How come we never hear about great Blues drummers?

[Rabrrrrrr]

I've been listening to the Blues channel for about 24 hours, and realized that all the blues people featured are either guitarists are singers. No blues bassists with their own bands, no blues drummers.

Every now and again, maybe a saxomaphone or a harp. But even the harp is most always being played by the singer or the guitarist, not a dedicated "blues harpist".

In fact, I don't know that I've ever heard a blues drum solo, or even a blues bass solo, except maybe a very short one.

But shitloads of blues guitar solos - it's really the only reason to listen to the blues, IMO. And lots of vocal solos, so to speak, and harp solos, though rare.

We hear about great jazz drummers, and great rock drummers. But never blues drummers.

Is it because the blues tends to have such a simple kind of background groove that there's no room for a brilliant drummer? That would be my guess.

[tigereye]

1. blues drumming is harder than one would think...

I can't think of any names offhand.

Maybe because blues drummers aren't as flashy as other types of drummers? I'm betting the drummers for Muddy Waters and BB King, or other great bluesmen were pretty solid players...

check out the drummer site ( I can't think of the url offhand) - I bet you will find some.

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. "flashy" - that's the word I was looking for! I think you're right,

and that's what I was trying to say when I said "simple" - not simplistic, but that if one was a flashy blues drummer, I think it would ruin the song. So I'm not saying the drummers aren't competent as drummers - but, as the word you used, they aren't flashy.

The whole basis of the blues is, basically, non-flashiness, except for a soloist's part.

And being non-flashy, blues drummers will probably never get the kind of public accolades (that is, outside their immediate fan-base) that the great jazz and rock drummers get.

Good word!

[tigereye]

3. drums are a lot harder to play than people think

I get really tired of all those drummer jokes.

My drum teacher and I have agreed that playing the drums is partly like dancing, and partly like math (counting and fitting all the fills in) For me, the highest compliment is that the drumming is "tasty" - as in a good balance of timing and skill.



I was thinking that different types of blues might also have slightly different types of drumining styles, though.

[johnnie]

4. Don't know about drummers, but as for blues bass players

Willie Dixon is sort of a big name in the blues market.

[mitchum]

5. Fred Belew, Sam Lay, Charlie Watts, and John Lee Hooker's feet are all great blues drummers

[Bennyboy]

9. LoL! JL Hooker feet!

[abq e streeter]

6. Kind of surprising about lack of harp players

many are very famous within the blues world....Junior Wells, both Sonny Boy Williamsons, Kim Wilson, Big Walter Horton, Little Walter, Paul Butterfield, Charlie Musselwhite, just to name a few. As far as drummers, good blues drumming is subtle ; not the type of music where the drummer stands out, but a good one is a rare thing to find; a lot of very good drummers really don't understand real blues playing. Otis Spann, the legendary pianist, used to sometimes record as a duo with just himself and S.P. Leary on drums.

[Hand]

7. Insh'Allah. nt

[Taverner]

8. Max Roach

[triguy46]

10. I hate to rain on the parade, but it isn't about the drum...

but smoke racked voices and old beat up guitars, with only a few strings, tuned to the singer's inner feelings, direct wired to life.

[Bluzmann57]

11. Sam Lay and Calvin "Fuzz" Jones

GREAT Blues drummers. Drumming as well as bass playing are art forms which should not be taken lightly. Without rythym sections, Blues music would not be what it is. And it is great.
If you want harp solos, try Charlie Musslewhite, Paul DeLay, Sonny Boy Williamson no. two, Junior Wells, Rod Piazza, Rick Estrin, the list goes on and on. There are some tremendous Blues harp players out there. Hell, there's a guy named "Cadillac" Pete Rahn who is more or less regional and he can really wail on Blues harp. Even Magic Dick who blew harp with the great J.Geils Band was, and is, a tremendous Blues man. look around. You'll find them. Harmonica players as well as drummers. Blues is an art form and guitar is just one part of it. Listen and enjoy.

[bobthedrummer]

12. Just from around Chicago: Willie Smith, Odie Payne, Fred Below, Sam Lay,

Al Jackson, S P Leary, then there's all the other styles and regions throughout history