Who Are Your Favorite 3 Black Musicians ? (any kind if music)

[protectionist]

That's the question. Plenty of great ones to choose from. Since some of the knee-jerk race carders around the forum have been calling me a racist , over my defense of Michael Dunn, or more really, just good jurisprudence, I'd thought I'd let them see my impartiality, with one of my favorite subjects >> Music.

As a musician myself, I appreciate all music and musicians, but today on focusing on the black ones and so here are my 3 top picks for musicians. All three are guitarists and singers, and I'm picking them in no particular order. Just 3 guys whose music I love, and I revere, and I play their songs too. And Chuck Berry is the only Rock musician who I have affectionately referred to as "Uncle Chuck" ever since I first met him in person in New York in 1959, and he inspired me to pick up playing the guitar. I started 2 years later, and have been playing ever since. And he's still out there now playing at age 87. Go Uncle Chuck, Go ! We love ya, man!

1. Mississippi John Hurt

2. Chuck Berry

3. Jimi Hendrix

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gytJemzNTM]MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT Lonesome Valley (1965) - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgEc0hzTH7I&list=RD2ykCYwhfdMs]Chuck Berry - Carol - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEq62iQo0eU]Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode live - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Ropey]

Robert Johnson

Walking Blues

[ame=http://youtu.be/4sml8W5SAwo]Robert Johnson - Walking - YouTube[/ame]

Jimi Hendrix

12 String Blues



Muddy Waters

Walkin' Blues

[ame=http://youtu.be/-PzoqIJXZ5s]Muddy Waters - Walkin' Blues - YouTube[/ame]

Muddy's just got it all. Robert had it all and gave it all away to the white boys and Jimi, well Jimi just took it all to another place.

Still, he strode up from the shoulders of the greats.

 

[Mr. H.]

Hmmmm...

Muddy Watters (see above)

Stanley Clarke

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrHRXYIJKSM]Stanley Clarke - Rocks Pebbles and Sand - YouTube[/ame]

Rebop Kwaku Baah

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32OVHskm6Rg]Anthony Reebop Kwaku Baah - Zagapam - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Michelle420]

[ame=http://youtu.be/2UkvsoqnQ2I]Sick Full Length Slash solo - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://youtu.be/quyB8PMTD3o]THIN LIZZY - The Boys Are Back In Town (1976 UK T.O.T.P. TV Appearance) ~ HIGH QUALITY HQ ~ - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://youtu.be/0izjSUqCcSQ]John Coltrane / Johnny Hartman / Lush Life - YouTube[/ame]

 

[protectionist]

Sick Full Length Slash solo - YouTube

THIN LIZZY - The Boys Are Back In Town (1976 UK T.O.T.P. TV Appearance) ~ HIGH QUALITY HQ ~ - YouTube

John Coltrane / Johnny Hartman / Lush Life - YouTube

Gotta love Slash. Too bad about the whole Guns n Roses thing. Maybe somebody should have gotten Axl Rose some counseling before it all got out of hand.

 

[Ropey]

Sick Full Length Slash solo - YouTube

I've always liked Slash but haven't seen that bit of work. He grabbed me at 3:43. I'ma go listen to some more of his stuff tonight.

 

[Michelle420]

Sick Full Length Slash solo - YouTube

I've always liked Slash but haven't seen that bit of work. He grabbed me at 3:43. I'ma go listen to some more of his stuff tonight.

I think after 3:43 is the Godfather theme but not 100% sure

 

[Michelle420]

Sick Full Length Slash solo - YouTube

THIN LIZZY - The Boys Are Back In Town (1976 UK T.O.T.P. TV Appearance) ~ HIGH QUALITY HQ ~ - YouTube

John Coltrane / Johnny Hartman / Lush Life - YouTube

Gotta love Slash. Too bad about the whole Guns n Roses thing. Maybe somebody should have gotten Axl Rose some counseling before it all got out of hand.

Yeah, Axl's a nutter !

 

[Victory67]

Jimmy Hendrix.
Billy Holiday.
Bill Clinton.

 

[protectionist]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrAM31aDon4&feature=kp]Mississippi John Hurt - Payday.wmv - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5Emb0bi0n4]Mississippi John Hurt I'm satisfied - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Steven_R]

Sick Full Length Slash solo - YouTube

THIN LIZZY - The Boys Are Back In Town (1976 UK T.O.T.P. TV Appearance) ~ HIGH QUALITY HQ ~ - YouTube

John Coltrane / Johnny Hartman / Lush Life - YouTube

Gotta love Slash. Too bad about the whole Guns n Roses thing. Maybe somebody should have gotten Axl Rose some counseling before it all got out of hand.

