Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Day, WA!
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Hi WA Friends!
Please help me celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Day.
My Take On Dr. King
There will most certainly be WA community members paying homage to this great man by summarizing his many accomplishments, so let me give you a different perspective.
Dr. Martin Luther King was like a superhero, but instead of doing battle with muscles and lasers, he had dreams and words. He dreamed of a world where everyone played and worked together, no matter the color of their skin.
Instead of punching bad guys, he led peaceful marches and talked about kindness, showing people how to fight for what's right.
His most famous speech, "I Have a Dream," was like a magic spell, waking up others to see the world as he did. Even though he's gone now, his dream still shines bright, guiding us towards a fairer, happier place for everyone.
Pretty cool, right? We should all pay close attention to what Dr. King had to say! 😎
African-Americans and Africans Rule!
To help commemorate the day, here are my ten quick picks of African-American Blues players that helped define the genre. Hell, without African Americans, there'd be no Blues music at all!
There are so many fabulous players that I can't possibly name them all, but their contributions to music around the world have made a tremendous impact and helped define music as we know it today!
(Sorry for the funky image and text formatting)
Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970): A musical visionary who took Electric Blues to the next level to redefine rock and roll with his innovative use of effects pedals and unorthodox techniques.
B.B. King (1925-2015): "The King of the Blues," personified the genre with his signature tone and "hummingbird" vibrato, inspiring countless guitarists.
Freddie King (1924-1965): Known for his stinging tone and fluid solos, His Texas Blues style bridged the gap between traditional and electric blues, influencing Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton.
Albert King (1923-1992): His signature sound came from bending guitar stings down instead of up, which redefined blues guitar. Want to hear where Stevie Ray Vaughan came from? Have a listen to Albert!
Muddy Waters (1913-1983): He electrified the Blues genre with his raw vocals, slide guitar mastery, and legendary Chicago blues band.
Robert Johnson (1911-1938): His haunting vocals and slide guitar skills influenced countless electric Blues players.
Buddy Guy (born 1936): His blues-rock guitar playing and soulful vocals still inspire and electrify audiences worldwide.
John Lee Hooker (1917-2007): His hypnotic "boogie" grooves and deep vocals laid the foundation for countless Blues and Rock artists.
T-Bone Walker (1910-1975): A master of both Jump Blues and Electric Blues, his innovative guitar work paved the way for West Coast Blues and influenced Rock and Roll pioneers like Chuck Berry.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1915-1973): Last but certainly not least, her electrifying presence and innovative blend of Blues and other genres influenced Rock legends like Elvis Presley.
Please take a few minutes out of your day to honor the work that Dr. King has done!
Let me know what you think in the comments, AND ...
Keep On Rockin' 🤘
Frank 🎸
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Recent Comments
66
I like this tribute to Dr. King, Frank. Dr. King was certainly a great with his words as his speech came straight from the heart.
Myra 💜
What a fantastic tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King! He was a brilliant man whose life was cut too short.
I also appreciate the homage to our fantastic Blues Musicians my personal favorites are Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker.
Stacie
Thanks, Stacie! 🙏
I’m so glad you liked it!
I really love Muddy and John Lee’s music, too!😎
Frank 🤘🎸
A great man with a great vision indeed!! Thanks for the post!
Circling back around to great blue's guitarists, have you heard of Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, he's pretty good!
Thanks again, Frank!
Tim 😎
Of course, Tim. He's on the cover of this month's Vintage Guitar magazine. 😎
I really like Christone's playing!
Rock On! 🤘
Frank 🎸
Oh wow, that's cool!
I'm a little behind on the current players. Apparently, I'm still stuck in the 80's. Haha
Rock on!
Tim 😎🤘
Hey Frank,
Didn't B.B.King have some influence on Elvis as well?
At least, that's what I've always read from B.B's perspective, concerning blues, soul, country and even a little gospel music. 🎶
Appreciate the post! 🎸🤘
Isaiah 🙂
Hi, Isaiah
Pure & simple - B.B. influenced EVERYONE, and don't forget to add Jazz phrasing to that list!
B.B.'s sound is based more on the Major Pentatonic scale than the Blues scale, which is a hexatonic minor pentatonic scale with a b5th added (so, 1, b3, 4, b5, 5, b7).
B.B. even has a major pentatonic pattern on the guitar neck named after him (the "B.B. Box").
That major pentatonic sound that he mixed with more traditional Blues riffs helped give him his signature "sweet as honey" melodic phrasing, along with his insanely excellent and uncopyable "hummingbird" finger vibrato!
He was, and still is, the "King of the Blues!" 👑
Rock On! 🤘
Frank 🎸
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I think we need more people like him around today!!
I fully agree, Siobhan! 👍👍😎
Frank 🎸