I'm learning to play some blues piano. I know of a few great blues artists, like Jimmy Yancey and Katie Webster, but I'd really appreciate some suggestions on classic blues piano CDs from other artists that would be fun and give a good feeling for what great blues piano is like. Any ideas?

If you check out just about any Muddy Waters album, you'll hear the grandmaster Otis Spann.

yd

Thanks Daro, will do.

When I was learning years ago, I listened a lot to Memphis Slim.. I think the solo album was called "Travelling with the Blues" - There are good tutors with CDs by Tim Richards and Dr John.
kt

Muddy Waters, Otis Spann (he has his own albums), many Chicago Blues artists (Howling Wolf, Little Walter, etc. have piano on them.

Faucon

there are so many to choose from, including the piano players who (like Otis Spann) recorded for Chess Records:
Eddie Boyd
Willie Mabon
Lafayette Leake
Johnnie Johnson (on Chuck Berry's recordings)
Henry Gray (with Howlin' Wolf)
Memphis Slim

There are also:
Leroy Carr
Roosevelt Sykes
Piano Red
the Boogie Woogie guys, Pete Johnson, Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis
Marcia Ball

and the New Orleans guys who occasionally played blues:
Professor Longhair
James Booker

The best way to get into this style is to pick up a cheap compilation CD that has many blues piano players on it and listen for artists who grab your ear. Then check out those players by themselves.

thanks also, KTom, Rocket88, and Booker_Boy. Great suggestions and I appreciate being clued in to artists I wasn't familiar with. I have a lot of great listening and learning ahead of me!

This thread reminded me of the series "The Blues" that ran on PBS a few years back. I think Scorcese was the executive producer, but he chose seven different directors to film the seven segments. To me, one of the more interesting segments was done by Clint Eastwood, and was specifically on pianists (Clint is a pianist as well).

PBS - The Blues

Eastwood - Piano Blues

Here is a link to part of that programme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcadYJb4gek
(Dr. John playing some new orleans style piano)
and here is Memphis Slim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-6tmLt7ywU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj26jK9vGuk
Enjoy!
Tom

Tom and Guy, thanks so much for the links and the information. I saw the PBS series 'Jazz', but somehow completely missed the 'Blues' series. I'll check this out at once!

It was a few years ago -- I had recorded it and then watched a year or so after its broadcast, and then kicked myself for waiting so long. It was really quite good, as I recall.

They are seven independent films, each with its own focus and style. Very different than Ken Burn's work.

I watched the Eastwood Piano Blues film last night - I thought it was excellent. Lots of variety and it was good to see artists like Professor Longhair, Dave Brubeck, Jay McShann as well as Art Tatum, Dr John and so on. I was on that piano within seconds of the credits rolling!