A ROOM WITH A VIEW OF THE BLUES
by Richard Ludmerer

Favorite Vinyl that made me love The Blues
These albums are not supposed to be the best blues albums of all time
They are albums in my collection that influenced me and made me love the blues

1. Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee The Keys to the Highway World Pacific Records
   I had always been a lover of folk music and loved Mississippi John Hurt and The Reverend Gary Davis. They occupied space in my collection with my Ramblin’ Jack Elliot and Dave Van Ronk albums. But it was the sound of the harmonica and guitar interplay of this duo that was to formulate my love for the blues. They are an essential to any collection and any other Piedmont blues pales by comparison.

   2. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band Elektra Records
   I was totally unprepared for what I heard. I was caught up in the folk/country sounds of the times. When I first heard this album I fell in love with Chicago Blues. Why wasn’t I born in Chicago?  Mike Bloomfield became my first guitar hero.

   3. Fathers and Sons Chess Records
   I loved the blues, but the doses of Muddy I was getting weren’t yet sinking in. He was too much of a man. I wasn’t ready. Then came this album. Paul Butterfield formerly introduced Muddy to me.

   4. Buddy Guy and Junior Wells Play the Blues Atlantic Records
   I always liked them. Then when I saw the credits I purchased the album. Eric Clapton was on guitar.
   I was only remotely interested in him at the time but it was the clincher that made me purchase the album. It was the one of the best albums I ever bought. Eric was a backup musician to the original blues bothers. More soul than I ever bargained for and I developed great respect for Eric.

   5. John Hammond Big City Blues Vanguard Records
   In the folk music world if you could emulate the acoustic blues sound you where accepted. John sounded exactly like the masters. It wasn’t until John did Big City Blues that he found his real voice, a gem.

   6. The Sir Douglas Quintet Mendocino Smash Records
   An original blues band.  Much more than I ever bargained for, they are my favorite group of all time, blues (except for “Texas Me”) with jazzy spaced out arrangements.  Their follow up albums are among my most cherished.  The Last Real Texas Blues Band was actually this group reunited with the original horn section. Doug Sahm provided great music until his death and I surely miss him.

   7. Canned Heat Cookbook (The Best of Canned Heat) Liberty Records
   An original blues band. Spreading the gospel.

   8. Sam and Dave I Thank You Atlantic Records
   The early Stax sound. They still are the best soul/blues duo ever. Backed by Booker T. and the Mg’s, it doesn’t get better than this.

   9. Delanie and Bonnie, Accept No Substitute Elektra Records
   Male/female harmony duo and a soul/blues sound, Bonnie Bramlett, learned how to be great as a member of the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, but nobody expected this.

   10. Taj Mahal Columbia Records
   A masterpiece, with Ry Cooder and Jesse Ed Davis, recently re-issued. I always loved Taj in a band format. This is his original band outing and his first ever album.

 Favorite Vinyl that made me love The Blues……… by Richard Ludmerer

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