Can anyone recommend recent blues gems that you feel are worthy of merit? I enjoy both acoustic and electric blues. I'm looking for something that might have flown under the radar, so to speak.
Black Diamond Heavies - "You Damn Right" Mark Holder - "My Black Name" One String Blues (Rural Blues On Skid Row) Houndog - "Houndog" Rockie Charles - "Born For You" James Mathus - "National Antiseptic" "And His Knockdown Society Play Songs For Rosetta" C.C. Adcock - "House Rocker" 'Lafayette Marquis"
Here are two oldies - "Lightnin' Hopkins" a Smithsonian Folkways recording, and Sonny Boy Williamson "Keep It To Ourselves" on Aligator. They're great. Also, one to add to Wizard454's Duke Robillard list is "Swing".
Mitch Kashmar's "Nickels and Dimes" with jr. Watson on guitar really tears it up. This cd sounds like you took a right turn into the 60's and landed in a blues bar in the Windy City. This CD is great and i play it at least once a week when I'm paying bills or cleaning house. Highly reccomended.
Knights of the Blues Table - British Blues Showdown - Robert Cray, Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland Folksinger by Muddy Waters Dancing Down a Stony Road - Chris Rea A Long Time Coming - Electric Flag (Blues and R&B) Blind Pig Records - 25th Anniversary Collection (2 CD set) Alligator Records - 20th Anniversary Collection (2 CD set) both of the anniversary sets are great samplers to the catalogues of Blind Pig and Alligator)
Anything by Magic Slim & the Teardrops, Tinsley Ellis, Mike Henderson & the BlueBloods- First Blood, Anything by Luther Allison, Smokin' Joe Krubreck, Bryan Lee, Joe Beard, Get the latest Ten Years After CD, without Alvin Lee It will suprise you. Walter Trout,For older stuff, Anything on the Excello LP label or the reissue AVI label (swamp blues) Flyright LPs that pertain to blues. And Don't forget the Blue Horizon stuff. Very rare & expensive. Get the Fleetwood Mac Box set early years. Enjoy.
Jimmie D. Lane. He did an album with Double Trouble last year that was produced by Eddie Kramer. I think it's called "It's Time". You can order it from acoustic sounds.
I've been listening to Little Charlie and the Nightcats since 1986 and their new CD "Nine Lives" is killer. If you like that get "Night Vision" by them. "Jail Break" and "Straight Up" pass on though. Another artist that has been around for a while but I just discovered is a brazilian harp player named Carlos Del Junco (hunco). This guy is really good, reminds me of Paul Butterfield and he does alot of stuff that just reminds me of Flat top haircuts and fins on old Cadilacs. His "Big Boy" and "Blues Mongrel" are worth investigating but if you want more vocals check out the "Blues" Cd.
As far as more recent recommendations, if you are into the mouth harp, William Clarke was a fantastic harmonica player on the LA circuit (who unfortunately passed away somewhat recently). In particular, I recommend Serious Intentions and Blowin Like Hell (both on Alligator Records). Also, although they've gotten some coverage in high end magazines, the North Mississippi All Stars are probably the most fun blues band I've heard in the last few years (both Shake Hands with Shorty and Highway 51 on Tone-Cool records are a blast). Finally, if you are looking for "audiophile quality" recordings, any blues on Audioquest (particularly Robert Lucas) and Analogue Productions (Jimmy D. Lane, Big Daddy Hypolite) would be worth a look.
While your at the store, pick up any of Doug MacLeod's albums. Incredible acoustic guitar player. I'm assuming from your post that you already have all the usual suspects, Hopkins, Waters, Sonny Terry, etc., and are looking for more recent artists. A absolute must have is Mary Gauthier. She's the real deal, not someone that is just singing and playing the blues, she lived them and you can hear it. One of her more simple songs is called "I Drink", and when she sings it you know it is from experience.
Boy, I'm going to pick up a few of these with Peter Green The Splinter Group being the first. You probably have this one but I believe Jimmy Rogers' last recording, Blue Bird, is a must have. I also believe his son, Jimmy d Lane is among the best today (what electric guitar work). His latest, IT'S TIME, always sounds incredibly good to me (I have the SACD version). Double Trouble performs great in backing up Lane.
