Editing Swamp blues

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{short description|Music genre; form of Louisiana blues}}
{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Swamp blues
| stylistic_origins = {{hlist|[[Blues]]|[[Cajun music]]|[[Creole music]]|[[country blues]]|[[Louisiana blues]]|[[zydeco]]}}
| cultural_origins  = 1950s, [[Louisiana]], U.S.
| derivatives       = {{Hlist|[[Swamp pop]]|[[swamp rock]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.liveabout.com/what-is-swamp-rock-2522008 |title=What Is Swamp Rock? A look at this Southern mix of country, funk, and soul |last=Fontenot |first=Robert  |date=February 24, 2019 |publisher=Liveabout |access-date=November 9, 2022}}</ref>}}
}}

'''Swamp blues''' is a type of [[Louisiana blues]] that developed in the Black communities of [[Southwest Louisiana]] in the 1950s.<ref name=":0">Malone, Evelyn Levingston, "Swamp Blues: Race And Vinyl From Southwest Louisiana" (2016). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 2457. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2457</ref> It incorporates influences from other genres, particularly [[zydeco]] and [[Cajun music|Cajun]]. Its most successful proponents include [[Slim Harpo]] and [[Lightnin' Slim]], who enjoyed national [[rhythm and blues]] hits.

==Characteristics==
[[File:Lazy Lester in 2004.jpg|thumb|[[Lazy Lester]] in 2004]]
Swamp blues has a laid-back, slow tempo, and generally is a more rhythmic variation of [[Louisiana blues]], incorporating influences from [[New Orleans blues]], [[zydeco]], [[soul music]] and [[Cajun music]].<ref>Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music. Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 161. {{ISBN|1-904041-96-5}}.</ref> It is characterized by simple but effective guitar work and is influenced by the [[boogie]] patterns used on [[Jimmy Reed]] records and the work of [[Lightnin' Hopkins]] and [[Muddy Waters]].<ref>{{Cite web | first = Cub | last = Koda | author-link = Cub Koda | title = Swamp blues | work = [[AllMusic]] | url = http://www.allmusic.com/explore/style/swamp-blues-d3242 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20101018163455/http://www.allmusic.com/explore/style/swamp-blues-d3242| url-status = live| archive-date =October 18, 2010}}.</ref> The sound of swamp blues was characterized by "eerie echo, shuffle beats, tremolo guitars, searing harmonica and sparse percussion".<ref name=Unterbergeretal1999p175>R. Unterberger, S. Hicks and J. Dempsey, ''Music USA: the Rough Guide'' (London: Rough Guides, 1999), {{ISBN|1-85828-421-X}}, p. 175.</ref>

==History==
Swamp blues originated in the Black communities of Southwest Louisiana in the 1950s<ref name=":0">Malone, Evelyn Levingston, "Swamp Blues: Race And Vinyl From Southwest Louisiana" (2016). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 2457. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2457</ref> and was particularly associated with record producer [[J. D. "Jay" Miller]].<ref name=Unterbergeretal1999p175/> In the 1950s, Miller recorded many blues artists around the city, distributing their recordings through [[Excello Records]] in [[Nashville]], Tennessee.<ref name=Herzhaft1997pp140-4>G. Herzhaft, ''Encyclopedia of the Blues'', trans B. Debord (University of Arkansas Press, 2nd ed., 1997), {{ISBN|1-55728-452-0}}, pp. 140–4.</ref> The most successful and influential artist with whom he worked was guitarist and harmonica player [[Slim Harpo]].<ref name="Music">{{cite book
| first= Paul
| last= Du Noyer
| year= 2003
| title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music
| edition= 1st
| publisher= Flame Tree Publishing
| location= Fulham, London
| isbn= 1-904041-96-5
| page= 162}}</ref> Other major artists included [[Lightnin' Slim]], [[Lazy Lester]], [[Silas Hogan]], [[Lonesome Sundown]],<ref name=Unterbergeretal1999p175/> and piano player [[Katie Webster]].<ref name=Herzhaft1997pp140-4/> A number of their songs, particularly those of Slim Harpo, were covered by [[British Invasion]] bands, including the [[Rolling Stones]], [[The Kinks]] and the [[The Yardbirds|Yardbirds]].<ref name=Bogdanov2003AMLouisianBlues>R. Unterberger, "Louisiana blues", in V. Bogdanov, C. Woodstra, S. T. Erlewine, eds., ''All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues'' (Milwaukee, WI: Backbeat Books, 3rd ed., 2003), {{ISBN|0-87930-736-6}}, pp. 687–8.</ref> The popularity of the genre faded in the 1970s, with many swamp bluesmen turning to [[zydeco]] which remained popular with black audiences.<ref name=Herzhaft1997pp140-4/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{blues}}
{{Louisianarootsmusic}}

[[Category:Blues music genres]]
[[Category:Music of Louisiana]]