Friday Blues Picks (3/6/26)

Hard to believe that we're over two months into the new year.  Here's a few more new releases that are definitely worth any blues fan's time.....

Joe Bonamassa & Friends - B.B. King's Blues Summit 100 (KTBA Records):  I've been seeing this release promoted on Facebook for the last few months, and I'll just say it's well worth the wait.  Bonamassa has assembled the cream of the current blues crop for this massive two-disc, 32 track set.  You have guest appearances from Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Marcus King, Michael McDonald, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Noah Hunt, Buddy Guy, Larry McCray, Shemekia Copeland, Myles Kennedy, Slash, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, Jimmie Vaughan, Bobby Rush, Keb' Mo', George Benson, Gary Clark Jr., and so many others.  Bonamassa and Josh Smith back these artists along with a stellar band that captures the essence of the King originals but adds just enough modern flavor.  To be honest, this is one of the best tribute albums I've ever heard, an outstanding, powerful, and reverent set that I think would put a big smile on the King of the Blues' face.

Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials - Slideways (Alligator Records):  I've been a fan of this band since the mid 80's, when I heard their wild track "Young Thing" on The New Bluebloods and then with their subsequent releases on Alligator.  Lil' Ed and James "Pookie" Young have been in the band since it's formation in 1975, with guitarist Michael Garrett and drummer Kelly Littleton joining in the late 80's, so that's almost thirty years (with a sabbatical in the mid 90's).  On this, their tenth release, the band is joined on several tracks by Ben Levin, who plays piano and B3 on eight of the thirteen tracks.  Most of the tracks are written or co-written by Lil' Ed and he hasn't lost an inch off his fast ball as far as his slide guitar mastery.  While he's always done a fine job as far as singing, his vocals have seasoned out over the years, giving him a more soulful edge on these tracks.  This is a typically fun set from Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials, who never let blues fans down with their powerful, high-energy, genuine houserockin' music (just like Alligator advertises).

Charles Tiner - Good Soul:  Chicago-based singer Tiner has a marvelous voice and he puts it to good use on this excellent set of blues and soul with a bit of gospel mixed in.  He's also a wizard on the keyboards as well and has some great musical support behind him from a host of musicians.  The album is a superb mix of blues, soul, a little gospel, and a little jazz.  I have to admit that I didn't know a lot about Tiner prior to hearing this release - he has roots in the church, he writes fine songs, and he has a memorable voice.  He also was a finalist in the 2022 I.B.C. and based on the sounds heard on Good Soul, we will be hearing a lot more from him in the future.

Davey Jones - Ball Cap Blues:  I've got to give some props to a Mississippi guy whenever I can and this was another guy that I'd never heard of.  Jones was born in Hattiesburg, MS and has been writing and performing music for over 30 years.  Like many Mississippi artists of any race, his influences are blues, soul, gospel, rock, and country because that's what he heard on the radio when he was growing up (I know this from experience).  Jones plays all the instruments on this album, he's a solid songwriter whose music touches on all of the styles mentioned above, and he's a fine vocalist.  Blues fans should keep an eye out for Davey Jones and Ball Cap Blues....they won't be disappointed.  Here's a promo video for the album from the man himself.

Looking back a few years (35 to be exact), let's look at Albert Collins' first album for Point Blank Records, Iceman.  Collins had recorded for Alligator since 1978 and it had been five years since his last release, so I remember being excited to see new product from the Master of the Telecaster.  This one features Collins backed by an all-star cast of musicians - Johnny B. Gayden, Soko Richardson, Debbie Davies, Teenie and Charles Hodges, and the Uptown Horns.  For Collins, this was considered a step up to a major label - Point Blank was a subsidary of Virgin Records and they had signed several other blues artists during this time.....Larry McCray, Larry Garner, Lucky Peterson, Johnny Copeland, and many to follow.  The songs are all originals and Collins provides his usual affable vocals and that icy guitar tone that shook me to my backbone the first time I ever heard it.  Sadly, Collins was only able to release one more studio album of guest star-laden re-recordings of some of his classic tunes that was released just a few weeks before he passed away, but Iceman is a great set of tunes backed by an excellent band.  If you missed it first time around, I highly recommend it.

