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Soulful, passionate, raw, and vulnerable, the best voices in blues can drop you to your knees with heartache or envelop you in warmth. At its best, blues is a solidarity of pain and pleasure. 

“The blues style represents . . . a saying of things that are very painful, deep and poignant, with a feeling of ease. In the very best blues the pain changes, because of the music, into something light.”

-Eli Siegel 

Here at Rockaway we are partial to a little blues, from Delta to Boogie-woogie, and we see true gold come in and out every day. 

Take a look at some of our current noteworthy albums, or pop in-store for the full selection. 

 Muddy Waters, Folk Singer
Folk Singer is the fourth studio album by Muddy Waters, released in April 1964 by Chess Records. The album features Waters on acoustic guitar, backed by Willie Dixon on string bass, Clifton James on drums, and Buddy Guy on acoustic guitar. It is Waters's only all-acoustic album.

Butch Hancock, Diamond Hill

As a member of the groundbreaking Flatlanders, singer/songwriter Butch Hancock helped kick-start the progressive country movement of the '70s. As a solo artist, Hancock recorded a series of country-folk albums for his own independent Rainlight label, which showcased his literate wordplay, quirky humor, and dry, Dylan-esque vocal delivery. Going the independent route certainly cost Hancock some name recognition and wider exposure, but he did earn a devoted cult following, especially in his native Texas.

Playing the blues yourself? 

Ernie Ball’s Power Slinky strings are the go-to for some of today’s biggest blues artists, including the already legendary, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. These are a medium gauge at .011, but they play more like a light. Despite the fact that they play similarly to a light gauge string, the heavy bottom end really allows you to dig in during solos, resulting in astronomical tones. 

Did you know we buy records? Contact us today for more info.