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The Adam Reid Griffith Music Library

Blues is the first American musical genre, growing out of African spirituals and gospel music.  Many genres have benefited from Blues, such as Jazz, Country, R&B, Soul, Funk, and Rock.  One of my favorite groups happens to be Led Zeppelin.  While they were a rock group, their sound is heavily influenced by the blues, particularly early on in their career.  Although B.B. King is the only blues musician listed here, I intend to pick up some recordings by Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, and Howlin' Wolf.

R&B, meaning old-style Rhythm & Blues, came directly out of blues.  It tends to be faster and more fixed in structure (less improvisational).  It's also decidedly more funky.  James Brown, a.k.a. "The Godfather of Soul", a.k.a. "Soul Brother Number One", a.k.a. "The Hardest-Working Man in Showbusiness", a.k.a. "Mr. Dynamite" is what I think of when I think of R&B.  However, it is at times difficult to distinguish between R&B and Funk with him.  Another famous R&B artist that I really need to get some music from is Ray Charles.  While it may seem that I don't have much from James Brown either, you should know that "Star Time" is a four-CD box set of his work.  I highly recommend getting it if you have any interest in R&B whatsoever.

Funk.  It covers so much area that it almost defies description.  However, as R&B grew out of blues, Funk grew out of R&B.  Initially funk and R&B were related, as you can tell if you listen to enough James Brown.  Eventually it evolved into something truly unique, as you can tell if you listen to enough Parliament.  Key artists to look for in funk: James Brown, Sly & the Family Stone, George Clinton (Funkadelic, Parliament, P-Funk), Kool & the Gang, and The Ohio Players.

I'm not exactly sure what "true" Hip-Hop is, but I've recently started listening to an internet radio station that plays lots of funk and hip-hop.  The station is WeFunk.  The "station" is actually a two-hour weekly broadcast in Montreal on CKUT, but for the internet feed they rebroadcast their old shows (nearly 400 total).  Many of the shows (about 200) are available for download as mp3s.  The internet feed is available in iTunes under radio and urban.  You can also link to the feed from the WeFunk webpage and play it through Winamp and other such players.