blues alive.

Those guys got it from Lighting Hopkins, Petey Wheatstraw, Pinetop Perkins, Fats Waller. I'm sure when guys like Elmore James electrified the blues it was frowned on as "Not Real".

They're all just on different points along the Blues evolutionary scale. It's rich history and resiliency are part of what makes it so Great.

_________________
"Persistence Is The Father Of Invention"
-Crazy Old Man In Training

As I said before. These are the guys I am currently listening to. There are quite a number of others, but have not gotten there yet, all in good time.

Good for you

Bud,

I am a real fan of biography and autobiography. I would suggest BB's Autobiography "Blues all around me" It may be a little hard to get. If your local public library does not have it, they should be able to borrow a copy from another system for you. Real insightful and interesting.

Funny you should mention it,but I am reading it right now.Its a good read ,but I just started it.I have also read Jimis biography ,Muddy Waters and SRVs book "caught in the Crossfire."Great book too.

I just finished "Skydog. the Duane Allman story" good read but very sad.

Seriously,you ought to read "caught in the crossfire", it gives you alot of insight into SRV and what he thought of the Blues masters and how he got discovered.His struggle with his addictions and recovery had a happy ending even though he eventually died tragically.

Skills? Hendrix
Easy Listening? Clapton
Mid of the field, Vaughn

I too like EC, SRV, and Jimi and believe they all have contributed overwhelmingly to the Fender Stratocaster each in their own right. But if I had to pick just one, it would definitely be SRV. No offense to EC, but SRV really put the WOW back into the Strat that hadn't been heard since Jimi Hendrix.

Just my opinion!

Bud,

I will consider it for my short list. Currently reading "Black Knight the Ritche Blackmore story" by Jerry Bloom. Its a thick tome. A lot of insight into music scene in Britian and Europe in the late 1950's early 60's and so on. I've go Johnny Winter and Elmore James in the que.

But I will definately consider it. Thanks for the suggestion.

OL

Sounds interesting ,I also read the bio of Muddy Maters "Cant be Satisfied" which really was good.It tells alot about the early Chicago Blues scene,but it was really interesting how Muddy became known.

Why do people always want to compare and have a winner?? This human nature is what drives the world crazy, whos the best? who cares!!

None of those 3 guitarists is better than any, art is totally subjective, and if in the culture we live in, where god is equivalent to $, then Eric would be the winner, when, for my taste Eric Clapton sucks and hasn´t evolved, and got stuck with his super boring old time blues.

Now, Hendrix picked up the strat in an era where it wasn´t too much in fashion, there was no notion of "Vintage Culture" or "Strat Tone". Strictly speaking, I wouldn´t consider Hendrix as a pure strat player, he used it as we know with lotsa dist and feedback, and he played many SG´s, Flying V´s, even LP´s, and his tone kinda sucked on them (humbuckers), he always sounded better with the Strats, and I´ve always thought he wasn´t even aware of it clearly.

I guess as a pure Strat tone player, SRV would be the winner, eventhough what Hendrix did for Electric guitar is Gigantic, and no one has done anything similar, well only Eddie VH comes to mind as real breakthroughs, anyway, SRV did have a notion of "Vintage Tone Culture", and it shows clearly on "Lenny" or "Riviera Paradise", clean, belly, sratty, punchy and delicious.

Personally I wouldn´t even consider those three guitarists for the top strat tone players, my top would be David Gilmour and Mark Knopfler, specially Knopfler in the Dire Straits and Comuniqé albums, to my ears that is absolutely "Pure Strat Tone".

And if it matters, the greatest Fender player of all time could be Roy Buchanan, although he played Teles and ocassionally a LP.

have a good day.