Pickin' the Blues

Wednesday, May 21, 2008 - The Best In Blues Guitar

This week was simple, too ... we wanted to highlight some awesome blues guitar. In no way did we want to fall in to the death trap of the subjectivity of a countdown, or even try to label someone as "the best." Like with anything else music, or art in general, it's simply a matter of opinion. We just played some of our favorite songs by some of our favorite artists so that we could hear some of our favorite licks. The only central idea was to keep it centered on pickers. Here's the set - the guitarist we were showcasing is highlighted in yellow.

Intro: Robert Johnson – Cross Road Blues

B.B. King – 3 O’Clock Blues (with Bobby Bland) / Together For the First Time ... Live!
T-Bone Walker – You Don’t Love Me / The Complete Imperial Recordings 1950-1954
Billy Gibbons: ZZ Top – Jesus Just Left Chicago / Tres Hombres
Elmore James – The Sky Is Crying / Greatest Blues Hits
Son House – Pearline / The Original Delta Blues
Duane Allman: The Allman Brothers Band – It’s Not My Cross To Bear / The Allman Brothers Band
Stevie Ray Vaughan – Texas Flood / Texas Flood

First Break - 12:30 AM

Albert King – You Sure Do Drive a Hard Bargain / King of the Blues Guitar
Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown – Cross My Heart / Chess Blues Guitar: Two Decades of Killer Fretwork
Lightnin’ Hopkins – Moanin’ Blues / The Very Best of Lightnin' Hopkins
Freddie King – Tore Down / King of the Blues
Howlin’ Wolf – I’ve Got a Woman / More Real Folk Blues
Albert Collins – Cold, Cold Feeling / Ice Pickin'

Second Break - 1 AM

Jimmy Page: Led Zeppelin – I Can’t Quit You Baby / Led Zeppelin I
Buddy Guy – Tramp / Sweet Tea
Muddy Waters – Forty Days and Forty Nights / Muddy Waters: The Essential Collection
Jimi Hendrix – Red House (Live at the New York Pop Festival, Randall Island, July 17, 1970) / Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection
Jack White: The White Stripes – Catch Hell Blues / Icky Thump

Third Break - 1:30 AM

Lonnie Johnson – Broken Levee Blues / Hot Fingers
Johnny Winter – Leavin’ Blues / Livin' the Blues
Steve Gaines: Lynyrd Skynyrd – Ain’t No Good Life / Street Survivors
Eric Clapton: Cream – Born Under a Bad Sign / Wheels of Fire
Duane Allman: The Allman Brothers Band – Hot ‘Lanta / At Fillmore East

Talk about a blast to play ... we were jammin' so hard in the studio it was unbelievable. The newness of having the privilege of hosting this show is still far from wearing off ... I'm already looking forward to next week. Also, as we mentioned at the end of the show, there are so many other guitarists we didn't get a chance to highlight, so I just want to take a second to list some other guys we very easily could have featured: Otis Rush, Hound Dog Taylor, Leadbelly, Pee Wee Crayton, Earl Hooker, Skip James, Blind Willie Johnson, Ry Cooder, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Junior Kimbrough, Derek Trucks, Big Bill Broonzy, Charley Patton, Robert Nighthawk, Shuggie Otis, Luther Allison, Warren Haynes, Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lonnie Brooks, Robert Cray, Robin Trower, Elvin Bishop, J. Geils, John Mayall, Taj Mahal, Smokin' Joe Kubek, Mick Taylor, Chuck Berry, and so many more.

Also, I want to put it out there that I'm the one who gave ol' Johnny a copy of Take a Walk on the Dark Side. ha

We've got something special planned for next week, so be sure to tune in again. Until then ... stay positive.

Shoeless Kay Staps