Friday Blues Picks (2/27/26)

It's been awhile since we posted a few picks here....I had intended to try to do this more regularly, but it is what it is.  Let's look at a few recent releases that are well worth your time.

Mississippi Heat - Don't Look Back (Delmark Records):  Pierre Lacocque and his crew strike gold again with this fine release.  He's recruited a host of vocalists (Sheryl Youngblood, Inetta Visor, Daneshia Hamilton, Danielle Nicole, and Omar Coleman, along with guitarists Giles Corey and Billy Flynn, keyboardists Johnny Iguana and John Kattke, and many others.  Ms. Youngblood handles most of the vocals, but the others certainly shine as well, and Coleman joins Lacocque for the harmonica-driven instrumental "Moonshine Man."  If you're a blues fan and you're not familiar with Mississippi Heat (we interviewed Mr. Lacocque several years back), you can't go wrong because it's Chicago blues from one of the best bands around.

Omar Coleman & Igor Prado - Old New Funky and Blue (Nola Blue Records):  Speaking of Mr. Coleman, blues fans are strongly encouraged to check out this wonderful disc, an early contender for Album of the Year.  Teaming with Brazilian guitar master Prado, Coleman turns out a stunning set of Chicago blues and Memphis soul, with six originals from Coleman and Prado and five excellent covers of tunes from Syl Johnson and Bobby Rush.  Trust me, there's not a bad cut in the bunch as Coleman is superb on vocals and harmonica and Prado's guitar work is top notch throughout.  I certainly hope these guys make this a regular collaboration.

Duke Robillard and His All Star Band - Blast Off! (Nola Blue Records):  Another outstanding release from Nola Blue, their first collaboration with Robillard, who has been doing this for well over 50 years.  He sounds as inspired as ever on these twelve tunes, mostly covers with three Robillard originals.  Chris Cote handles vocals on most of these tunes and does a fine job and blues fans will recognize a lot of the names in the All Stars from previous Duke efforts.  This set also features four instrumentals, so Robillard gets plenty of opportunities to strut his stuff.  The cover choices are first rate and the instrumentals will knock your socks off. 

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Don Leady - Blue Nebula (LeRay Records):  Leady, who fronted the Tail Gators in the 80's and 90's, had released several solo efforts spotlighting his nimble fretwork, and he's spent the last couple of years remastering live tracks from the Tail Gators' performances on five volumes that blues fans should definitely track down.  This release is a six-song EP that mixes blues, R&B, country, and jazz with a bit of surf guitar added for good measure.  Leady plays all the instruments on all six tracks (guitars, bass, percussion, organ) and, trust me, if you are a guitar fan of any style of music, you will love this disc.

Boz Scaggs - Detour (Concord Records):  This release reminds me a lot of Walter "Wolfman" Washington's last couple of releases.  It started out as a set of demos with Scaggs doing some of his favorite standards.  It has that same relaxed feel and Scaggs does a wonderful job interpreting this tunes, made famous by artists like Irma Thomas, Frank Sinatra, Lonnie Johnson, Nat King Cole, and Tony Bennett, but adding his own personal touch to each.  This one leans more toward the jazz end of the spectrum, but Scaggs' vocals make it worth listening.  

Now, let's go back a few years and check out.....

Larry McCray - Live on 75 (Magnolia Records):  If you can find this one, released in 2006 on his own label, it's well worth your time and money......it took me quite a while to track it down.  Recorded in Detroit in 2004, McCray is joined by his brother Steve on drums, Mike Lynch on keyboards, and the legendary bass man Johnny B. Gayden on this powerful twelve-song set that tells you all that you need to know about Larry McCray.  It's downright criminal that he basically disappeared off the radar for nearly 20 years and had a hard time getting his music out there, other than via performance.  Thankfully, Joe Bonamassa got him back into the studio, so McCray is back!  If you can find this set, you can get a good taste of what McCray's first few years were like and see what the fuss was all about (since all of his earlier albums are out of print). 

Since this one is out of print, here's the entire album, via YouTube.

We'll be back in a couple of weeks with a few more recent releases that you definitely need to be listening to.

Friday Blues Fix's Top Albums of 2025

(Sorry for the lack of posting lately.....it's been pretty busy.  I will try to do better in 2026.)

