Blues Techniques : Instruments : Rhythm : Other Styles

Memphis Blues influenced both the jug band and the lead guitar solo of rock & roll bands. Like the jug band, Memphis Blues originally used homemade instruments to produce a jazzy sound, accompanied by singing. Bands would assign solos to guitarists, a tradition that has also become part of modern day blues. The origins of Memphis blues stem from the medicine show and vaudeville traditions of the 1920s and 30s. After World War II, this form featured boisterous drumming and electric guitar, and loud, melodramatic words.

Musicians:

• Big Walter Horton
• Walter Vinson
• Raymond Hill
• Willie Nix