Editing Blues (section)

===1950s===
The transition from country blues to urban blues that began in the 1920s was driven by the successive waves of economic crisis and booms that led many rural blacks to move to urban areas, in a movement known as the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]]. The long [[post–World War II economic expansion|boom following World War II]] induced another massive migration of the African-American population, the [[Second Great Migration (African American)|Second Great Migration]], which was accompanied by a significant increase of the real income of the urban blacks. The new migrants constituted a new market for the music industry. The term ''[[race record]]'', initially used by the [[music industry]] for [[African-American]] music, was replaced by the term ''[[rhythm and blues]]''. This rapidly evolving market was mirrored by ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine's [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|Rhythm & Blues chart]]. This marketing strategy reinforced trends in urban blues music such as the use of electric instruments and [[instrument amplifier|amplification]] and the generalization of the blues beat, the [[blues shuffle]], which became ubiquitous in rhythm and blues (R&B). This commercial stream had important consequences for blues music, which, together with [[jazz]] and [[gospel music]], became a component of R&B.<ref>Pearson, Barry. In ''Nothing but the Blues''. pp. 313–314</ref>

[[File:JohnLeeHooker1997.jpg|thumb|[[John Lee Hooker]]]]

After World War II, new styles of [[electric blues]] became popular in cities such as [[Chicago]],<ref>Komara, p. 118</ref> [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]],<ref>Humphrey, Mark. A. In ''Nothing but the Blues''. p. 179</ref> [[Detroit, Michigan|Detroit]]<ref name="Herzhaft, pg. 53">Herzhaft, p. 53</ref><ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Detroit Ghetto Blues 1948 to 1954|last=Pierson|first=Leroy|publisher=[[Nighthawk Records]]|id=104|year=1976|location=St. Louis|type=LP back cover notes|url=http://www.wirz.de/music/nighthaw/grafik/104b4.jpg}}</ref> and [[St. Louis]]. Electric blues used [[electric guitar]]s, [[double bass]] (gradually replaced by [[bass guitar]]), [[drum kit|drums]], and [[harmonica]] (or "blues harp") played through a microphone and a [[Public address|PA system]] or an [[Distortion (music)|overdriven]] [[guitar amplifier]]. Chicago became a center for electric blues from 1948 on, when [[Muddy Waters]] recorded his first success, "I Can't Be Satisfied".<ref>Humphrey, Mark A. In ''Nothing but the Blues''. p. 180</ref> [[Chicago blues]] is influenced to a large extent by [[Delta blues]], because many performers had migrated from the [[Mississippi]] region.

[[Howlin' Wolf]], Muddy Waters, [[Willie Dixon]] and [[Jimmy Reed]] were all born in Mississippi and moved to Chicago during the Great Migration. Their style is characterized by the use of electric guitar, sometimes slide guitar, harmonica, and a rhythm section of bass and drums.<ref name=pc4>{{Pop Chronicles|4| |Howlin' Wolf & Jimmy Reed}}</ref> The saxophonist [[J. T. Brown (musician)|J. T. Brown]] played in bands led by [[Elmore James]] and by [[J. B. Lenoir]], but the [[saxophone]] was used as a backing instrument for rhythmic support more than as a lead instrument.

[[Little Walter]], [[Sonny Boy Williamson II|Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller)]] and [[Sonny Terry]] are well known harmonica (called "[[Harmonica techniques#Blues harp (2nd position)|harp]]" by blues musicians) players of the early Chicago blues scene. Other harp players such as [[Big Walter Horton]] were also influential. Muddy Waters and Elmore James were known for their innovative use of slide electric guitar. Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters were known for their deep, "gravelly" voices.

The bassist and prolific songwriter and composer [[Willie Dixon]] played a major role on the Chicago blues scene. He composed and wrote many [[blues standard|standard blues]] songs of the period, such as "[[Hoochie Coochie Man]]", "[[I Just Want to Make Love to You]]" (both penned for Muddy Waters), and "[[Wang Dang Doodle]]" and "[[Back Door Man]]" for Howlin' Wolf. Most artists of the Chicago blues style recorded for the Chicago-based [[Chess Records]] and [[Checker Records]] labels. Smaller blues labels of this era included [[Vee-Jay Records]] and [[J.O.B. Records]]. During the early 1950s, the dominating Chicago labels were challenged by [[Sam Phillips]]' [[Sun Records]] company in Memphis, which recorded [[B. B. King]] and Howlin' Wolf before he moved to Chicago in 1960.<ref>Humphrey, Mark A. In ''Nothing but the Blues''. p. 187</ref> After Phillips discovered [[Elvis Presley]] in 1954, the Sun label turned to the rapidly expanding white audience and started recording mostly [[Rock and roll|rock 'n' roll]].<ref>Pearson, Barry. In ''Nothing but the Blues''. p. 342</ref>