I was talking with Blues Bytes' founder Bill Mitchell about our end-of-year favorites and he told me that he was having a hard time getting his list down to a reasonable number due to the overwhelming amount of great releases this year.  That was before I started working on my list, which I did on Tuesday night.  After a couple of hours of reviewing reviews, I finally "whittled" my list down to a solid 30.  I don't think Bill's decided on a Top Ten or Top Twenty list as of yet for the January issue, but I thought I would just list my Top 30 here for kicks, in no particular order, for those who care about such things.  

Mark “Muleman” Massey - Been A Long, Long Time (Muletone Records):  

Bob Corritore & Friends  - Doin' The Shout (SWMAP/VizzTone Records):  

Daddy Mack Blues Band - Doctor's Orders (Inside Sounds Records)

Ian Siegal Meets Johnny Maestro - Easy Tiger (Continental Blue Heaven) 

Southern Avenue - Family (Alligator Records)

Andrew Duncanson - California Trap (Run It Back Records)

Johnny Rawls - Make Them Dance (Catfood Records)

John Primer - Grown In Mississippi (Blues House Productions)

Ra'Shad The Blues Kid - Live In Clarksdale

Tad Robinson - Soul In Blues (Delmark Records)

D.K. Harrell - Talkin' Heavy (Alligator Records)

Larry McCray - Heartbreak City (Keeping The Blues Alive)

Emma Wilson - A Spoonful of Willie Dixon (Emma Wilson Music)

Alan Arena - Deceived 

Buddy Guy - Done With The Blues (Silvertone/RCA)

Garry Burnside - It's My Time Now (Strolling Bones)

Kent Burnside - Hill Country Blood (Strolling Bones)

Yates McKendree - Need To Know (Qualified Records)

The Christopher Dean Band - Steppin' Out Tonight (Lost World Music)

Candice Ivory - New Southern Vintage (Nola Blue Records)

Various Artists - The Last Real Texas Blues Album (Antone's Records)

Jimi “Prime Time” Smith - It's My Time (New Folk Records)

Kirk Fletcher - Keep On Pushing (VizzTone)

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram - Hard Road (Red Zero Records)

Jimmy Burns and Soul Message Band - Full Circle (Delmark Records)

Sean McDonald - Have Mercy! (Little Village)

Galactic and Irma Thomas - Audience With The Queen (Tchoup-zilla Records)

Duwayne Burnside - Red Rooster (Lucky 13 Records)

Corey Ledet Zydeco - Live in Alaska 

North Mississippi Allstars - Still Shakin' (New West Records)

Hopefully, more to come soon, so stay tuned.

Friday Blues Picks (11/21/25)

Another month, another set of great new releases to let blues fans know about.  Lots of Mississippi blues love in this particular edition of FBF, so let's get started!!!

Sean McDonald - Have Mercy! (Little Village Foundation):  Another great release from this label, featuring another young artist with a vast knowledge of what came before and the ability to bring it to the present.  Kid Andersen and the Greaseland regulars are on hand to give young Augusta, GA native superb backing.  He was raised singing in the church, is a nimble guitarist, and the tracks are a mix of classic blues and R&B tunes and some nice originals.  I'm telling you that the future of the blues is in good hands, thanks to artists like McDonald and others, as we'll see below.  This is a fine set of classic-feeling blues, R&B, and soul that will put a big smile on your face and a hop in your step.  It's definitely one of my favorites of the year.

Jimmy Burns & Soul Message Band - Full Circle (Delmark Records):  Burns, born in Dublin, MS but a Chicago resident since he was 12, is one of my favorite vocalists and his career actually dates back to the mid-60's - some of his 45's are hard-to-find collector's items.  This set, recorded with the Chicago-based Soul Message Band, led by B3 master Chris Foreman, features soulful, jazzy remakes of several of Burns' late 60's/early 70's sides, along with some of his personal favorite tunes, plus a couple of soul jazz instrumentals by the band. Burns turned 82 earlier this year, but he is still pretty active on the Chicago blues scene and he sounds great on these tracks....I listened to the originals on YouTube and he sounds as good now as he did fifty years ago.  One of the perks of buying the album is reading the liner notes about Burns' memories of the original recordings - his memory is as amazing as his voice.

