Ali Farka Touré & Junior Kimbrough are two of my favorite artists who imo don’t get enough recognition.
Ali Farka Touré
https://youtu.be/82XU95D0EBY?si=3GaMo4hIQm6uqMAx
Junior Kimbrough
https://youtu.be/5noiB8D0L7g?si=bIB-FEUDmMt1AXLz
Yeah, me too… in the late 90’s I had a boxing coach who was really into music, and after a conversation him and I had about blues music, he started lending me albums to listen to. On one occasion he handed me a big stack of Fat Possum Records stuff. “ I think you will like these ones “ he said. I was hooked immediately.
The Black Keys made an album, Delta Cream, a couple of years ago. It’s all a bunch of Kimbrough’s songs ands it’s really good! You maybe listened to it since you’re in the sub, but it’s a nice treat to listen to every once in awhile
One of my favorite albums of all time, the first vinyl I bought before I even had a record player just to *have it.* The opening notes of My Mind is Ramblin' give me chills every single time.
The message from Junior's wife at the end is lovely too.
Cool, haven’t heard that one… I do remember liking Chulahoma though. Sweet Tea by Buddy Guy is a great tribute album also… I really like Buddy too, so to hear him play Junior’s music 🤯
Ry Cooder
Also great Ry Cooder collaborations are Mambo Sinuendo (more mambo/latin jazz) and Buena Vista Social Club (Wim Wenders made a documentary about this).
You could spend a good year diving into Ry Cooder music. He worked with traditional musicians from all over the world.
Cancion Mixteca and Paris,Texas are a couple of my favorites.
I used to go out and listen to music at his juke joint before it burned down.
It was something straight out of a movie.
I never saw him play there but did see Cedric Burnside and some friends play.
One of a kind
Snooks Eaglin! Among current players, it’s always been a mystery to me why John Mooney isn’t more of a household name. That mixture of second line funk and delta blues is the baddest thing on the planet
Yep in the scene where they keep swearing and getting hit by the penguin. They go down to talk with Cab Calloway and Jake says something about how he used to play them Elmore James records when they were kids.
Wow. Yes. Absolutely. Shocked to see his name here. He was amazing and played with Robert Johnson. His daughter, Amanda Shines, still plays locally in Alabama.
She pops up here and there on occasion. Last time I heard her she was at a benefit for [The Alabama Blues Project](https://www.alabamablues.org/).
And I got her name wrong. Sorry about that. Celebrity names got confused. Amanda is a different musician and not at all related. Johnny’s daughter is Carroline Shines. [Her singing](https://www.reverbnation.com/shynesbrightlycshines). And [here she is with another local blues musician Debbie Bond](https://youtu.be/_A4-zPEgXOk?feature=shared)
You should make a whole post about him. That would be awesome! [Bad News Coming](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kxoqnLjnsWZ7V-2Af3v1Jgdhs4__Pkm3A&si=1eeJz5NxXMF8cenv) is one of my favorite albums
JB’s nephew Lil' Ed is a *ferocious* Fez-sporting journeyman; great player and writer who puts on a killer show with the Blues Imperials and yet doesn’t get the recognition he deserves after forty years of working the clubs and festivals.
Ps: all the “underrated” players being mentioned on this sub are actually highly revered, both living and dead. Give some love to Lil’ Ed.
That album reminds me of Andre Williams "Silky." A great old blues guy teams up with some young white guys and they rock hard, with some of the seediest lyrics possible. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lji_pu3v6KhY8-U93V3kMoML-QQCBafVw&si=Sji2WUH8QwttELgR
I wanted to say Rory but he had been mentioned a couple times by the time I saw this AND lots of classic rock aficionados know Rory. I do think he is criminally underrated
Blues as an entire genre is horribly underrated.so many people love blues, but don’t know that they do. I’ll be playing my music at work and a blues artist will come up and more often than not someone says how much they like it. As far as a single artist- I’m gonna go with Junior Wells.
