 Unlike a lot of people, I don't proclaim that I like all
sorts of music. I'm unapologetically a fan of blues and rock.
Sure, I like bits and pieces of other styles, but blues and rock are what
I keep coming back to.I'm rarely without my music. Because I've
ripped my entire CD collection to MP3s, I enjoy it at home, in the car, at
work, and anywhere I take my MP3 player.
Let's
start with the Blues. There's many varieties. My preference is
guitar-based blues that display musical virtuosity. Some of my
favorites:

Stevie Ray Vaughn
Favorite Album: Couldn't Stand The Weather
Stevie Ray Vaughn was
one of my very first concerts. I was speechless for at least an hour
afterwards. I was lucky enough to see him four times before he died.
The most phenomenal blues player ever. I still get chills listening
to some of his solos.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Favorite Album: Ledbetter Heights
Kenny took a lot of
flack early on for being a Stevie Ray Vaughn rip-off. There are far
worse fates than that comparison at age 18. Kenny's also a
mind-blowing guitarist, and he's branched out beyond the influences of his
first album. I've seen Kenny twice, and both times were stunning.
The second show was awesome because Double Trouble (Stevie Ray's
band) opened the show, and later did an hour encore with him.

Chris Duarte
Favorite Album: Texas Sugar Strat Magic
Like Stevie Ray,
Chris hails from the Austin music scene. His first album (Texas
Sugar) is the most bluesy. When I first heard the lead song, I
thought it was some long lost SRV song. His second album didn't do
so well, but his comeback third album is really great, and expands beyond
the SRV sound.

Buddy Guy
Favorite Album: Damn Right, I've Got the Blues
I came to Buddy
from the back way. In all my reading about Stevie, Buddy Guy kept
popping up as an influence. This album won a grammy, and
there's not a bad song on it.

Some other favorite blues artists:
Eric Clapton
George Thorogood
Storyville
Arc Angels
The Hoax
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