The marriage of jazz’s insistent, percussive thrust with the raw and potent tradition of blues music begat rhythm and blues – the forebearer of traditional rock n’ roll and one of the most influential genres in music history.

From pioneers like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, to the many acts they inspired, including Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin and Tom Waits, our archive is full of photography as rich and vital as the music itself.