Freddie King

[vito]

Well, since Charly is asking for new topics, I'll make my contribution.

Freddie King is probably my favorite blues artist. I can't exactly tell you why, but I hear something different that sets him apart to my ears from all the other blues artists I listen to. He just seems to have more soul, more power, more feeling. More OOMPH.

Does anyone else have a blues artist that sits just a little higher than all the others? Perhaps you can explain it more eloquently than I did.

Don't just HIDE AWAY. Let's get this conversation started.

[tennis_nick]

Freddie King is one of the only Blues artists I'll state as a direct influence. I love his playing, his tone, his liveliness in his music... I can see why Clapton loved him so much.

My dream is to have some Freddie King in my playing. one day I'll post a clip here and you could tell me how close I got!

All the other guys got skills, but Freddie does have something special... one of the only ones I can just always listen too.


Have You ever loved a woman? Love it..

[peewee]

Freddie was also my biggest electric influence next to Jimmie Vaughan who is also heavily influenced by him. If you're a Blues guitarist, you pretty much have to know most if not all of the Let's Hide Away and Dance Away with Freddy King record on King. Tunes like Sen-Sa-Shun, Side Tracked, The Stumble, Heads Up, San-Ho-Zay and of course, Hideaway are practically staples in a lot of circles.

Let's not forget that voice, either; that cat could flat SING! The record Freddy King Sings is another of my favorites, especially Lonesome Whistle Blues.

Freddie was one of the first guys who really messed my head up as a kid. His playing was aggressive and muscular and always directly from the soul. Believe it or not, most of those instrumentals were done on the fly. Although it sounds like he had worked them out beforehand, Jimmie told me once that that was just the way Freddie played...and very LOUDLY. His performances from the old Dallas TV show The!!!Beat with host Hoss Allen are just amazing; if you've never seen them, you have to seek them out. He was also smart enough to adapt when R&B started to become funkier and his records on Shelter and Polydor show just how adaptable his style really is. IMHO, I think if you learned only the stylings of Freddie and Albert King, there really isn't a whole lot you couldn't do as a guitarist.

[charlyg]

I'll have to get some more of his stuff. I have about a half dozen tunes. My favorite is Big Legged Woman.....

[kenposurf]

For me, Albert Collins has always got to me the most....his shuffle tunes just kick butt!
Many ....many years ago I saw Albert King at The Shrine in LA...I eyeballed his style the whole set and learned how to bend a note up and then add vibrato to it....a revelation for me at the time!

[tony_carey]

I love Big Legged Woman too....we're thinking of doing it in the set. The great thing about Freddie King, is that he was also an entertainer. Great voice, great gtr & great stage craft....put it all together & you have something really special.

George....Albert Collins is one of my VERY favourites. A cracking Telecaster sound & fantastic playing style.