Chapter 2: Genres and styles

Swamp blues

     Swamp blues, sometimes the Excelled sound, is a sub-genre of blues music and a variation of Louisiana blues that developed around Baton Rouge in the 1950s and which reached a peak of popularity in the 1960s. It generally has a slow tempo and incorporates influences from other genres of music, particularly the regional styles of zydeco and Cajun music. Its most successful proponents included Slim Harpo and Lightning' Slim, who enjoyed a number of rhythm and blues and national hits and whose work was frequently covered by bands of the British Invasion.

     Swamp blues is a laid-back, slow tempo, and generally more rhythmic variation of Louisiana blues, that incorporates influences from New Orleans blues, zydeco, soul music and Cajun music. It is characterized by simple but effective guitar work and is heavily influenced by the boogie patterns used on Jimmy Reed records and the work of Lightning ' Hopkins and Muddy Waters. The sound of swamp blues was characterized by "eerie echo, shuffle beats, tremolo guitars, searing harmonica and sparse percussion".

      The origins of swamp blues were based around the Louisiana state capital of Baton Rouge and particularly associated with the record producer J. D. "Jay" Miller. In the 1950s Miller realized that many blues artists around the city had not been recorded and rectified this, distributing the results through Excelled Records in Nashville, Tennessee. In the 1950s Miller realized that many blues artists around the city had not been recorded and rectified this, distributing the results through Excelled Records in Nashville, Tennessee. The most successful and influential artist with whom he worked was guitarist and harmonica player Slim Harpo. His tracks included "I'm a King Bee" (1957), "I Got Love If You Want It" (1957) and "Rainin' in My Heart" (1961), which were all hits on the R&B Chart. is biggest hit was a version of "Baby Scratch My Back" which reached the Billboard Top 20 in 1966. Other major artists included Lightning' Slim, Lazy Lester, Silas Hogan, Lonesome Sundown and piano player Katie Webster. A number of their tracks, particularly those of Slim Harpo, were covered by British Invasion bands, including the Rolling Stones, The Kinks and the Yard birds. The popularity of the genre faded in the 1970s, with many swamp bluesmen turning to zydeco which remained popular with black audiences.

Texas blues

     Texas blues is a subgenre of blues. It has had various style variations but typically has been played with more swing than other blues styles.

     Texas blues differs from styles such as Chicago blues in its use of instruments and sounds, especially the heavy use of the guitar. Musicians such as Stevie Ray Vaughan contributed by using various types of guitar sounds like southern slide guitar and different melodies of blues and jazz. Texas blues also relies on guitar solos or "licks" as bridges in songs.

     Texas Blues began to appear in the early 1900s among African Americans who worked in oilfields, ranches and lumber camps. In the 1920s, Blind Lemon Jefferson innovated the style by using jazz-like improvisation and single string accompaniment on a guitar; Jefferson's influence defined the field and inspired later performers, like Lightning' Hopkins, Lil' Son Jackson, and T-Bone Walker.