The passionate and uniquely American art form known as the blues was born in the steamy fields, dusty street corners and ramshackle juke joints of the Deep South in the late 1800's. An evolution of West African music brought to the United States by slaves, the blues emerged as southern blacks expressed the hardships, heartbreak, religion, passion and politics of their experiences through a blend of work songs, field hollers and spirituals.

Many early blues songs were never written down, much less recorded, but were passed from one musician to another and played on whatever instruments were available including clapped percussions, a variety of stringed instruments, harmonicas, horns and more. By the time the blues were first recorded in the early 1920's guitars and pianos were the most frequent instruments of choice by blues artists, but the basic 12 bar style and three-chord progressions have remained essentially the same and continue to define the blues to this day.

As the blues migrated from the south, through the United States and around the world, countless varieties of styles evolved including: the raw and passionate Delta blues of Robert Johnson and Son House, the brassy New Orleans Blues, the jug-band and vaudeville-influenced Memphis Blues, the amplified and urban Chicago Blues of B.B. King and John Lee Hooker, the relaxed and upbeat Texas Blues, the classic blues — a commercially popular, polished style in the 1920's which was performed by women like blues greats Bessie Smith and Mamie Smith, the rock-heavy 60's British Blues of Eric Clapton and The Rolling Stones, and many more.

For more information on the songs and the artists featured in The Blues film series, continue your musical journey in the Blues Discography and Blues Musician Biographies, below:

What was that song? Explore the music from the films with our Blues Series Discography — Search the songs heard in each episode alphabetically by artist or by the film in which they appear. (link & image?)

Who was that artist? Find out in our Blues Musician Bios. Sort the names by film or alphabetically to learn more about many of the most influential blues musicians. (link & image?)

Note: The Blues film series is by no means the definitive presentation of all blues artists and music, but an interpretation of the genre by each of the seven directors.