For a generation so deeply and tragically entrenched in history – stretching back one and a half centuries- the blues find itself in a defiantly rude state of health in 2020. The world is a very different place now, and is still far from perfect, though truth be told the potency of pentatonic scales, 12-bar blues and flat fives to the human ear has never waned, largely thanks to musicians keeping this form of expression alive. For this month’s special, we wanted to celebrate players who have been doing precisely that – whether it be dedicating their lives to faithful recreations of the sounds of the past or finding new ways to reinvent a very classic formula by introducing country, jazz or hip-hop tonalities. As an art, the blues have never been more diverse and musically rich, which means there’s no shortage of sounds and talent to take inspiration from.

ARTIST PROFILE: JOE BONAMASSA

The New York Blues master has spent his life paying dues to the originals who inspired him, even as he gradually transitions into becoming one of the genre’s elder statesmen...

Where would the blues be without Joe Bonamassa? It’s hard to say, but there’s no denying the 42-year old virtuoso has dedicated his life to the cause, starting out as a young prodigy mentored by the likes of B.B. King and Danny Gatton to eventually becoming the blues giant we know today. Responsible for some of the most jaw-dropping techniques and tones in the entire history of the genre, it’s JoBo’s attention to detail that has ultimately paved his way to global domination. That said, he’d be the first to tell you he wouldn’t have gotten here without his heroes... “Albert, Freddie and BB were the archetypes for modern electric blues,” he tells us. “They wrote the playbook and we’re all using those same licks now. But they were inventions back then. Just look at how B.B. was able to identify himself with one note! There are those early live recordings from the early 60s- Live At The Regal, Blues Is King – That reverb-drenched stereo Gibson sound. That was the archetype for electric blues for me. Coupled with the material and his singing, it was a tour de force. And so powerful. Albert was a soul singer and had about ten distinguishing riffs. But he was able to use them in such a devastating way...You always know when it’s Albert King. And then Freddie was the scorpion, he would tear your face off with treble and play with bad intentions, you know? They don’t call them the three kings for nothing!”

ARTIST PROFILE: SAMANTHA FISH

Born & Raised in Kansas city, Samantha Fish has become a modern master of all things Southern and swampy, whisking us away with their tantalizing roots rock.

“I really mean it when I’m saying it...And ultimately that’s the most important aspect of the blues. I remember years back, I got into some serious hand trouble because I was holding my guitar too aggressively and kinda strangling it!

Using a lighter touch didn’t seem to match the feeling of my music, when I’m on stage, I’m feeling really passionate about what I’m doing. So, the answer was to find somewhere in the middle...There’s a balance between emotion and keeping the fuckin’ thing in tune. The pentatonic scale is the most important thing to play rock and blues music.

You think about it a lot at first but the further you go, the less you need to because it becomes ingrained. I’ve actually found there are more right notes than wrong notes on the guitar. If you hit a wrong one, bend it into something better. I’m kinda obsessed with that whole North Mississippi sound, but I also have more modern blues heroes, too. I think Jack White is one hell of a blues player, but he doesn’t get a lot of recognition in the blues because he’s considered more contemporary rock. Everything he does is blues and has introduced that sound to a new generation. He evolved it which is so important to perpetuate the genre. Same as Dan Auerbach or Gary Clark Jr. – They’re all just moving it forwards in new ways. I also love Derek Trucks. Nobody sounds like him in the world. You just know... And that’s what I aspire towards.”

ARTIST PROFILE: JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR

One of the UK’s top contributions to the new wave of blues players, Joanne Shaw Taylor insists her playing is an amalgamation of different styles and genres...

West Midlands prodigy Joanne Shaw Taylor has gone from being one of the most exciting blues newcomers and lead guitarist in Annie Lennox’s band to one of the genre’s most respected players, having linked a major deal for last year’s sixth album Reckless Heart. That said, she hasn’t forgotten where she came from, swearing by her very first electric (a 1966 Fender Esquire bought on Denmark Street) above all else. “I don’t think I’m a traditionalist, But I would say that I’m pushing boundaries like Jack White,” she once admitted. “I think I’m a mixture of influences. I’m not predominantly a blues player, but obviously that’s a huge influence on me. There’s the rock and classic rock – Free, Paul Kossoff, Gary Moore, Clapton and all kinds of 60s stuff. It gives you a nice area to draw from. As a songwriter, I listen to a lot of different stuff, soul, Prince, Motown. I try to include everything into my style.”

ARTIST PROFILE: KING SOLOMON HICKS

Despite being only 25 years old, King Solomon Hicks has been active on the New York blues scene for a decade. Here’s what he learned...

“I’ve had a lot of mentors in my life. New York City and Harlem isn’t really a big Blues town compared to Chicago or Texas or Memphis, so a lot of my inspiration came from listening to records. Thanks to YouTube I’ve spent countless hours watching the three Kings, as well as some modern players who are equally amazing, like Eric Gales, Joanne Shaw Taylor or Tyler Bryant. I guess the only real way to play the blues is to live it. I know that’s a funny thing to say – obviously the original guys went through a much rougher time in history. Practicing and listening to the right records is great but there’s nothing like going through your own heartbreak. Being in New York, there’s a lot of jazz here, and though I try not to think about the harmonies and chromaticism too much, I guess it still comes out.

You can take a lick and descend or ascend chromatically, even if it’s not necessarily in key. There are lots of ways to stretch the pentatonic scale out that way to give it new flavors, bending notes here and there. I also like using my thumb like Wes Montgomery did for warmer tone with less bite.”

ARTIST PROFILE: ERIC GALES

If anyone has a chance of stealing Joe Bonamassa’s crown who JoBo himself called “One of, if not the best players in the world...”

“I am quite fond of runs in fives, for some reason. Though it’s an odd number and people think fours make more sense, it can sound more unique. And actually, if you blend fours and fives, it won’t sound repetitive. I like skipping between five to four, to two to three and mixing them all up with no particular pattern. That’s what will make your riff or lick sound a bit different. I can’t necessarily take credit for that – I attribute it to listening to guys like Frank Marino, Eric Johnson and SRV. Eric Johnson in particular has a way of doing it that really rubbed off onto me. As for other things I do to sound more unique and less predictable, I like to throw some less obvious scales and chords into my arsenal. I can’t say I always 100% know what mode or scale I’m playing; I just know if it sounds good. That’s why I leave it up to you guys at Total Guitar to put a name to it all – like using E Phrygian Dominant over A blues! I like mixing different recipes together. For the extended chords that all came from listening to gospel cats especially keyboard and organ players who use a lot of passing chords. These clusters have been hugely inspirational to me. I wanted to try and incorporate it into my guitar and somehow it worked out pretty damn good for me. When I’m at home, I try to go to church every Sunday and listen to more chords. It’s a great reference point for me. I like picking out the modes and embellishments because they sound amazing to me. Ultimately, you can only find out by trying. Being afraid to try is not going to help you expand. I’ve paid attention to different styles, from jazz to country to rock to gospel. They all bring nuances to my own playing. All of my music comes within...I’ve been through quite a bit of stuff; I play from that vantage pint and it gets pretty deep. There are never any lies within me. Hopefully it shows!”

ARTIST PROFILE: CHRISTONE KINGFISH INGRAM

The extremely young yet equally talented Mississippi native who’s making a name for himself by squaring up to the big guns. Meet your new favorite blues prodigy...

As well as contemporary heroes like Gary Clark Jr. and Lauryn Hill, there was one lesser known name credited as a guest musician in the liner notes of Eric Gales’ Middle Of The Road album – generally considered the best blues release of 2017. That name was Christone Kingfish Ingram, who despite being only 16 years old at the time of recording his contributions for the track Help Yourself, played with the conviction and authority of an old blues master, much like Gales himself. He’s been spotted promoting the new Vintera series by Fender covering Screamin’ Jay Hawkins hit I Put A Spell On You on a Seafoam Green Strat. And as far as promotional material goes, they couldn’t have picked a better rising star to help translate their legacy to modern players. Hailing from Clarksdale – the birthplace of blues heroes like Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters- he’s a guitarist that looks set to carry on the traditions of old into an incredibly bright future.