In the 1950s, blues had a huge influence on mainstream American [[popular music]]. While popular musicians like [[Bo Diddley]]<ref name="Herzhaft, pg. 53"/> and [[Chuck Berry]],<ref>Herzhaft, p. 11</ref> both recording for Chess, were influenced by the Chicago blues, their enthusiastic playing styles departed from the melancholy aspects of blues. Chicago blues also influenced [[Louisiana]]'s [[zydeco]] music,<ref>Herzhaft, p. 236</ref> with [[Clifton Chenier]]<ref>Herzhaft, p. 35</ref> using blues accents. Zydeco musicians used electric solo guitar and [[cajun]] arrangements of blues standards.

[[File:KeithR2.JPG|thumb|right|250px|[[Keith Richards]] guitarist for [[The Rolling Stones]], Richards was instrumental in bringing blues to the forefront of rock music. Inspired by American bluesmen like [[Muddy Waters]]]]

In England, electric blues took root there during a much acclaimed Muddy Waters tour in 1958. Waters, unsuspecting of his audience's tendency towards [[skiffle]], an acoustic, softer brand of blues, turned up his amp and started to play his Chicago brand of electric blues. Although the audience was largely jolted by the performance, the performance influenced local musicians such as [[Alexis Korner]] and [[Cyril Davies]] to emulate this louder style, inspiring the [[British Invasion]] of the [[Rolling Stones]] and the [[Yardbirds]].<ref>Palmer (1981), pp. 257–259</ref>

In the late 1950s, a new blues style emerged on Chicago's [[West Side, Chicago|West Side]] pioneered by [[Magic Sam]], [[Buddy Guy]], and [[Otis Rush]] on [[Cobra Records]].<ref>Komara, p. 49</ref> The "West Side sound" had strong rhythmic support from a rhythm guitar, bass guitar, and drums and as perfected by Guy, [[Freddie King]], [[Magic Slim]], and [[Luther Allison]], was dominated by amplified electric lead guitar.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/151.html|title=Blues|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Chicago|access-date=August 13, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=West Side Chicago Blues|url=http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=11835|work=All About Jazz|author=Bailey, C. Michael|date=October 4, 2003|access-date=August 13, 2008}}</ref> Expressive [[guitar solo]]s were a key feature of this music.

Other blues artists, such as [[John Lee Hooker]], had influences not directly related to the Chicago style. John Lee Hooker's blues is more "personal", based on Hooker's deep rough voice accompanied by a single electric guitar. Though not directly influenced by boogie-woogie, his "groovy" style is sometimes called "guitar boogie". His first hit, "[[Boogie Chillen]]", reached number 1 on the R&B charts in 1949.<ref>Bjorn, Lars (2001). ''Before Motown''. University of Michigan Press. p. 175. {{ISBN|978-0-472-06765-7}}</ref>

By the late 1950s, the [[swamp blues]] genre developed near [[Baton Rouge]], with performers such as [[Lightnin' Slim]],<ref>Herzhaft, p. 116</ref> [[Slim Harpo]],<ref>Herzhaft, p. 188</ref> [[Sam Myers]] and [[Jerry McCain]] around the producer [[J. D. "Jay" Miller]] and the [[Excello Records|Excello]] label. Strongly influenced by [[Jimmy Reed]], swamp blues has a slower pace and a simpler use of the harmonica than the Chicago blues style performers such as Little Walter or Muddy Waters. Songs from this genre include "Scratch my Back," "She's Tough," and "[[I'm a King Bee]]". [[Alan Lomax]]'s recordings of [[Mississippi Fred McDowell]] would eventually bring him wider attention on both the blues and [[Folk music|folk]] circuit, with McDowell's droning style influencing [[North Mississippi hill country blues]] musicians.<ref name="msbluestrail1">{{cite web|url=http://www.msbluestrail.org/_webapp_1964090/Hill_Country_Blues|title=Hill Country Blues|publisher=Msbluestrail.org|access-date=September 13, 2011}}</ref>