Real Texas Blues
I enjoy a lot of different genres of music but one I haven’t revealed to you is Texas Blues. Yes, there are blues and then there are Texas Blues.
Let me explain.
Texas Blues is a sub category of blues that first started appearing in the early 1900’s in labor camps, farms, ranches and oilfield camps in Texas. Blind Lemon Jefferson was among the first in the style and he set the standards for what was to follow. Some who did follow were Lightin’ Hopkins and T-Bone Walker. Texas Blues was played in Houston, Galveston, and Dallas. The Balinese Club in Galveston was a favorite of Texas Blues performers and blues afecionados.
Of all genres of music, Texas Blues would be the one I just could not do without. It’s real. The lyrics tell a story. Doesn’t get much better than that.
I have a large office downstairs that is my ‘inside’ manspace. Sometimes after I’ve had a productive day, I’ll tune in to Some Texas Blues and turn the speakers up, enjoy a cup of coffee or a cold beverage, and relax to Stevie Ray Vaughn playing Texas Flood or Freddy King and his ‘Hideaway’. If you stay to the end and listen to Stevie Ray, you will understand why I do that on occasion.
All those early pioneers are great and we all know that, but the Texas Blues I remember most are those that hit Austin in the late 1960’s and 70’s including Johnny and Edgar Winter, Jimmy Vaughn, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and ZZ Top.
Muddy Waters Hootchie Coochie Man
Freddy King aka The Texas Cannonball
Here is a lesson from Stevie Ray Vaughn
Come back to this Freddy King song when you have 8 minutes. Drink a cup of coffee and just sit back and listen. THIS is what I’m talkin’ about when I say Texas Blues.
Same thing here. Wait until you have time to listen to Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughn
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I can’t believe I’ve known you for 40+ years and yet we never discussed “the blues.” I started listening to John R. from WLAC in Nashville in 1956–57 or so. Then there was
KNOK 970 & KRZY 730 in Dallas-Ft. Worth that played
lots of Blues. WRR 1310 (1st radio station in TX–and was owned by City of Dallas) had ol’ Jim Lowe & the Katz Karavan show every nite @ 10pm. He played lots of Blues & I loved it.
BTW, Jim Lowe was the voice of Big TEX at State Fair for
many, many years….He started out at KXOL 1360 in Ft. Worth, and was a DFW radio tradition!! Lots of Blues originated on the ships bringing folks over against their will, and in the (cotton) fields of hard labor. And, of course, it was often mixed with Gospel! Thanks David–good one.