Various Artists - Jacktown USA (Emerald Tiger Artist Management):  Did you know that musical artists from Mississippi have received more Grammy Awards and nominations than any other state?  Did you know that the city of Jackson, MS has the nation's highest concentration of Grammy Award winners per capita?  Recently, the book Jacktown USA (by Kamal King and Joe Lee) was released profiling nine current and prominent Mississippi blues and soul artists, and a companion CD was also released separately with tracks by eight of the artists - The Jacktown Sons (an R&B group), blues men Dexter Allen, Eddie Cotton, Zac Harmon, Stevie J Blues, Chad Wesley, and Ra'Shad "The Blues Kid" McGill, and the sibling acapella group Four Washington.  The legendary composer arranger Benjamin Wright is also profiled in the book.  The book and the CD should be part of any blues fan's collection, and the best thing is that there are even more great blues and soul artists in the area that deserve to be heard.  No wonder Jackson is called The City With Soul!

Hudspeth & Taylor - Kimuziki Live in Des Moines (Hudtone Records):  I absolutely loved this Kansas City duo's second release, Ridin' The Blinds, so I was excited to see this new release, which was recorded live at the Central Iowa Blues Society's Winter Blues Festival this past February.  Guitarist Brandon Hudspeth's fretwork is pristine (he also is a member of the K.C. blues rock band Levee Town) as he backs singer/percussionist Jasson Taylor' robust vocals on these nine tracks, three written by Taylor and featured on their first album (Folie a Deux) and six excellent interpretations of blues standards from Jimmy Reed, Jimmy Rogers, Muddy Waters, and Howlin' Wolf.  These guys operate like a well-oiled maching and it shows on each tune.

Bob Corritore & Friends - Early Blues Sessions (VizzTone / SWMAF):  Harmonica player Corritore is a blues mainstay in Phoenix, proprietor of the Rhythm Room, one of the finest blues clubs, and hosting his own radio program on Sunday nights at KJZZ-FM since the 80's.  He's also a produceer and has released multiple albums of his own, where he usually invites his many friend to play.  Most of these friends have taken time to record songs with Corritore while passing through Phoenix and he has released several albums compiling these recordings in his "From The Vault" series.  The latest one goes back to the mid 80's and these tracks have never before been released, including tracks from Jimmy Rogers, Henry Gray, Bob Margolin, Robert Lockwood Jr., Chico Chism, Lil' Ed Williams, Pinetop Perkins, Clarence Edwards, King Karl, Dave Riley, and Lowell Fulson.  Best of all is a never-before-released track with Corritore and Little Milton recorded in 2002 that really made my day.

Also, a pair of singles from a couple of Mississippi blues men, beginning with one mentioned a few paragraphs above, Stevie J Blues.  He's been very active on the blues and southern soul circuit since the pandemic, releasing a couple of albums and numerous singles.  I first heard him acccompanying Bobby Rush on Live at Ground Zero and his wonderful 2004 album, Folk Funk, and he's played with a lot of major southern soul and blues artist over the years, while cutting his own albums in the process.  He also graciously sat down with FBF for a Ten Questions With....post a few years back.  His most recent single is a tasty cover of  J Blackfoot's "Your Mouth Wrote A Check" on PKMG LLC.  His version is a bit funkier than the original, but he pays respect to that version while giving his interpretation a fresh sound....he's a terrific guitarist and singer.  He's already released several other fine singles over the year, so be sure to check them out.

Another Mississippi blues man making a lot of noise these days is Harrell "Young Rell" Davenport.  I first noticed him on Facebook several years ago as he shared his videos while learning to sing and play the blues.  Let's just say that he has put the work in (he knows a lot about the history of the music and puts it to good use) and the blues world has noticed.  He only recently graduated high school but he's been playing guitar and harmonica since he was seven years old.  It's been fun to watch him interact with many of the current blues stars and he's recently been making the rounds at numerous festivals.  He plays the blues with a sincerity and authenticity that is breathtaking when you consider he's still in his teens.  He's issued a couple of singles this year, including his latest, "Fatherless Child" (Rell Tone Records), an original tune that describes the pain and uncertainty of growing up without a father.  It's an amazing and powerful performance and bodes well for the future of this young man.

    

More new blues to come in a few weeks.....