No blues tune has been as abused by mediocre blues bands as T-Bone’s Walker’s signature 1947 hit, “Stormy Monday”. That said, his ‘blues box’ guitar solo and vocal styling on this cut inspired such greats as B.B. King, Freddy King, Otis Rush and a whole slew of urban electric blues guitarists who came after them. Sadly, Walker is merely a name these days floating out in the vague mist of musical history of most contemporary rock and blues players, honored the way authors of great literature are usually honored — by being lionized but not read. (Or, in T-Bone’s case, not heard.) Be that as it may, Walker’s one of the spark plugs that started it all — first one to record a blues song using an electric guitar — and I think his music still stands up pretty well today. The Bobby Blue Bland version I just threw in for contrast and to show off Bobby’s mellow, from-the-gut pipes.
T-Bone Walker “Stormy Monday”:
Bobby Blue Bland “Stormy Monday”: