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Description of Country Blues

 
A general term for the mostly acoustic guitar-driven blues of the southern and midwestern regions of the U.S., Country Blues utilizes everything from early slide guitar to fingerpicking in solo, duo and string band ensembles. Pioneers Skip James, Brownie McGhee, Lead Belly and Lightnin' Hopkins led the way in this now largely defunct style. A later layering of electric guitar enabled a smooth transition into Electric and Modern Country Blues.
 

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Country Blues Key Artists

 
Big Bill Broonzy

Over three decades,
Broonzy applied his fluid
guitar playing and down
home vocals to Acoustic,
Country and Chicago Blue...

Blind Willie McTell

McTell is one of the very
earliest recorded blues
musicians. He was an
excellent acoustic player
and singer. McTell could r...

Leadbelly

Generally considered the
first blues artist to have a
substantial white audience,
Leadbelly combined folk
and blues. Leadbelly is am...

Mississippi Sheiks

Active during the '20s and
'30s, the Sheiks combined
folk and blues styles, with
the fiddle featured as lead
instrument.

Robert Pete Williams

Louisiana-based Acoustic
Blues guitar player whose
music reflects the pain and
loneliness of his time spent
in Angola Prison.

Robert Wilkins

Robert Wilkins is one of the
key artists in Memphis Blues
from the 20s and 30s.
Memphis Blues is a style
derived from earlier jug b...

Skip James

Skip James' keening vocal
style and unique
three-finger picking style
were among the first Delta
blues recorded. Nehemia...

Sonny Terry

Saunders Terrell, otherwise
known as Sonny Terry, was
a blues harmonica player
from Greensboro, North
Carolina. Sonny Terry ref...

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