Aaron "T-Bone" Walker

Instruments: electric guitar, vocals

Lifespan:1910-1975

Style synopsis: The word that comes to my mind when I listen to T-Bone is smooth. His style has been labeled the California style of blues. T-Bone was born and grew up in the Dallas - Fort Worth area in Texas. As such, he was influenced by Dallas's Blind Lemon Jefferson, the local string bands that his stepfather played with and the classic blues sound of blues/gospel singers, such as, Ida Cox and Ma Rainey. Blind Lemon had established the technique of using a quick release with picking single strings in arpeggio type runs (i.e. the blues lick). T-Bone can be identified as the person who moved this style to the electric guitar by combining it with the jump and swing styles of the day. Charlie Christian, a Fort Worth Jazz Legend, helped teach T-Bone how the Electric Guitar could be used as a definitive solo instrument. This combination of nitty gritty sound of Blind Lemon combined with the jazz of the day certainly produced a "slick packaging" of the blues. T-Bone lived and played in Texas until his late thirties, but, it wasn't until he moved to California in 1947 that he started having much success. An excellent, more detailed bio of T-Bone Walker can also be found on the net.

Representative Recordings: T-Bone has a number of tapes and CD's available. Your best bet is to go for an anthology of his music in order to ensure a consistent quality. My favorite recording is "Dirty Mistreater" recorded in 1968 and rereleased in the Jazz Heritage Series by MCA. This has some of his most recognizable songs including; "I'm In an Awful Mood", "Jealous Woman" and "Stormy Monday".

Contributor: Mike "Mojo" Sutton(msutton@iadfw.net)
Contributor's comments: I first started listening to T-Bone in the eighties when, after playing "Stormy Monday", someone asked me who wrote it. I had been playing it for nearly twenty years and I only knew who I had heard it recorded by (i.e. Allman Brothers). So I did a little digging and discovered T-Bone Walker who came from Oak Cliff in Dallas, near where I lived. I was intrigued by his smooth style and the original recording of "Stormy Monday". Very quickly, the way I played "Stormy Monday" changed from the Rock version to the T-Bone version. I also quickly added another classic of his, "T-Bone Shuffle". His influence is still with me today, in my playing and writing. I have an original song named "Swinger" on the NET, over at the Buddy Project, that is played in the style of T-Bone. If you don't have any T-Bone, I strongly encourage you to get some and enjoy it.