A loose swing pervades much of the blues music arising out of Texas, making it a little more laid back than the energized style of its neighboring counterpart Delta blues. The genre's rich history begins with early-'20s country-blues songsters, who were often accompanied by guitarists mimicking their vocal lines with intricate single-note picking. When the mighty Texas axe man T-Bone Walker began amplifying his guitar during the '40s, he quickly sparked a new trend in blues. After World War II, the sound of modern Texas blues expanded with not only newly electrified leads but also jazzy horns. The late Stevie Ray Vaughn helped keep Texas blues on the map during the '70s and '80s with his souped-up blues rock and blazing guitar work.

Notable Artists: Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lightnin' Hopkins, T-Bone Walker