Posted By Katie Machine to Insomnia Faces the Music

This week, in honor of black history month, I've compiled some of the most classic blues and soul for your listening pleasure, as well as a few well-known black American poets that I've scattered around in here. Sure to be satisfying, yet weary and lamenting at the same time.

It’s arranged in a sort of chronology, starting with a few songs about hard times, vaguely reminiscent of prisoners, and flows all the way up through the Mississippi river delta, through Martin Luther King’s era, and ends up as some more recent soul music towards the end. I have it all packed into the next 2 hours, so stay tuned for that thick feeling in your chest that can only be inspired by the artists of a revolution.

-	Artist	Album	Track
	Elmore James	Blues After Hours	Blues Before Sunrise
	Otis Spann	The Biggest Thing Since Colossus	Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do
	Willie Dixon	What Happened To My Blues	It's Easy To Love
	The Fairfield Four	O Brother, Where Art Thou?	Lonesome Valley
	Chris Thomas King	O Brother Where Art Thou?	Hard Time Killing Floor Blues
	Robert Johnson	King Of The Delta Blues Singers	Cross Road Blues
	Lightnin' Hopkins	Blues Masters: The Very Best Of Lightnin' Hopkins	Baby Please Don't Go
	Robert Hayden	Poetry Speaks	Those Winter Sundays
	Howlin' Wolf	Moanin' In The Moonlight	Smokestack Lightnin'
	Langston Hughes	Poetry Speaks	The Weary Blues
	Memphis Slim	The Folkways Years:1959-1973	The Dirty Dozens
	T-Bone Walker	Classics Of Modern Blues	Evil-Hearted Woman
	Eddie Taylor	Masters Of Modern Blues	Peach Tree Blues
	Muddy Waters	His Best: 1947-1955	(I'M Your) Hoochie Coochie Man
	John Lee Hooker	The Best Of John Lee Hooker: 1965-1974	Shake It Baby
	Martin Luther King, Jr.	Speech Recording	I Have Been To The Mountaintop
	Jimi Hendrix	Jimi Blues	Hear My Train A Comin'
	Memphis Slim	The Folkways Years:1959-1973	Backwater Blues
	Buddy Guy	Sweet Tea	Look What All You Got
	Albert King	I'Ll Play The Blues For You	I'Ll Play The Blues For You
	King Curtis	Live At Filmore West	Memphis Soul Stew
	Bill Withers	Just As I Am	Ain't No Sunshine
	Ray Charles	The Very Best Of Ray Charles	What'd I Say
	Gwendolyn Brooks	Poetry Speaks	We Real Cool
	Aretha Franklin	Respect	Chain Of Fools
	Otis Redding	The Dock Of The Bay	Tramp
	Sam And Dave	Hold On, I'M Coming	Hold On, I'M Coming
	Bb King	Completely Well	The Thrill Is Gone
	Elmore James	The Sky Is Crying	Rollin' And Tumblin'
	Memphis Slim	The Folkways Years	Midnight Special