Acoustic Fred Mc Dowell is well worth a listen. There is a "Best Of" on the Arhoolie label which is very good. He wrote some great slide riffs.
Tampa Red was a superb slide guitarist too. He played a tricone and was known as the Guitar Wizard. He had a prolofic recording career which ranged from the sublime to the, er, not so sublime IMHO - lots of Vaudeville-type double entendre material (It's Tight Like That, Let me Play With Your Poodle, etc etc). But his slide instrumental solos such as Denver Blues and Reap Just What You Sow are just wonderful, along with songs such as West Bound Blues and It Hurts Me Too.
Martin Simpson is, indeed, an absolutely wonderful slide player (don't know why I didn't include him). Have got virtually all his albums but am a big fan of Cool and Unusual in particular, plus the album with Love Never Dies on it which I think is a wonderful song. And his version of Spoonful is jaw-droppingly good, especially live.
Elmore James: as Paul Jones said, "He only had one riff, but by God it was the right one." Elmore was more of an electric player than an acoustic one (although he played an acoustic with a pick up attached.) He was responsible for popularising that riff where you slam the slide up to the 12th fret and go Dah Dah Dah, Dah Dah Dah, Dah Dah Dah, Dah Dah Dah, Daaaaah Dah. (If that makes sense. ) on songs like Dust My Broom although, obviously, it's much older than that. Robert Johnson used it a lot as no doubt you're aware, on tracks like Ramblin' on My Mind, Sweet Home Chicago etc etc.
But Elmore was the one who made it famous in the Chicago blues style. Big influence on early Fleetwood Mac and Jeremy Spencer in particular.
He played his riffs in open D. Should you listen to him? Definitely yes if your love of the blues encompases the likes of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. Don't know how many times I've heard that riff, but it still raises the hair on the back of ny neck when Elmore does it.
If you're looking for new blues sliders and enjoyed Bukka White, I assume you've discovered Son House, Tampa Red and Fred Mc Dowell?
I see you're already into one of my real favourties, Blind Willie Johnson.
Bukka White really was one of the all time greats. I love his stuff. It's partly becasue of him I became obsessed with slide guitar. I went to so a local blues band and they had a raffle. I won a Bukka White cd and a brass slide. Been running things up and down the strings ever since.
If you're interested, there's a version of Jitterbug Swing tabbed out on Catfish Keith's website.
Michael Messer (slide guru and my sometime teacher) once had the chance to buy Bukka's tricone, but didn't have the money! Imagine the mojo off that thing.
BTW, haven't forgotten about the Blind Blake. Managed to find the tab but scanner is bust, so relying on offspring to get it done. Teenager, so don't hold your breath.
Let me have a look over the weekend. I think I've got an ancient paper version that I learned from somewhere. If I can find it and my techno abilities are up to it, I'll try to scan it in so I can send it to you.
It is a tough piece, like all of Blind Blakes. I think I only got near it once I started listening to the original.
Like your taste in music BTW. Big fan of BWJ, Richard to and Joni myself.
