Sunday, June 23, 2013

RIP Bobby Bland

PICT1619 Bobby by NoVARon
PICT1619 Bobby, a photo by NoVARon on Flickr.

Jerry Mason of the Boogie Report, just posted that the passing of Bobby Bland has been confirmed. Bland was one of the greatest blues singers of the post-war period with a career that started some sixty odd years ago. One of the Beale Streeters with Johnny Ace and others, Bland's made a number of classic recordings for Duke, ABC and Malaco Records that influenced countless blues, rock and soul performers. I was fortunate enough to see him perform over the course of several decades and even if his range lessened over the years, his vocals are models on timing and phrasing that would-be blues singers would do well to study.

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