I can not tell you how sad I am today….as probably many of you are. I feel helpless…imagine how the citizens of Ukraine must feel..confused…bewildered. It is a sad day for freedom. On today’s show on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com from 3-5 pm ET, Blues For Ukraine with a selection of freedom songs. Whether it is a plaza in Kyiv, a boulevard in Taipei, or a rural road in Mississippi, blues men and women know that freedom ain’t free. #freedom #blues
Today, on a day of days 2/22/22, on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com I will be spinning a palette of new roadhouse blues featuring Walk That Walk, Joan Osborne, Trudy Lynn, Bobby Rush, Bernard Allison, Regina Bonelli, Larry McCray, and a dozen or so more. Tune in for the Roadhouse Blues Nooner from 12-2 pm ET.
Hope you can join us for some roadhouse blues on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com from 3-5 pm today. I will be spinnin’ tunes by Micki Free, Uncle Watson’s Widow, Poppa Chubby, King of the World, Kulhu & the Vigilantes, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Karen Lawrence, Sari Schorr…..and more!
Here is the intended playlist:
ARTIST
TITLE
Ricci and Krown
Down n’ Dirty
The Blues Against Youth
Blue Muse
Damon Fowler
Some Things Change
Mike Zito
Make Blues Not War
The Fabulous Thunderbirds
Look At That, Look At That
The Kokomo Kings
Buckle Up!
Alvin Lee And Co.
Let’s Get Back
Tommy Castro
Bring It On Back
Popa Chubby
It’s A Mighty Hard Road
Bubba And The Big Bad Blues
Do What’s Right
King of the World
Pressure
Kulhu & the Vigilantes
Stay Away
Reverend Nathon
Darker Shade Of Blues
Regina Bonelli
Cross To Bear
Micki Free
Judicator Blues (feat. Christone “Kingfish” Ingram)
Mike Zito was born and raised in south St. Louis. By reputation, it is a tough place to grow up…a place where the blues aren’t just notes floating in the air or lyrics in a song. Mike chose to return to his roots for his latest recording, Blues for the Southside. Literally surrounded by family and friends from his high school years, Mike and his very talented band cranked out live versions of 14 of the songs from his 25 year career plus a new instrumental, the title cut, that is an instant classic.
Mike now lives in Texas. And during the first year of the pandemic, one of the joys I can recall was watching Mike playing live on Facebook from a small room (or perhaps the garage) of his home. His band was scrunched in with him and they are having a blast. Mike told stories, jokes, and casually played songs and requests from the internet audience. It was magical. That same spirit is captured on the new recording. And watching his entertaining banter and incredible musical talent makes it easy to understand why the recording label that he and Guy Hale own, Gulf Coast Records, has so quickly attracted a large group of very talented fellow artists since its inception in 2018.
The double album recording features Doug Byrkit (vocals/ bass), Matthew Johnson (vocals/drums), Lewis Stephens (piano/organ), with special guest appearances by Gulf Coast Record artists Tony Campanella (guitars), Dave Kalz (guitars as well as a friend from the old neighborhood) and an impromptu performance by guitar maestro Eric Gales. Eric literally showed up backstage, picked up a guitar, and then comes out and launches into an epic jam with the band of the Jimi Hendrix tune, Voodoo Chile.
On the album, Mike also does a fantastic cover of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Texas Flood. He and Dave Kalz share the blues magic on The Road Never Ends. The recording also includes live versions of some my favorite Zito tunes including First Class Life, Mississippi Nights, and Make Blues Not War. And as I stated earlier, the instrumental Blues for the Southside is absolutely beautiful. To top it all off, the album closes with a rousing version of a tune written by another guy from St. Louis you might know, Chuck Berry. Mike’s cover of Johnny B. Goode should bring a smile to your face.
If you need a musical “pick me up” on any given day from now to forever, purchase and download a copy of this memorable live recording. It will have you dancin’ around your chair and will remind you of just why you love the roadhouse blues…and Mike Zito!
