Acoustic Slide Blues

History

The style developed across the rural South before the recording era, then became central to prewar blues through Delta, Texas, and East Coast recordings. Son House, Blind Willie Johnson, Tampa Red, Bukka White, Robert Johnson, Kokomo Arnold, Blind Willie McTell, and Mississippi Fred McDowell provided major models, later revived by folk festivals, reissue LPs, and acoustic blues teachers. Acoustic Slide Blues influenced electric slide, country slide, dobro playing, blues-rock acoustic sets, and modern roots songwriting.

Defining artists

• Son HouseSpotifyYouTube
• Blind Willie JohnsonSpotifyYouTube
• Tampa RedSpotifyYouTube
• Bukka WhiteSpotifyYouTube
• Robert JohnsonSpotifyYouTube
• Kokomo ArnoldSpotifyYouTube

Essential listening

• Death Letter — Son HouseSpotifyYouTube
• Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground — Blind Willie JohnsonSpotifyYouTube
• It Hurts Me Too — Tampa RedSpotifyYouTube
• Fixin' to Die Blues — Bukka WhiteSpotifyYouTube
• Come On in My Kitchen — Robert JohnsonSpotifyYouTube
• Milk Cow Blues — Kokomo ArnoldSpotifyYouTube

Sources

• Samuel Charters, The Country Blues
• Gayle Dean Wardlow, Chasin' That Devil Music
• Jas Obrecht, Early Blues
• AllMusic