Robert Calvin Bland aka Bobby 'Blue' Bland (born January 27, 1930 - died June 23, 2013)

His hallmark was his supple, confidential soul-blues delivery. As a singer, Bland projected a grainy, down-to-earth quality, punctuated with guttural growls and snorts that would come to be known as the 'chicken-bone sound.' Yet his voice was simultaneously smooth as velvet, allowing Bland to bring audiences under his hypnotic spell as he walked a fine line between passionate expression and exquisite self-control.

BlandΓÇÖs painstakingly crafted records featured his deliberate, resolute vocals set over a backdrop of dazzling horn fanfares, supple rhythm parts and Wayne Bennett's T-Bone Walker-style guitar. The quality of the records was stunning, and Bland's vocals were the centerpiece. He projected warmth and intimacy, but he could also growl and howl. As a measure of his considerable appeal to black audiences, Bland placed an amazing 51 singles on the R&B Top 40.

Bobby Bland was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. In 1997, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. (rockhall.com)

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Bobby Bland - The Best of Bobby Blue Bland 1957-1974
(Universal-Island 2008)

 1. Farther Up the Road 
 2. Ain't That Lovin' You
 3. I'm Too Far Gone (To Turn Around) 
 4. Poverty  
 5. Yolanda
 6. Stormy Monday Blues   
 7. I Wouldn't Treat a Dog (The Way You Treated Me)  
 8. I'll Take Care of You   
 9. Chains of Love 
10. I Pity the Fool  
11. Cry, Cry, Cry 
12. Little Boy Blue  
13. I'm Not Ashamed   
14. Lead Me On   
15. Don't Cry No More 
16. Turn on Your Love Light 
17. Who Will the Next Fool Be?  
18. Yield Not to Temptation 
19. Call on Me 
20. That's the Way Love Is  
21. Sometimes You Gotta Cry a Little 
22. The Feeling Is Gone  
23. Ain't Nothing You Can Do   
24. Share Your Love with Me  
25. Ain't Doin' Too Bad, Pt. 1 
26. Blind Man  
27. Black Night