British | All About Blues Music

PAUL LAMB

When Paul Lamb blows his harp, you would never instantly recognise his style, because he can play The Blues every-which-way. From ‘whoopin’ country tunes to blistering runs, with sprays of well-chosen notes spinning off the theme, to down-home boogies and up-tempo rockers, Paul’s accuracy and command of tone make him a phenomenal player. He has…

RONNIE WOOD

Ron Wood is best known as the mirror image of Keef Richard cranking out guitar riffs for The Rolling Stones behind the exuberant Mick Jagger and in front of the inscrutable Charlie Watts, as they continue to fill the world stage. He performed in similar style with The Faces, but outside the lime-light, there is…

OTTILIE PATTERSON

Jazz fans at Chris Barber’s concerts in 1955 were surprised when a tiny, slim girl stepped up to the mic, but when she let loose with her big, soulful Blues voice, they knew they were in the presence of a unique talent. A few years later, patrons of some Chicago South-side Blues clubs had the…

RONNIE LANE

Good-time Blues Rock was one of the offshoots of British music at the end of the 60s, and The Faces were at the forefront of the movement. Bass player and songwriter Ronnie Lane was the heart and soul of the band and when they split, he went on to explore some musical byways of his…

JOE COCKER

Joe Cocker’s rough, testosterone-soaked Soul voice gave us some iconic records in the late 60s and early 70s. Standing at the mic, thrashing and twitching with seemingly uncontrollable passion, his vocals have a rare and beautiful emotional resonance which fills every song he sings, whether a heart-rending ballad, a high-energy rocker or a funky R&B…

DANNY KIRWAN

The first incarnation of Fleetwood Mac was as a hard-rocking Blues band, but when Danny Kirwan joined Peter Green on guitar and contributed his songwriting abilities to the mix, a more complex and mellow blend of music emerged. When Peter left the band, Danny assumed a more central rôle, but his struggle with alcohol, and…

MICK ABRAHAMS

Mick Abrahams is a British Blues-Rock guitarist who was a founding member of stadium band Jethro Tull, in their first incarnation on the late 60s club scene. His desire to follow a path towards progressive Blues led to a split with Ian Anderson, the formation of Mick’s band Blodwyn Pig, and a lifetime of touring…

ALEX HARVEY

All kind of music gushed from the well-spring of the Blues when British kids got hold of it in the early 60s. Starting off playing the songs of Willie Dixon and Jimmy Reed, young guys with guitars and drums picked up the beat and sang about their own lives, and few sang with more drama…

JOOLS HOLLAND

There are not many big bands gigging regularly in Britain these days, but The Rhythm and Blues Orchestra often goes on tour and thrills audiences wherever they go. The band is the brainchild of the versatile pianist and broadcaster Jools Holland, whose BBC programmes are the place to find Blues and Jazz legends, up-and-coming new…

JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR

The Blues springs from some unlikely places these days, and a genteel English suburban neighborhood might seem pretty unlikely. It’s as far from the Delta as you could get, and when you hear blistering Blues licks and heart-rending vocals coming from a pretty girl-next-door type who would look more at home on the cover of…