It could be said that blues guitar came of age during the 1970s, the beginning of the Contemporary Era in blues music. To a great extent, the guitar became so firmly identified with blues that former lead instruments such as harmonica and piano would be forced to take a back seat as blues music developed and championed its own hierarchy of six-string idols. Each of these six talented guitarists helped bring the guitar to prominence in the blues, and several of them are still influencing the direction of blues and rock music today.
Albert Collins
Photo courtesy Blues Boulevard
Albert Collins was a unique stylist and an incendiary live performer whose appeal jumped across the aisle from fans of houserockin' Texas blues to include many followers in the world of rock 'n' roll. Influencing talents as diverse as Jimi Hendrix, Robert Cray, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Collins – known as the "Ice Man" – rode high during the 1980s blues revival, ensuring his place in music history.
Duke Robillard
Photo courtesy Stony Plain Records
Duke Robillard is one of the few contemporary instrumentalists conversant in both blues and jazz, not to mention rockabilly and roots rock. Robillard began playing professionally in the mid-1960s, and was a founding member of Roomful of Blues before launching his solo career. A brief tenure with the Fabulous Thunderbirds only added to his reputation. Acclaimed as a musician, bandleader, producer, and songwriter, Robillard is the consummate blues artist.
Lonnie Brooks
Photo courtesy Alligator Records
Lonnie Brooks forged a distinctive style that is often described as "voodoo blues," mixing elements of R&B, Chicago blues, Memphis soul, and Cajun music into an intoxicating brew. One of the most popular performers on the Chicago blues scene, Brooks also remains in demand on the festival circuit. Both of Brooks' sons – Wayne Baker Brooks and Ronnie Baker Brooks – are full-time musicians with their own blues bands, and they often appear onstage with their father.
Luther Allison
Photo courtesy Ruf Records
Because he all but disappeared from the American blues scene for almost 20 years, Luther Allison has never received the respect nor the recognition he deserves for his contributions to the blues. Honing his skills in the fire that was the late-1950s/early-1960s Chicago blues scene, Allison's hot-blooded fretwork and soulful vocals would make him a favorite among young rock 'n' roll audiences. Allison's music, especially his "take no prisoners" guitar style, effectively bridged the gap between traditional blues and rock music during the latter part of the '60s.
Robert Cray
Photo courtesy Vanguard Records
Robert Cray was an esteemed blues guitarist long before a mid-1980s breakthrough that saw his soulful guitar style splashed across television screens playing MTV, making his bones performing behind the mercurial blues guitar legend Albert Collins as part of his touring band. Although many blues purists resented his seemingly "overnight success" when Cray's 1986 album Strong Persuader went Platinum, the truth is that Cray helped to popularize the blues at a time that the genre was floundering.
Son Seals
Photo courtesy Alligator Records
Frank "Son" Seals was a talented showman and fiery guitarist that many fans believe to be the best bluesman of the 1970s. Even as blues music was being eclipsed by the commercial growth of R&B and funk and, later, the dancefloor appeal of disco, Seals continued to stay true to his uncompromising vision of guitar-driven blues. A gruff vocalist and raw, electrifying performer, Seals' weapon was his mastery of the almighty guitar riff, which attracted an audience weaned on 1960s-era blues-rock.
