Theophilus Carter
From my general-ramblings contribution: Blues, like Jazz, each their own genre, have many sub-categories within. I like some of each although i cannot really pinpoint why i like what i like other than to say - i often only know after hearing some - that some i like - both solo & ensemble - , some i don’t and otherwise cannot explain either. This may help explain why i find pieces i really like from sources that may seem strange 🤷. Examples: i recently linked a piece( in the What I Like non-classical thread) from Max Tempia - Rubber Bob - which i found, from a user on another forum, posting a link advertising a then new model Casio; i found no interest in that ad but ive been listening to the bookmarked tune over and over for over 5 years…. far as i can tell, Max may have written that tune solely for his ad/contract…. I have not found it among his works. Likewise, Adam Berzowski, often does DP video ads for Kraft Music, but i find i like his improvisational style of playing piano/EP/Organ blues. Here he is demo’ing mostly blues via DP - some solo, some piano along with a band in the 670 box.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_5jHveWYKo
Beyond the above examples, there are so many good blues performers to suggest, i will part with only 1 - Dr. John - who played various genres including blues & southern/dixie jazz, usually with a full band ensemble, which i was lucky to see, New Year’s Eve, approximately 1995, at the Village Gate, NYC, a few years before that venue was closed 🙂
My understanding is, good blues players, like jazz, must have engrained playing most if not all the piano scales & arpeggios forwards & backwards in order to have the tools necessary to compose and or improvise their own pieces.