I saw some interview Slash was giving a couple years back. He said that part of what made GnR so great was the simmering tensions and how they had to just fight to get past the dysfunctional relationships. If that dysfunction wasn't there, then maybe Appitite wouldn't have had the edge it needed to be a top-tier album.

On a semi-related note, I saw John and Yoko on a clip from the Dick Cavitt show sometime in the 70s. Dick mentioned something about criticisms of Yoko breaking up the band and John said if Yoko was responsible for breaking up the Beatles, doesn't that also make her responsible for the great music John et al made after the Beatles? I had to stop and think about that for a while and I think he was right.

 

[protectionist]

Sick Full Length Slash solo - YouTube

THIN LIZZY - The Boys Are Back In Town (1976 UK T.O.T.P. TV Appearance) ~ HIGH QUALITY HQ ~ - YouTube

John Coltrane / Johnny Hartman / Lush Life - YouTube

Gotta love Slash. Too bad about the whole Guns n Roses thing. Maybe somebody should have gotten Axl Rose some counseling before it all got out of hand.

I saw some interview Slash was giving a couple years back. He said that part of what made GnR so great was the simmering tensions and how they had to just fight to get past the dysfunctional relationships. If that dysfunction wasn't there, then maybe Appitite wouldn't have had the edge it needed to be a top-tier album.

On a semi-related note, I saw John and Yoko on a clip from the Dick Cavitt show sometime in the 70s. Dick mentioned something about criticisms of Yoko breaking up the band and John said if Yoko was responsible for breaking up the Beatles, doesn't that also make her responsible for the great music John et al made after the Beatles? I had to stop and think about that for a while and I think he was right.

I don't see a thing positive about Axl Rose and the rest of the band separating from each other. As for the Beatles, their break-up was far worse than any benefits that might have arose (if there even were any). I think that most of the fine music they made individually (ex. George Harrison's album All Things Must Pass) would have been made as the Beatles. IMO their break-up might be the # 1 worst thing that ever happened to Rock Music, short of the musicians dying before their time (Hendrix, Elvis, Buddy Holly, John & George, et al). In any case, this thread isn't intended for debating, but rather for everyone to present their likes of black musicians, all in a positive, friendly framework.

Getting back ON TOPIC, I'd like to give one more plug for my much too unrecognized # 1 pick, Mississippi John Hurt..............of whom, literally hundreds of people I met back in the 60s and 70s all seemed to have the exact same words to say about him >> "This is the best guitarist I've ever heard." At the 1963 Newport Folk festival when I saw him play there, he had about 150 albums on sale at his promotional tent (booth). They went untouched for hours before this great incredibly pleasant-sounding guitarist played on stage (and few people knew who he was). After his concert of about 10 songs, those 150 albums sold out in 20 minutes.

http://www.avclub.com/article/great-vintage-blues-15-mississippi-john-hurt-8675

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mississippi-john-hurt-mn0000424019/biography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_John_Hurt

 

[williepete]

B.B. King.
(Got to see him live in Aspen. He and Lucille are a match made in heaven).
Muddy Waters
Nina Simone

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Jimi Hendrix
Louis Armstrong
Nat King Cole

 

[protectionist]

Jimi Hendrix
Louis Armstrong
Nat King Cole

Always loved Nat King's songs. I especially like his rendition of The Christmas Song (AKA "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire").

 

[skye]

I have many favorites.... Ray Charles, Louis Armstrong, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald.... and so many more.

The wonderful Miss Fitzgerald singing "So Near And Yet So Far"

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLdoP4NHDVI]So near and Yet So Far - Ella Fitzgerald - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Connery]

I am color blind when it comes to music. In fact, I close my eyes and let the sounds lift my spirit and take my soul.

 

[Ropey]

I saw some interview Slash was giving a couple years back. He said that part of what made GnR so great was the simmering tensions and how they had to just fight to get past the dysfunctional relationships. If that dysfunction wasn't there, then maybe Appitite wouldn't have had the edge it needed to be a top-tier album.

On a semi-related note, I saw John and Yoko on a clip from the Dick Cavitt show sometime in the 70s. Dick mentioned something about criticisms of Yoko breaking up the band and John said if Yoko was responsible for breaking up the Beatles, doesn't that also make her responsible for the great music John et al made after the Beatles? I had to stop and think about that for a while and I think he was right.

John was an exceedingly bright man. Have you seen the interview when he's asked about some people calling his music noise?

He said, "It's all noise really, isn't it? It's just that some people have a preference for different types of noise."

He had me thinking from an early age.

 

[JWBooth]

Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, George Clinton

Honorable mention:
Grover Washington Jr., Wynton Marsalis, Roberta Flack, Billy Paul, The Spinners, War, Charley Pride

 

[Connery]

I like this one but not because Charles is black his rendition touches me, I cover this as well as does Jann Arden

Ray Charles - You don't know me