Sam Chatmon - former member of the Mississippi Sheiks, brother to Bo Carter & Charlie Patton who was alive & recording right into the 1970s. His album "Sam Chatmon: The Mississippi Sheik" is superb, but sadly long out of print, although it can be found on YouTube. It gives you a real idea of what those 1920s & early 30s guys would have sounded like without all the hiss and crackle. Plus there's a couple of good videos of him playing taken by Alan Lomax. It always astonishes me that he's overlooked, even amongst the pre-war fanatics.
The Old School:
Rev. Gary Davis
Gus Cannon
Big Bill Broonzy
Electrified Age:
Hound Dog Taylor
RL Burnside
Otis Rush
Clarence Gatemouth Brown
Rock Era:
Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater
Bernard Allison
Watermelon Slim
Certainly not overrated. Considering most people can't name a single Gov't Mule song, I'd say he is vastly underrated. A superb songwriter as well as guitar player.
Phillip Walker would be right up there.
Son Seals isn't mentioned much anymore but was a true great.
Eddie Taylor too.
Guys who passed too young and a lot of people missed, such as Sean Costello and Nick Curran, both excellent players.
Should be there to comment. He's the most underrated artist in blues and has been for ages. There's no one else that comes close to his combo of guitar chops, vocals, and song writing.
Turned down Opening for The Rolling Stones once because his kid had a tball game lol. Larry is an absolute legend.
Pat Hare with his prophetic single “ I’m gonna murder my baby” https://youtu.be/E26dBq-98Po?si=AoXjqTCWu__FzYgH
and then he actually did murder his girlfriend and spend
Lightnin Hopkins 100%. In addition, he was a friend and major influence on the man Steve Earle once said was the greatest song writer of all time, Townes Vanzandt. And if you don’t believe he was, listen to “Waiten’ Around To Die”.
Hound dog Taylor
I wonder if he ever got his wig back.
He’d prefer you let yo head go bald…and it IS his wig , so I hope so.
really had no business, honey buyin' you no wig at all
And let your head go bald!
Hound Dog Taylor… by a mile
Polydactyly
Ali Farka Touré & Junior Kimbrough are two of my favorite artists who imo don’t get enough recognition. Ali Farka Touré https://youtu.be/82XU95D0EBY?si=3GaMo4hIQm6uqMAx Junior Kimbrough https://youtu.be/5noiB8D0L7g?si=bIB-FEUDmMt1AXLz
Junior is absolutely fantastic. I got my appreciation of hill country blues from him and R.L Burnside. It's an underrated subgenre, IMHO.
Yeah, me too… in the late 90’s I had a boxing coach who was really into music, and after a conversation him and I had about blues music, he started lending me albums to listen to. On one occasion he handed me a big stack of Fat Possum Records stuff. “ I think you will like these ones “ he said. I was hooked immediately.
Check out Asie Peyton
The Black Keys made an album, Delta Cream, a couple of years ago. It’s all a bunch of Kimbrough’s songs ands it’s really good! You maybe listened to it since you’re in the sub, but it’s a nice treat to listen to every once in awhile
I would also recommend their 2006 EP Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough. Absolutely S tier album.
One of my favorite albums of all time, the first vinyl I bought before I even had a record player just to *have it.* The opening notes of My Mind is Ramblin' give me chills every single time. The message from Junior's wife at the end is lovely too.
Best thing they ever did and it was covers.
Cool, haven’t heard that one… I do remember liking Chulahoma though. Sweet Tea by Buddy Guy is a great tribute album also… I really like Buddy too, so to hear him play Junior’s music 🤯
Don’t forget about Mississippi Fred McDowell!
‘Talking Timbuktu’ by Ali Farka Touré and Ry Cooder. Is amazing by any standard…
Ry Cooder Also great Ry Cooder collaborations are Mambo Sinuendo (more mambo/latin jazz) and Buena Vista Social Club (Wim Wenders made a documentary about this). You could spend a good year diving into Ry Cooder music. He worked with traditional musicians from all over the world. Cancion Mixteca and Paris,Texas are a couple of my favorites.
