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Here are a few of the wonderful musicians who have shaped what I hear
​and influenced the way I play.
The wonderful Count Basie Orchestra. One of my earliest memories is being in my dad's car listening to big band jazz.
Blind Boy Fuller was my 'key' to the older blues players. This track jumped out and said, "Adam, you should learn to play like this"!
My dad and I would disagree about who had the best band, Ellington or Basie, I was always on Basie's side. As I get older, it becomes obvious Ellington was amazing (shh, don't say anything to my dad!).
If you want to learn slide guitar, you have to learn to play like Tampa Red. Although Red wasn't the first to record, he drew the blueprints of modern slide guitar.
This is one of Billie Holiday's many pre-Verve label recordings with the fabulous Teddy Wilson band.
When I started playing 'old style' blues, Son House was a huge influence. Although the recordings are hard to listen to due to terrible record pressing quality, the 1930 sides are a masterclass in rhythm.
This album has to be a top 10 all time great, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong are having a ball with great material. The small band helmed by Oscar Peterson is top notch too.
Big Bill Broonzy had a 30 plus year career, spanning the classic decades of blues. His playing never diminished, amazing!
I was never a fan of Thelonious Monk until I found a really cheap copy of the 'Blue Monk' ep and took a gamble. The title track is just great, a terrific intro to his music. Now I'm hooked.
This is Rice Miller, the 'second' of the two Sonny Boy Williamsons, though he always said he was the "one and only". Sonny Boy Williamson had a great way with a lyric as well as an amazingly laid back rhythmic harmonica style.
Joe Williams (not 'Big' Joe), had a huge voice that cut through a big band like a knife through soft butter. He is always great, whether singing blues, jazz, ballads, he was terrific.
Lightnin' Hopkins had a long career, playing mostly solo, from the late 1940's through to the 1960's. This is a great track from the best of his 60's lps.
I first heard this great album while working at Our Price record shop in 1987. The assistant manager was a big Blue Note fan. Grant Green had a great jazz style, with a heavy dose of blues. Thanks Will!
Not the classic 1950s Chess Muddy Waters but a track from his September years, recorded with Johnny Winter. Make no mistake, this is no 'end of career, supergroup, weak performance. Johnny assembled a great band of musicians who had been, or were still in Muddy's band and these recordings rank among his best. I chose this track from the 'King Bee' album for Johnny Winter's solo, which was a great lesson for me when starting out playing.
Charlie Christian was not the first 'lead' guitar player, many came before him. He was one of the first to take solos in big bands though. Legend has it that he had to be snuck on stage with Benny Goodman's band, due to Goodman refusing to believe guitar could be a solo instrument. Goodman instantly changed his mind and took on Charlie as a soloist.
I actually first heard this song on the Red Devils great 'King King' album, this is the real deal though. Recorded in 1947 with proto-R&B backing, it paves the way for the next step in blues music.
Recorded at Sun Studios in Memphis, this has the fantastic Willie Johnson on guitar. Sam Phillips, who ran and operated Sun Studios, said Howlin Wolf was the greatest performer he ever recorded.
The great Jimmy Rushing with Count Basie, recorded early in the classic Basie band's recording career. What's not to like!
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Around the time I was starting out playing solo acoustic music, I would visit Ben's Collectors Records in Guildford almost every week. Ben always had a fantastic Jazz section. This was a chance buy, I knew the song 'Moanin' and this Bobby Timmons lp soon became a real favourite of mine.
Little Richard had the best band in R&R. They swing so hard and with Richard's pumping piano, cook up a storm. Whether singing rock, pop or ballads, Little Richard had the best of voices.
Blind Willie Johnson played gospel tunes, often using a slide. His early recordings are just great. It's almost enough to make me a believer!
Having been a jazz fan as a kid, when I got into blues, T-Bone Walker was perfect for me. He was a great guitar player and showman, playing guitar behind his head before Jimi Hendrix was born!
One of the first pre-war albums I bought was a Lonnie Johnson compilation and this track blew my mind! "How is he doing that!". It took me a while but I found out eventually! Lonnie Johnson played on Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington records to name a few, plus, he gave British skiffle king Lonnie Donnegan his name.
One of the first cds I bought was 'The Sound Of Sun' on the Charley label. It was cheap and had a lot of tracks, so I took a chance on it. I'm glad I did, it put me on to a lot of great artists including Little Junior Parker, here with his Blue Flames. The guitar playing here goes right back to the 1930's with licks cribbed from Blind Boy Fuller and Bo Carter. 

​Have you ever wanted to learn to play like the guitar players on this page?
Why not try online blues guitar lessons!