Lesser known blues players?

Who would you recommend?

I'm not talking super-obscure or anything.

Just not the big names: Muddy, the Kings, Buddy Guy, Robert Johnson, Wolf.

The recent Magic Sam thread got me thinking about this. I have some stuff - I have a live Magic Sam record, for example. The Otis Rush Cobra sides (very good). But most of the stuff I have is by the big names in the Chicago/ electric blues vein. Robert Johnson. A Mississippi Fred McDowell record. Bobby Parker. Probably a few others.

So, how about some suggestions for some other stuff. Maybe some non-Mississippi delta acoustic? Or some piano led stuff. Texas stuff? And, the lesser known Chicago players. Luther Allison? Earl Hooker? Those kinda guys.

Older. Modern. Whatever.

Thanks!

Cheers,
Geoff

Definitely not obscure; here's a few:

T-Bone Walker: big band blues w/horns
John Lee Hooker: ZZ Top would have no clue how to boogie if not for John Lee :wink:
Gatemouth Brown: blues and much more
Albert Collins, the "Master of the Telecaster": Check out his record "Showdown!" with Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland.

Chris Cain I think was his name?

Have a listen to Little Milton (Campbell), Fenton Robinson, Mighty Joe Young, Wayne Bennett (with Bobby Bland), Philip Walker, Eddie Taylor, Jimmy Rogers, Pee Wee Crayton.... That'll keep you going for a while.

Koko Taylor.

Tommy Castro

Ronnie Earl

Enrico Crivellaro

Seasick Steve

Matt Schofield

Sue Foley

Some are actually pretty big names now. Off the top of my iTouch head.

Check out the Mississippi Sheiks, Mama and Jimmy Yancy, and not so lesser knowns Lightnin' Hopkins, and Big Bill Broonzy.

Henrik Freischlader, Aynsley Lister, Popa Chubby, Oli Brown.....

Although not unknown and certainly not lesser known to me...

Lonnie Johnson
Robert Nighthawk
Memphis Slim
Sunnyland Slim
Rainer Ptacek
Lowell Fulson
Big Joe Turner
Otis Spann
Little Johnny Taylor
Guitar Slim
Little Junior Parker
Johnny Shines
Robert Belfour
Clarence Hollimon
Bob Margolin
Sam Taylor Jr.
Honeyboy Edwards

Acoustic

Blind Willie McTell, From Georgia, great player, singer, and his available recordings are pretty good quality
Blind Willie Johnson a very different Blind Willie, but also very good
Son House

Some various other names, randomly coming to mind, some younger guys some older

William Clarke, harmonica player who's recorded with several great guitar players
Junior Watson
Kid Ramos
Duke Robillard
Roy Gaines
WC Clark mentor to many younger Austin musicians
Snooks Eaglin one of the best ever
Percy Mayfield many of the songs he wrote are classics
Kirk Fletcher
John Nemeth
Hollywood Fats
The Mannish Boys
Joe Louis Walker
Lucky Peterson
Kenny Neal
Sean Costello a tremendous young talent who left us way too soon
Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson
Eddie "The Chief" Clearwater

Johnny Littlejohn
Johnny Jenkins
Brewer Phillips
Johnny Shines (both electric and acoustic)
Carey Bell with Steve Jacobs

Remember James Cotton?

If you're in the DC area and he's still there, go see Robert Lighthouse. Skinny Nordic white guy, but Lord he can play the blues like a freak.

Joe Beard

Oh, and Alvin Youngblood Hart.

R.L. Burnside. I recommend the first recordings (acoustic). Great album!

Bugs Henderson for modern electric blues. Vienna Calling is excellent.

Sleepy John Estes
Furry Lewis

D.H.

Danny Gatton - gone too soon
Roy Bookbinder

Ah, and Little Walter.

+1 on Luther "Guitar Jr" Johnson ...........

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Luther Allison's first album (Bad News is Coming) is very good.

Jimmy Dawkins' earlier stuff (Blisterstring, Fast Fingers) on Delmark is good too.

JB Hutto (Hawk Squat, Slidewinder) is all worth listening to.
Otis Spann's "The Biggest Thing Since Colossus has" a weird name, but the backing band is early Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green on guitar, and great.

Eddie Boyd's "The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions" also has Peter Green on guitar and worth a listen.

And if you don't have Hound Dog Taylor's first album, go get that too!

My wife wonders why I never listen to anything more recent, but there's so much good stuff out there already!

Roy Rogers
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Alvin Youngblood Hart
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Hound Dog Taylor
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Lonnie Johnson
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Amos Milburn
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Big Joe Turner
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Chris Cain I think was his name?

Yep.. Chris Cain, good call.

Also Melvin Taylor is another great picker you don't hear of too often.

Eddy Taylor, he was Jimmy Reed's buddy on VeeJay, and played on Reed's records as Jimmy played on Eddy's ones.
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Gary Clark Jr

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In the late 80's-early 90's U.P. Wilson was the man in Fort Worth. Even SRV claimed him as an influence. Unfortunately substance abuse became a huge problem-after doing time he moved to France where he died in 2004. Sad end for a guy who helped mentor Cornell Dupree.

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