ARTIST PROFILE: ANA POPOVIC

Serbian-born, American-based blues ace Ana Popovic’ believes the secret to great blues is “Trying to stay within the boundaries, while also pushing the limits to introduce something new...”

“That sounds tricky, right? There are limitations to what you can do because the essence if the blues (I-IV-V and the pentatonic scale) is the tradition. And if you alter that too much it will turn into something else. But there’s a lot you can do to sound more unique. I might switch from using a plectrum to fingerstyle to ‘feel’ the notes a little more and find the right texture. I might pick up a slide, having learned a lot from Elmore James, Roy Rogers or Johnny Winter. Or I might introduce outside notes into my pentatonic framework, using all kinds of notes through 9s, flat 9s, 6ths, flat 6ths, major 7s. I might use the altered scale on any 5th chord. I find the ‘approach note pattern’ in the bebop style or in the form of a bend or landing on the note can add to sounding unconventional and unexpected.

But most importantly, I never actually think of the scale when I play. I think of the moods and essence of the song and the groove. So, my tips would be think less and let your inner–self do the talking in order for you to find your own signature style.”

ARTIST PROFILE: DEREK TRUCKS

Derek Trucks might just be the king of modern slide guitar, a player who has channeled the spirit and technique of his hero Duane Allman into something distinctly his own...

Considered by many to be the greatest slide player alive right now, it should come as no surprise that Derek Truck’s earliest musical memory was hearing Duane Allman on The Allman Brothers first live album At Fillmore East, as well as the slide pioneer’s contributions on Layla And Other Assorted Loves Songs by Derek And The Dominos. There was something about the power of a slide guitar, he once told this magazine, it’s ability to emulate the human voice. A big part of that came down to the microphones available to slide players – these notes in between the semitone divisions across the fretboard. “There’s no distinction between one note and the next: your hearing every inflection in between,” he once noted, while also admitting picking up a slide came with its own unique challenges. “I think it’s a lot harder to bullshit people as a slide player, as opposed to straight playing because it’s so raw and honest. Y’know, you can sit in a room, practice all day, learn your scales and blaze blues riffs: It’s easy to hide behind that. But I think with the slide, it’s a little bit tougher. And I’ve certainly heard people play that are bullshitting!”

ARTIST PROFILE: DAN PATLANSKY

Few can rival South African singer-songwriter ace Dan Patlansky when it comes to that angrier, SRV-inspired Texan style blues...

“Through my teen years all I listened to was SRV. I wanted to sound like him, dress like him, I wanted to be him. And I don’t regret that phase at all, it became the foundation of my playing, a more aggressive and relentless take on the blues. I noticed after a while that the faster I played, the more my picking hand would start locking up. It’s a natural human reaction because your brain is telling you that you are doing something intense. As soon as your picking hand starts locking up, all fluidity goes out of the window. You won’t have that natural flow. Thankfully, there are definitely shortcuts that make it easier. I looked into what SRV was doing and even faster guys like Yngwie Malmsteen, and the one thing they have in common was a very loose picking hand. SRV looks like he’s hacking the guitar in half, but if you focus in on what his right hand was actually doing, it was relaxed. For years, I battled to get my speed and tone up to scratch. In photos I would notice my right hand looking stiff as a board. That was my lightbulb moment. I got into hybrid picking—using a mix of pick and middle finger for faster runs. It’s almost like having two picks instead of one! How I learned the technique was arpeggiating basic chords with hybrid picking, it really woke up my right hand and made it so much more natural.”

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CREDITS: Total Guitar Magazine