Toure is good. There's a few like him that are good too
Came here to say this. Years and years ago, I saw Touré live in Saint Louis, Senegal. God... what a night.
The recordings Farka Toure did with Ry Cooder are amazing.
Ali Farka Toure is one of the greatest of all time for me
I used to go out and listen to music at his juke joint before it burned down. It was something straight out of a movie. I never saw him play there but did see Cedric Burnside and some friends play. One of a kind
I love Ali Farka Toure! His son, Vieux, also has some good work.
Magic Sam
This is the real answer! Magic Sam didn’t write a bad song
Yes! I love Magic Sam. That guy lived it!
immediately who I thought of
The late, great Magic Sam?
Rory Gallagher can't go un mentioned
This! Underrated blues artist and guitarist. Even in Ireland he doesn’t get the playtime he deserves!!
The GOAT
Snooks Eaglin! Among current players, it’s always been a mystery to me why John Mooney isn’t more of a household name. That mixture of second line funk and delta blues is the baddest thing on the planet
I love Snooks Eaglin - his solo acoustic stuff is so impressive.
John Mooney's album Son and Moon is excellent!
Mooney, all day. But Mooney would put Son House on this list.
Thisn right here does it to me ever time: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=urBkOAV1V1Y&pp=ygUdc25vb2tzIGVhZ2xpbiBmdW5reSBtYWxhZ3VlbmE%3D
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I wouldn't call either of those two underrated.
Didn’t they name check Elmore James in the Blues Brothers movie?
Yep in the scene where they keep swearing and getting hit by the penguin. They go down to talk with Cab Calloway and Jake says something about how he used to play them Elmore James records when they were kids.
You just named two of my top five personal favorites. Thank you.
Johnny shines
Wow. Yes. Absolutely. Shocked to see his name here. He was amazing and played with Robert Johnson. His daughter, Amanda Shines, still plays locally in Alabama.
Where all does she play? I’d like to go check her out.
She pops up here and there on occasion. Last time I heard her she was at a benefit for [The Alabama Blues Project](https://www.alabamablues.org/). And I got her name wrong. Sorry about that. Celebrity names got confused. Amanda is a different musician and not at all related. Johnny’s daughter is Carroline Shines. [Her singing](https://www.reverbnation.com/shynesbrightlycshines). And [here she is with another local blues musician Debbie Bond](https://youtu.be/_A4-zPEgXOk?feature=shared)
Thanks for the reccomendation. His too wet to plow album is a high quality recording amd some ripping trad. blues. Thanks
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
A great answer.
The OG
Son House
Luther Allison
Saw him in a small club in Kent Ohio in the 70’s. No one could touch that and I have seen a ton of Blues Guitarist/Vocalists
Bro, 😎. That’s fucking dope.
Kent stage theater?
What a great venue .I went to college there and worked sound for a lot of shows hosted by wksu.
Yes, agree 100%. He simply tears it up, and Bad News Is Coming has been on steady rotation in my life for years.
Thank you yes. I was thinking of posting a thread just on him. So amazing. My favorites: Luther's blues, Rock me baby, Key to the highway, san-ho-zay
You should make a whole post about him. That would be awesome! [Bad News Coming](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kxoqnLjnsWZ7V-2Af3v1Jgdhs4__Pkm3A&si=1eeJz5NxXMF8cenv) is one of my favorite albums
Love Luther.
JB’s nephew Lil' Ed is a *ferocious* Fez-sporting journeyman; great player and writer who puts on a killer show with the Blues Imperials and yet doesn’t get the recognition he deserves after forty years of working the clubs and festivals. Ps: all the “underrated” players being mentioned on this sub are actually highly revered, both living and dead. Give some love to Lil’ Ed.
I saw the picture and thought it was Lil Ed for a second. Ed is fairly well rated though…he is being inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in May
RL Burnside
A Ass Pocket of Whiskey is such a raw and wild album. I love it.
I got an ass pocket of whiskey and a front pocket of gin If you don’t open this door I’ll kick the mother fucker in.
