Swamp blues

Swamp blues is a type of Louisiana blues that developed in the Black communities of Southwest Louisiana in the 1950s.<ref name=":0">Malone, Evelyn Levingston, "Swamp Blues: Race And Vinyl From Southwest Louisiana" (2016). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 2457. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2457</ref> It incorporates influences from other genres, particularly zydeco and Cajun. Its most successful proponents include Slim Harpo and Lightnin' Slim, who enjoyed national rhythm and blues hits.

Characteristics

Lazy Lester in 2004

Swamp blues has a laid-back, slow tempo, and generally is a more rhythmic variation of Louisiana blues, incorporating influences from New Orleans blues, zydeco, soul music and Cajun music.<ref>Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music. Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 161. Template:ISBN.</ref> It is characterized by simple but effective guitar work and is influenced by the boogie patterns used on Jimmy Reed records and the work of Lightnin' Hopkins and Muddy Waters.<ref>Template:Cite web.</ref> The sound of swamp blues was characterized by "eerie echo, shuffle beats, tremolo guitars, searing harmonica and sparse percussion".<ref name=Unterbergeretal1999p175>R. Unterberger, S. Hicks and J. Dempsey, Music USA: the Rough Guide (London: Rough Guides, 1999), Template:ISBN, p. 175.</ref>

History

Swamp blues originated in the Black communities of Southwest Louisiana in the 1950s<ref name=":0">Malone, Evelyn Levingston, "Swamp Blues: Race And Vinyl From Southwest Louisiana" (2016). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 2457. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2457</ref> and was particularly associated with record producer J. D. "Jay" Miller.<ref name=Unterbergeretal1999p175/> In the 1950s, Miller recorded many blues artists around the city, distributing their recordings through Excello Records in Nashville, Tennessee.<ref name=Herzhaft1997pp140-4>G. Herzhaft, Encyclopedia of the Blues, trans B. Debord (University of Arkansas Press, 2nd ed., 1997), Template:ISBN, pp. 140–4.</ref> The most successful and influential artist with whom he worked was guitarist and harmonica player Slim Harpo.<ref name="Music">Template:Cite book</ref> Other major artists included Lightnin' Slim, Lazy Lester, Silas Hogan, Lonesome Sundown,<ref name=Unterbergeretal1999p175/> and piano player Katie Webster.<ref name=Herzhaft1997pp140-4/> A number of their songs, particularly those of Slim Harpo, were covered by British Invasion bands, including the Rolling Stones, The Kinks and the Yardbirds.<ref name=Bogdanov2003AMLouisianBlues>R. Unterberger, "Louisiana blues", in V. Bogdanov, C. Woodstra, S. T. Erlewine, eds., All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues (Milwaukee, WI: Backbeat Books, 3rd ed., 2003), Template:ISBN, pp. 687–8.</ref> The popularity of the genre faded in the 1970s, with many swamp bluesmen turning to zydeco which remained popular with black audiences.<ref name=Herzhaft1997pp140-4/>