Not really recent, but blues piano is a "sub genre" you may have missed. Try anything from Professor Longhair. Also James Booker's "Lost Paramount Tapes" is an absolutely great introduction to this music.
Peter Green The Splinter Group. I love this Cd and they also have a Double Cd version of two disc's one The Robert Johnson Songbook along with HotFoot Powder both doing all of Robert Johnson's songs. Some are guitar alone but most of them are with the band. Worth checking out. Pass on Time Travelers and Destiny though.
Anything here you haven't heard before? The following is from my collection, check it out you may find something you like.
Artist - Title
A. J. Croce- That's Me In The Bar Aerosmith- Honkin' On Bobo Albert Collins- Cold Snap Albert Collins- Albert Collins - Deluxe Edition Albert Collins, Robert Cray, Johnny Copeland- Showdown Allman Brothers Band- One Way Out ( 2 Discs ) Alvin Lee & Ten Year After- Pure Blues Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan- In Session B.B.King with Eric Clapton- Riding With The King B.B.King- Deuces Wild B.B.King- The Best Of The Blues 3 CD Set B.B.King- Live In Cook County Jail B.B.King- King Of The Blues:1989 B.B.King & Friends- B.B.King & Friends - 80 Big Bad Voodoo Daddy- Bid Bad Voodoo Daddy Bill Perry- Crazy Kind of Life Bill Perry- Raw Deal Blues Traveler- Four Bob Walsh- Blues Bob Walsh- A Canadian Blues Rendez-vous Bonnie Raitt- Nick Of Time Bonnie Raitt- Longing In Their Hearts Bonnie Raitt- Road Tested Bonnie Raitt- Silver Lining Bonnie Raitt- Souls Alike Brian Setzer Orchestra- Guitar Slinger Brian Setzer Orchestra- The Dirty Boogie Bubby Guy- Heavy Love Buddy Guy- Feels Like Rain Canned Heat- Greatest Hits (Uncanned ! - The best of Canned Heat) Carlos Santana- Blues For Salvador Coco Montoya- Suspicon Coco Montoya- Gotta mind to travel Colin James- Colin James and The Little Big Band II Colin James- Bad Habits Colin James- Limelight David Gogo- Skeleton Key David Gogo- Bare Bones David Hole- The Live One David Hole- Working Overtime David Raitt & Jimmy Thackery- That's It Debbie Davis- Key to Love (The music of John Mayall) Debbie Davis- Tales from the Austin Motel Debbie Davis- Picture This Debbie Davis- Love The Game Debbie Davis, Kenny Neal, Tab Benoit- Homesick for the Road Deborah Coleman- What about love Deborah Coleman- Soft place to fall Deborah Coleman- I Can't Lose Delbert McClinton- One Of The Fortunate Few Delbert McClinton- Live From Austin Dogskin Suit- Growin' at the Gator Dogskin Suit- Diggin' Up The Yard Doug James (D.Robillard & Sugar Ray Norcia)- Blow Mr. Low Duke Robillard- Stretchin' Out Live Duke Robillard- New Blues for the Modern Man Duke Robillard- Duke's Blues Duke Robillard- Living with the Blues Eric Clapton- 24 Nights Eric Clapton- Unplugged Eric Clapton- From The Cradle Eric Clapton- Blues - 2 CD Set Eric Clapton- Me and Mr. Johnson Eric Clapton-Sessions Robert Johnson Fabulous Thunderbirds- The Greatest Hits Fabulous Thunderbirds- Wrap It Up Gregg Allman- Searching for simplicity Harry Manx- Dog My Cat James Cotton Blues Band- 35th Anniversary Jam Jeff Healey Band- Get Me Some Jeff Healey Band- See The Light Jeff Healey Band- Hell To Pay Jim Byrnes- Fresh Horses Jim Byrnes- That River Jimi Hendrix- Martin Scorsese Presents THE BLUES Jimmie Vaughan- Strange Pleasure Jimmy Thackery & the Drivers- Drive to Survive Jimmy Thackery & the Drivers- Switching Gears Jimmy Thackery & the Drivers- Trouble Man Jimmy Thackery & the Drivers- True Stories Jimmy Thackery & the Drivers- We Got It Jimmy Thackery & Tab Benoit- Whiskey Store Jimmy Thackery & Tab Benoit- LIVE - Whiskey Sore **LIVE** Joanna Connor- Big Girl Blues Joanna Connor- Slidetime John Hammond- Wicked Grin John Lee Hooker- House Of The Blues John Lee Hooker- The Real Folk Blues John Lee