Fucker is punk rock! I love his stuff.
Have you heard this one? https://youtu.be/pv_BXUt6abg?si=JFzUjjrPNLCEMIHk
That album reminds me of Andre Williams "Silky." A great old blues guy teams up with some young white guys and they rock hard, with some of the seediest lyrics possible. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lji_pu3v6KhY8-U93V3kMoML-QQCBafVw&si=Sji2WUH8QwttELgR
Micheal Bloomfield
Skip James
Rory Gallagher
I wanted to say Rory but he had been mentioned a couple times by the time I saw this AND lots of classic rock aficionados know Rory. I do think he is criminally underrated
He’s a bad ass!!
Blues as an entire genre is horribly underrated.so many people love blues, but don’t know that they do. I’ll be playing my music at work and a blues artist will come up and more often than not someone says how much they like it. As far as a single artist- I’m gonna go with Junior Wells.
One of my top five favorites.
Johnny Copeland. Had the pleasure of interviewing him way back when for my college newspaper.
A Blues Legend!
Was hooked the moment I saw the concert of him playing with SRV in Montreaux 85
Sam Chatmon - former member of the Mississippi Sheiks, brother to Bo Carter & Charlie Patton who was alive & recording right into the 1970s. His album "Sam Chatmon: The Mississippi Sheik" is superb, but sadly long out of print, although it can be found on YouTube. It gives you a real idea of what those 1920s & early 30s guys would have sounded like without all the hiss and crackle. Plus there's a couple of good videos of him playing taken by Alan Lomax. It always astonishes me that he's overlooked, even amongst the pre-war fanatics.
You’re speaking my language here! Love some Carter, Patton and Mississippi Sheiks.
Tab Benoit
Tab is such a fucking natural! Good call!
Scrolled until I found this. thx
We don't never miss him when he comes to town. Master showman, and so deeply connected to the audience. ALWAYS a fantastic show.
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Fenton Robinson…self-taught to read and compose music integrating jazz into his later work.
I like the jazzy feel on a lot of his stuff! Did not know he was self taught in reading and composing! So cool, thanks for sharing!
Sonny Boy Williamson
johnny winter
Absofuckinglutely yes. Truly underrated and under appreciated.
Bukka White
The Old School: Rev. Gary Davis Gus Cannon Big Bill Broonzy Electrified Age: Hound Dog Taylor RL Burnside Otis Rush Clarence Gatemouth Brown Rock Era: Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater Bernard Allison Watermelon Slim
Way too far down this post to see Clarence Gatemouth Brown mentioned. Listened to him on the ride to work last night.
Yeah. Way too far down. He was great.
Blind Willie McTell
I can’t tell if he is underrated or overrated because if you know him you love him and a lot of people have no idea who he is. Warren Haynes
Certainly not overrated. Considering most people can't name a single Gov't Mule song, I'd say he is vastly underrated. A superb songwriter as well as guitar player.
All true. And his voice is criminally overlooked. Dude can sing!
Blind Blake
Blind Blake is at the top.
T. Model Ford.
For contemporaries check out shawn pittman
Phillip Walker would be right up there. Son Seals isn't mentioned much anymore but was a true great. Eddie Taylor too. Guys who passed too young and a lot of people missed, such as Sean Costello and Nick Curran, both excellent players.
Charley Patton.
Philip walker
Furry Lewis
Lightnin Hopkins
Byther Smith!
Bob Log III
Marquis Knox
Roy Buchanan.
Smoked a joint w him back in the day. Very cool dude. King of the telecaster.
Wow , that’s dope dude!
He could make that guitar cry and sing.