Mike Zito – BLUES FOR THE SOUTHSIDE (Gulf Coast Records 2022) (Available February 18th)
#blues #roadhouse blues
Ben Vee started out spinning songs on terrestrial radio and at nightclubs back in the 1970’s in his home state of Louisiana. After a career in the construction business, he returned to DJing in 2011. He now hosts two shows each week on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com and writes about the blues at http://www.benveeblues.com from his home in Connecticut. He also has a personal 24 hour stream devoted to the Roadhouse Blues… WRHB
United States Highway 61 starts in Wyoming, Minnesota and over its 1400 mile length generally follows the mighty Mississippi River to its terminus in New Orleans. It has earned the proud appellation as the “Blues Highway” primarily because of its route through the heart of the Mississippi delta country where the blues was born. It also intersects in Clarksdale Mississippi with Highway 49 at a spot known as the Crossroads that is stamped indelibly on the tale of the blues. In honor of this great highway and all of the blues men and women who have transited lengths of it over their careers , I present my list of the 61 best roadhouse blues albums of 2021.
The year 2021 will not be treated kindly by history. The dark foreboding shadow of the pandemic continued to loom over the months. Strife and division marked our public discourse and even enveloped the blues. But despite it all, thousands of blues artists continued to release new recordings in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia & New Zealand, South America, and Africa. Through my association with BluesMusicFan Radio and my own contacts in the industry, I received hundreds and hundreds of new releases. I reviewed them and rated each album song by song with additional factors for creativity and “paying the blues dues”. This list is not about an individual song but an album as a creative whole. Needless to say, it takes time to do this. I started culling the list down in mid November. First to 300, then 150, and now the final list. While the list includes 61 releases, it is not strictly a numerical listing. Artists are not in a sports competition with their fellow artists and most I have known over the years will be the first to sing the praises of other groups. With this in mind, I break the lists down by album of the year and then Best Ten albums as a group, Top Twenty, and so on. ANY album on this list is worth your time to listen to. And I hope many of you will AND pay the artists the ultimate compliment by purchasing their work.
The Ben Vee Roadhouse Blues Album of the Year 2021 is…..
Colin James – Open Road
Colin James got his big break in the 1980’s when he was drafted as a last minute replacement for a cancelled opening act for Stevie Ray Vaughan. He has been a rocker, blues rocker, and successful Swing music artist over the years and has won dozens of music honors in Canada. For the Open Road recording, he made a conscious decision to emphasize his love of the blues genre and we are all its beneficiaries. It has rockin’ blues songs, traditional blues numbers, and beautiful roots blues tunes. (For an in depth review of the album songs, please see my blog dated November 4, 2021). With echoes of Chuck Berry and Stevie Ray Vaughan in the music combined with Colin’s voice and guitar mastery, I invite you to listen to Leave This House as just one sampling of this incredible recording and my choice as Roadhouse Blues album of the year.
Roadhouse Blues Best Ten Recordings of 2021
This year’s Roadhouse Blues Best Ten recordings include artists from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. One is 22 and has such a bright future, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. Another is 82 and still kicking out vibrant and thoughtful jams, Dion. There is a great group out of the UK, J Lee and Hoodoo Skulls, that won my award for Blues Rock album of 2021. There are two artists, the JP Williams Blues Band and the Atomic 44’s that I tried to see during the year but Covid raised its ugly head. Polly O’Keary makes the list based on the power of her voice and all the dues she has paid to the blues over the years. Perennial favorite Tommy Castro also shows up as well as John Popper with Blues Traveler. And one of the defining voices of the contemporary blues, Jeff Taylor, makes the list with the Altered Five Blues Band.
Artist
2021 Album
Country
Colin James
Open Road
Canada
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
662
USA
Dion
Stomping Ground
USA
Altered Five Blues Band
Holler If You Hear Me
USA
J Lee and the Hoodoo Skulls
Beggars Soul
UK
JP Williams Blues Band
JP & Ekat
USA
Polly O’Keary & the Rhythm Method
50
USA
Tommy Castro
A Bluesman Came to Town
USA
Atomic 44’s
Volume One
USA
Blues Traveler
Traveler’s Blues
USA
Roadhouse Blues Top Twenty Recordings of 2021
My Top Twenty albums for 2021 included artists from Canada (Sue Foley), Australia (8 Ball Aiken), and the street busker from the UK (Markus K.). Carolyn Wonderland, based in Austin, makes the list with an incredible recording. Established stars Mike Zito, Billy Gibbons, and the Black Keys all contributed significant works to the roadhouse blues this year. An emerging artist that I believe still has his best work in front of him, Eddie 9V, makes the list and is well worth a listen as hint of the future of the blues. And Ricci and Krown put out a recording that should warm the heart of anyone that enjoys harmonica based blues. I also highly recommend the Sean Chambers album which is a tribute to his mentor and famed blues man, Hubert Sumlin.