Hooker- The Best Of John Lee Hooker1965-1974 John Lee Hooker- Plays & Sings The Blues John Mayall- London Blues 1964-1969 John Mayall- Along for the Ride John Mayall- John Mayall & The BluesBreakers and Friends John Mayall- Road Dogs Johnny Winter- Guitar Slinger Jonny Lang- Lie To Me Jonny Lang & The Big Bang- Smokin' Junior Wells- Come On In This House Junior Wells- Everybody's Gettin' Some Keb' Mo'- Slow Down Keb' Mo'- Big Wide Grin Keb' Mo'- Just Like You Keb' Mo'- Keb' Mo' Kelly Joe Phelps- Lead me on Kenny Wayne Shepherd- Ledbetter Heights Kenny Wayne Shepherd- Live On Kevin Duke- Rollin' On Led Zeppelin- BBC Sessions Little Charlie & The Nightcats- Shadow of the Blues Lonnie Mack- Live - Attack of the Killer V Lucky Peterson- Beyond Cool Lucky Peterson- Lifetime Luther Allison- Reckless Luther Allison- Soul Fixin Man Luther Allison- Serious Magic Dick & Jay Geils- Bluestime Marcia Ball- Let me play with your poodle Marcia Ball- Presumed innocent Maria Muldaur- Meet me where they play the blues Maurice John Vaughn- In The Shadow Of The City Michael Bloomfield- Don't Say That I Ain't Your Man Michael Coleman- Do your thing Mighty "Mo" Rodgers- Blues is my wallin' wall Monster Mike Welch- Axe To Grind Muddy Waters- The Best Of Muddy Waters Muddy Waters- Folk Singer - Ultradisc II Noah Wotherspoon & the stratocats- Buzz Me Otis Rush- Any Place I'm Going Rita Chiarelli- Breakfast at Midnight Rita Chiarelli- What a Night - "Live" R.L. Burnside- Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down Robert Cray- Strong Persuader Robert Cray- Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark Robert Cray- Some Rainy Morning Ronnie Earl- Ronnie Earl & friends Ronnie Earl- Healing Time Ronnie Earl- I feel Like Goin' on Ronnie Earl- Now My Soul Ronnie Earl / Duke Robillard- The Duke meets the Earl Rory Block- I'm Every Woman Roy Gaines- Bluesman For Life Roy Gaines- I Got the T-Bone Walker Blues Shemekia Copeland- Wicked Smokin' Joe Kubek Band- Texas Cadillac Smokin' Joe Kubek Band- Bite Me ! Smokin' Joe Kubek Band- Cryin' For The Moon Smokin' Joe Kubek Band- Take your best shot Smokin' Joe Kubek Band- Got My Mind Back Smokin' Joe Kubek Band- Roadhouse Research Sonny Landreth- The Road We're On Sonny Landreth- Grant Street Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble- Blues at Sunrise Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble- Soul To Soul Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble- Texas Flood Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble- Couldn't Stand the Weather Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble- The Sky Is Crying Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble- In Step Susan Tedeschi- Just Won't Burn Susan Tedeschi- Live from Austin Tx Taj Mahal- In progress & In motion (1965 to 1998) Terry Evans- Blues for Thought Tommy Castro- Exception To The Rule blues / rock Various Artists- From Matrimony to Alimony Various Artists- The Blues White Album Various Artists- BAR ROOM BLUES Various Artists- Blues for a Rotten afternoon Various Artists- Pure Blues Various Artists- The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions Various Artists- Whole lotta Blues - Songs of Led Zeppelin Various Artists- 1995 We Are The Blues Vaughan Brothers- (SRV & Jimmy) Family Style Walter Trout- Walter Trout Walter Trout- Go the Distance Walter Trout- Relentless Walter Trout- Live Trout (2 Disc) ZZ Top- One foot in the blues
And finally one that most would not think of: Willie Nelson - Milk cow blues ** This is excellent !
Now, I wouldn't say everything above is great but there are some gems hiden in here and I hope you have fun finding some that you like.
Good luck, good listening and a Merry Christmas to you. Fred
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