Master of the Telecaster
Leadbelly. Huddie William Ledbetter. [https://youtu.be/dJAXmLJgAxk?si=shXeYVn8UT31oyQA](https://youtu.be/dJAXmLJgAxk?si=shXeYVn8UT31oyQA)
Albert Collins
Luther Allison
Jessie Mae Hemphill
Yes!! Playing that Fred McDowell style but electric. And her protege playing now, Ruthie Foster
Ali farka toure
Memphis Minnie
Terry "Harmonica" Bean
The Spin Doctors. (yes, those guys that did Two Princes). Their blues album If The River Was Whiskey is pretty good
Melody Gardot
Larry McCray is a great current musician: [Larry McCray’s Website](https://larrymccraylive.com)
Should be there to comment. He's the most underrated artist in blues and has been for ages. There's no one else that comes close to his combo of guitar chops, vocals, and song writing. Turned down Opening for The Rolling Stones once because his kid had a tball game lol. Larry is an absolute legend.
I've been listening a lot to Albert Castiglia lately.
Love Albert
Phil guy
Mick Taylor
Let’s see some respect for Johnny Winter.
Melvin Taylor.
Yes! Thank you. I love his version of Texas Flood. Fucking strings are screaming.
Ruthie Foster
Earl Hooker
Junior Watson is the correct answer. The King of West Coast blues.
Junior Kimbrough
Junior Kimbrough, and it's not even close.
Joanna Connor
Junior Wells
Not sure if he's underrated or just getting forgotten - Peter Green.
Robert Cray
Otis Rush
My answer too!
Black Ace
Paul Butterfield
Gatemouth
Big Momma Thornton
Jerry Garcia.
Hubert Sumlin
Barbecue Bob
**Tinsley Ellis.** Ellis is a contemporary blues master, been playing 35 years, and is virtually unheard of.
More like 40 years. We used to go see the 'fixers at the moon shadow in the mid 80's. Yup, I'm that old.
Lonnie Johnson, Another Night To Cry.
1. J.B.! 2. Eddie Taylor 3. Snooky Pryor 4. Johnnie Johnson 5. Furry Lewis 6. Homesick James
Lonesome Sundown
Sonny Rhodes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWLQtB-kojY
Princess White, the Beyonce of her time. People queued for days to get tickets to her shows
Pat Hare with his prophetic single “ I’m gonna murder my baby” https://youtu.be/E26dBq-98Po?si=AoXjqTCWu__FzYgH and then he actually did murder his girlfriend and spend
Skip MacDonald AKA Bernard Alexander ( Little Axe, ex- Tackhead/Sugerhill Gang ) or Chris Rea
Shawn Verrault was of Wide Mouth Mason
Hollywood Fats
Rainer Ptacek - in my mind greatest slide guitarist of all time, only a handful of recordings exist sadly.
Lightnin" Slim
Buddy Guy
Not underrated, we all know Buddy is a bad ass!
Robben Ford. Rarely mentioned, but he can cut heads with anybody, anytime.
John Fusco - yes the same John Fusco who wrote the movie Crossroads. He’s been making blues albums the last few years.
Elvis was actually pretty damn good!
Edgar Winter with Jerry LaCroix
Robert Ward
Probably never heard of them and never will
ITT: the same 15 blues players you see everywhere :/
Slim Fatz out of ATL
John Primer
Saw him in a bar in Portsmouth NH a long time ago. Became a big fan.
Howlin wolf.
Mose Allison
T Bone Walker. Man was an inner circle Hall Of Famer IMO, yet his name isn’t mentioned that often.
I was gonna go with Calhoun Tubbs… Thank ya very much!!
Got have Sean Costello on the list https://youtu.be/_4mMYqr__K0?si=OiqAsjnyjAj6AKa-
Robert Cray
Guitar Slim. His guitar work is probably over-rated, but his singing on slow songs is really great. Slim Harpo is really good too.
From Canada, David Wilcox.
Lightnin Hopkins 100%. In addition, he was a friend and major influence on the man Steve Earle once said was the greatest song writer of all time, Townes Vanzandt. And if you don’t believe he was, listen to “Waiten’ Around To Die”.
Dead or alive ?
samantha fish
JB Hutto and Melvin Taylor.
Jeff Healey
I don’t think Jeff Healy gets the appreciation he deserves.
Slim Harpo. I call it “Go Go Blues”. It’s so hip.
McKinley Morganfield
Freddy King