[vikesfan]

Some of my favorites:

Mighty Sam McClain - Journey
Roomful of Blues - There Goes the Neighborhood
Luther Allison - Blue Streak
Kirk Fletcher - Shades of Blue
Smokin Joe Kubek and B'Nois King - All of them are quite good
Joe Bonamassa - a true guitar wizard
James Soldberg - L.A. Blues (used to play with Luther Allison)

Check this cruise out - always wanted to go but need to convince the better half...
http://www.bluescruise.com/

[jimdgoulding]

Smokin Joe, Roomful.  Seem em twice.  Love em.  Good recs.

[mca]

This is a quote from Amazon and I fully agree!

I simply can't believe that almost nobody has ever heard of this effort by the Gales Brothers. I have some of Eric's and some of Jimmy's music but had never heard of this one. Didn't even know there were more Gales who played guitar. This is a really solid rockin' blues album from start to finish and I can't see anyone being disappointed in it. These type albums with multiple family members are sometimes not what you'd hope for, but this one is a winner.

[EDS_]

This is a quote from Amazon and I fully agree!

I simply can't believe that almost nobody has ever heard of this effort by the Gales Brothers. I have some of Eric's and some of Jimmy's music but had never heard of this one. Didn't even know there were more Gales who played guitar. This is a really solid rockin' blues album from start to finish and I can't see anyone being disappointed in it. These type albums with multiple family members are sometimes not what you'd hope for, but this one is a winner.

That album kicks it hard.

[EDS_]

It's great for me to know that so many of you guys are down with blues.  I didn't know.  It was the music I grew up on along with R&B groups a lot of whom recorded on Atlantic.  Federal was another.  Hank Ballard and the Midnighters were one on that label.  Duke had solo artists Junior Parker and Bobby Bland, Johnnie Ace and others.  And don't forget King Records!  Used to go to the Dallas Sportatorium and see R&B reviews when I was in the 6th grade.  This was in the day of segregation and the best seating section was reserved for colored folks.  Blues and R&B was THE youth music in Dallas in those days.  Freddie King was a local hero.  Saw Howlin Wolf when I was 15 at a BYOB dance hall in Fort Worth.  I remember him on the dance floor, flat on his back, singing and playing.  And that's where all the patrons were, too.  Lookin around, I remember seeing empty tables with ladies purses and whiskey bottles unattended.  Gotta tell ya this . . saw Albert Collins outside on a patio at a joint in Fort Worth that wouldn't seat more than about 40 people (this was later).  He passed thru the crowd on his way to the stage, touching everybody as he went, plugged in and proceeded to burn that motherjumper to the ground!  Son Seals at Blues on 28th St. in New York.  With a horn section.  I remember the sound being excellent (by that time I was paying attention to things like that).  Ok, ok, I'll get outta here.  Got tons of memories.  Thanks for the blues!

Jim,
My mom has told me that back in the day Dallas/Fort Worth was not only a haven for live blues music but also for jazz.  I'm green with envy that you saw Wolf and Albert "I ain't drunk, I'm just drinkin'" Collins live.  Obviously way back Big D was a serious blues town.  Blind Lemon Jefferson, Leadbelly, with Robert Johnson stopping in too.

A good number of years back while visiting some friends in Galveston we heard an ancient black man playing an acoustic guitar face up in his lap.  He sang old "Negro Spirituals" and delta-ish bluesy country.  Listening to that man was like traveling back in time. 

[mtodde]

Check out Chicken Shack & the early Fleetwood Mac; there is a nice box set of the Complete Blue Horizon Recordings that I love.  It includes Blues Jam in Chicago - if you have a turntable look you NEED the reissue LP.

Howlin' Wolf's Moanin in the Moonlight is an absolute classic.  His Chess material is a must have.  The chemistry he & Hubert Sumlin had was special. 

Its hard to go wrong with John Lee Hooker.  It Serves You Right to Suffer, Burning Hell & his Newport concert are among my favorites.  The Healer is good but it isn't the classic John Lee to me...still the duet with Bonnie Raitt is pretty special.

[mojoman]

Tyson, if you haven't spent all you money yet, here are few blues albums I'd recommend.

The Nighthawks - Open All Night - A classic from 1976 and still kicks ass today.

Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers - Empty Arms Motel - Killer blues/rock start to finish from the original Nighthawks lead guitarist. Some great covers -Paying the Cost to Be The Boss, Lickin' Gravy, Rude Mood and a great Red House. 

Michael Burks Blues Band - I Smell Smoke or Iron Man - I think this guy is the best electric blues guitarist going today.  See him live if you get the chance! He's a 3 hour performer - that's how long you should be willing to drive to see him play.

Melvin Taylor and the Slack Band - Dirty Pool
Mem Shannon - I'm From Phunkville - CD is worth money for the title track alone.

Lot's of really great recommendations in this thread!

Enjoy!

[Starchild]

There have been a lot of very good recommendations.  The blues albums listed below are some of favorites.  I think most of these have not yet been mentioned.

Bobby Blue Bland & B.B. King - Together for the First Time
Bobby Blue Bland - Blues at Midnight
Joe Williams - Nothin' but the Blues
Mighty Sam McClain -Joy and Pain
Johnny Adams - One Foot in the Blues
Philadelphia Jerry Ricks - Deep in the Well
Philadelphia Jerry Ricks - Many Miles of Blues
Skip James - Hard Time Killing Floor Blues
Little Milton - Stax Profiles
Johnny Nichols - Thrill on the Hill
Jimmy King - Soldier for the Blues
Rev. Gary Davis - Demons and Angels
Homesick James - Goin' Back in the Times
Luther Allison - Hand me down my moonshine
Grayson Capps - If you knew my mind
Otis Rush - Live in San Francisco
Big Mama Thornton - With the Muddy Waters Blues Band 1966 Live

That should keep you groovin' for a while.  You can find previews of all of these albums on  Amazon.

[Thebiker]

One great lady of Blues that I haven't seen mentioned is one of my favorites, Etta James.  This lady puts her heart out there.

Walt

[grillebilly]

Some real heavy hitters have been mentioned. One of my favorites not mentioned is Magic Sam, who was a Chicago area blues guitarist who died very early. He had his own style, which has been emulated by many such as Bobby Radclff, who is freakin' amazing in his own right. Radcliff performed at the Kennedy Center this past summer, and for a white guy really has the vocal part down. You need to check him out. He was on Black Top records, buy they have folded. He has a new record on his own label. I think "Dresses To Short" may be his best. Magic was on Delmark but there are plenty of bootleg recordings floating around.
Also, as far as the old timers go, Lighting Hopkins and Mississippi Fred McDowell are raw, gutsy country blues at its finest.
Bloomfield was mentioned, he was great but some of his records are weak. If you can find any old Barry Goldberg records (keyboards for the Electric Flag) Bloomfieild or Harvey Mandel usually play guitar and they are all good.  Johny Winters' first records on Columbia as well as the earlier Progressive Blues Experiment (also titled Austin, Texas) were a ball of fire. Soulful and smokin'.
Luther Allison was mentioned, highly recommended if you like it fast and loud.
Roy Buchanan and Danny Gatton are two of the best guitarists that ever lived. They both do some blues, but almost anything they do will raise the dead.
Son Seals, Albert Collins, Fenton Robinson, Houndog Taylor, and any other artists on Alligator records are worth checking out, at least. The early releases from Alligator are my faves, but they are all good.
Another favorite is John Hammond jr. Both acoustic and electric, a real talent. His dad may be the most important person ever to make black music available to the white masses. A good man.
That ought to be enough for a while.

I see Magic Sam was mentioned, my apology to poster.