8 Ball Aiken
Ice Cream Man
Australia
Carolyn Wonderland
Tempting Fate
USA
Eddie 9V
Little Black Flies
USA
Sean Chambers
That’s What I’m Talkin’ About
USA
Mike Zito
Resurrection
USA
Ricci and Krown
City Country City
USA
Billy F. Gibbons
Hardware
USA
Sue Foley
Pinky’s Blues
Canada
The Black Keys
Delta Kream
USA
Markus K.
Live With Looper No. 1
UK
Roadhouse Blues Thrillin’ Thirty Recordings of 2021
Band of Friends
Spotlight on the G-Man Vol. 2
UK/Ireland
Uncle Watson’s Widow
Hindsight
USA
Simon Kinney Lewis
King Biscuit
Australia
Chickenbone Slim
Serve It to Me Hot
USA
The Dirty Mojo Blues Band
It is What It is
USA
The Doobie Brothers
Liberte
USA
Melissa Etheridge
One Way Out
USA
Dirty Dave Osti
Retro-Sonic Blues Train
Australia
Eldon Backhouse and the Electric Blues Band
Portrait Gallery
UK
Steve Marriner
Hope Dies Last
Canada
The Roadhouse Blues Thrillin’ Thirty recordings list has an international flavor with two artists from Australia (Simon Kinney Lewis & Dirty Dave Osti) as well as two from the UK (Band of Friends & Eldon Backhouse and the Electric Blues Band) and one from Canada (Steve Marriner). If you love Rory Gallagher, then I highly recommend the Band of Friends recording which features bassist Gerry McAvoy and the stellar guitar playing of Davy Knowles. If you enjoy what I term “roots blues”, then Steve Marriner’s latest recording is well worth a listen. Additionally two major music artists, Melissa Etheridge and the Doobie Brothers, both released albums that a perfect representations of what I term the “roadhouse blues”…a mix of contemporary blues, blues rock, and roots blues. And I highly recommend a blues rock group out of North Carolina, Uncle Watson’s Widow, that plays a high energy mix of ZZ Top and Joe Bonamassa related music.
Roadhouse Blues Top 61 Recordings of 2021
The rest of the list of the 61 Best Roadhouse Albums of 2021 includes notable names like Steve Cropper, Jimmy Barnes, Gov’t Mule, Joanne Shaw Taylor, and Bernie Marsden as well as established roadhouse blues artists like The Record Company, Davy Knowles, Cactus, Colin Linden, and “up and comers” like Veronica Lewis, The Kokomo Kings, Hendrikse, and Quinn Sullivan. All of them put out quality recordings that I enjoyed listening to!
