Bobby "Blue" Bland

You need to hear this. He might not be as well-known as Muddy Waters. He should be. Bobby "Blue" Bland made soul/blues music. His best songs are from the fifties & the sixties. It's the songs' awesome arrangements that make his music into something special. Some songs have a rough sound, dominated by distorted guitar, while the sixties stuff tends to be a bit smoother, with more horns. But this is great, too. Bobby Bland's outstanding voice grabs you guts. His early production has a raw, explosive and sometimes angry feel. There is always a very distinct presence. Listen to any best of / anthology record, and I promise, you'll be impressed with this guy. Bobby Bland's lyrics tend to be creepy, and sometimes misogynist. I don't know what to do about that. You can listen to some bar-room blues from the 20's if you get tired of his complaints about sneaky females with bad intentions. After listening to Bobby "Blue" Bland, the next thing I want to do is to re-read some James Ellroy novel.
If this is your alley, check out Johnny Ace.
And, as always: if you know any artist with a similar sound - I'd be pleased to know.