Essential Listening: Buddy Guy
I am the easiest person to shop for and at the same time it’s impossible to surprise me.
The other day at work a co-worker asked me to stop by her desk because she had something for me. She showed me her copy of Buddy Guy’s Bring ‘Em In, asking me if I’d like to borrow it. I politely told her I bought that one the day it came out two years ago. She laughed as she told me how much she and one of her daughters loved the record. My response? If you like that, I’ve got some Buddy Guy you’ve got to hear.
Right now I’m making some copies of some of my favorite Buddy Guy records for them to sample. Naturally I’m going overboard and giving them more than they’ll ever probably listen to but very few things in this world are as much fun for me as sharing my love of music with other people.
In addition to the Buddy Guy, I’m also going to let them check out my favorite electric blues record of all time: Otis Rush’s Right Place, Wrong Time. I’m also going to let them check out my favorite acoustic blues record of all time which coincidentally features the talents of Mr. Guy: Muddy Waters’ Folk Singer album (a 19-year old Guy plays rhythm guitar on that one).
Making all these copies put me in the mood to listen to some of these records myself. Right now I’m listening to what might be my favorite Buddy Guy song ever: “My Time After Awhile.” “My Time” is on his Chess Records compilation Buddy’s Blues as well as Rhino’s The Very Best of Buddy Guy. This song is good enough to merit purchasing either record. The Rhino compilation gives you some cuts from before and after his run at Chess which is a good thing because Guy did good work during those years. The Chess compilation is narrower in its focus but probably has more of Guy’s best work. Those Chess sides are legendary and continue to inspire and amaze four decades later.
Everyone is a winner tonight. I’m revisiting some of my favorite songs and records and a family is about to get a proper introduction to one of the great artists of the last 100 years.
Filed under: Tags: Bloggin' the Blues
