This month marks the centennial of the birth of Elmore James, the king of the electric slide guitar. Though he’s not as well known as some of his fellow Chicago blues musicians, his influence not only as an instrumentalist but also as a singer and songwriter rippled through the world of the blues, rock and beyond. His music particularly informed the British electric blues scene of the ’60s and ’70s that featured John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, the Yardbirds, Cream, Fleetwood Mac and the Rolling Stones, among others.

But...