Steve Cropper
Fire It Up
USA
Jimmy Barnes
Flesh And Blood
Australia
Joe Metzka
Another Disaster
USA
Tom Feldman and Noah Levy
Brothers in Mud
USA
The Record Company
Play Loud
USA
Quinn Sullivan
Wide Awake
USA
The Kokomo Kings
A Drive-By Love Affair
Denmark
Vintage Trouble
Juke Joint Gems
USA
Delta Fuse
A Matter of Love and War
UK
Gov’t Mule
Heavy Load Blues
USA
AJ Fullerton
The Forgiver
USA
Davy Knowles
What Happens Next
UK
Captain Morgan Express
No Weirdos Please
Germany
Superdownhome
No Balls, No Blues Chips
Italy
Dave Kalz
Relish
USA
Joanne Shaw Taylor
The Blues Album
UK
The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
Dance Songs for Hard Times
USA
Tommy Z
Plug in and Play
USA
Hendrikse
A Good Day for the Blues
Netherlands
Big Chief Monk Boudreaux
Bloodstains and Teardrops
USA
Dionne Bennett
Sugar Hip Ya Ya
UK
Cactus
Tightrope
USA
Bernie Marsden
Kings
UK
Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps
Rose Colored Glasses
USA
The Liberators
Waitin’
Netherlands
Trainman Blues
Shadows & Shapes
Denmark
Mike Goudreau Band
The Isolation Blues
Canada
Colin Linden
Blow
Canada
Veronica Lewis
You Ain’t Lucky
USA
Dennis Siggery
Higher Ground
UK
Early Times & the High Rollers
The Corner
USA
The Roadhouse Blues 61 Best Blues albums of 2021 is not THE list of lists for 2021. It is based on the types of blues that I enjoy spinning for my audiences and that is a bias that I readily admit to. Other blues writers and organizations (including the BluesMusicFan Radio Top 20) have produced charts that differ, sometimes widely, from mine. However I do believe this list is a representative overview of the state of the blues in 2021 and the forecast is pretty dang good. The blues is not dying…it is not just surviving….it is thriving in terms of the number of great artists that are attracted to the genre. The challenge is to get the mainstream music media to give the blues its proper due and consequentially pump up the sales so that the artists can derive a meaningful income. I am so thankful to the major blues labels like Delmark Records, Ruff Records, Alligator Records, Stony Plain Records, Mascot/Provogue, Gulf Coast Records, KTBA Records, and a whole host of other “indie” labels for encouraging and promoting groups that fit my roadhouse blues format.
And YOU have a part to play also. My part is to listen, select, and spin contemporary blues, blues rock, and roots blues tunes to help get the word out. I do this for no financial renumeration (though I would not begrudge it!). YOUR part, if you love the roadhouse blues, is to pass the word when given the opportunity to friends and family. Particularly to younger audiences that probably have no clue about most, if not all, the artists on this list. AND, once in awhile, when finances permit, you can support your favorite artist(s) on this list by downloading their album. I estimate that I reach about 10,000 people each week through my shows and other social media. That is a pittance compared to the several million people reached by terrestrial radio and media on any given day in a major city in Europe or North America. But if the people I do reach each spent 50 dollars downloading albums (not just listening to streams) this year, that would be an infusion of $500,000 into the blues music market. It is a “drop in the bucket” compared to what artists on the Billboard 200 weekly list of albums generate but it is something. Almost to a person, the blues artists that I have met and conversed with are down to earth people and they definitely haven’t committed their musical lives to the blues seeking fame and fortune. But they do deserve the chance to make a decent living during a period when they can’t perform before live audiences. It starts with you and me…..pass on a link for this list to someone you know….you never know who will be the next convert to the blues. After all, you and I were converted at some point….and I think we are doin’ just fine!
#blues #roadhouse blues
Ben Vee started out spinning songs on terrestrial radio and at nightclubs back in the 1970’s in his home state of Louisiana. After a career in the construction business, he returned to DJing in 2011. He now hosts two shows each week on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com and writes about the blues at http://www.benveeblues.com from his home in Connecticut. He also has a personal 24 hour stream devoted to the Roadhouse Blues… WRHB
Gonna be crankin’ the blues on today’s Roadhouse Blues show on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com from 3-5 pm EST. I have new tunes from Mike ZIto and Andy Lindquist as well as songs by Joe Bonamassa, Samantha Fish, Danny Bryant, Ally Venable, AJ Fullerton, Robin Trower, and a bunch mo’ badass blues rock. #blues #bluesrock #roadhouseblues
The year 2022 already shows a lot of promise in terms of new roadhouse blues music releases by both established artists and up & coming groups. Some familiar names in the blues world (Keb Mo’, Tinsley Ellis, John Mayall, Eric Gales, North Mississippi Allstars) have all released new albums in the last several weeks that should be on interest to roadhouse blues listeners. If you like your blues loud and rocked, check out Andy Lindquist‘s new recording, My Name is Mud. And blue rock instrumental listeners should enjoy Steve Vai‘s new release Inviolate. John Mellencamp also has a new recording Strictly A One Eyed Jack out that is coated with a pleasant blues roots vibe and includes a couple of guest appearances by Bruce Springsteen.
Later this month, Beth Hart will release A Tribute to Led Zeppelin. The album represents a return to her early days of performing in the mid 1990’s as a full fledged blues rocker. I can’t wait to hear the entire album based on a couple of videos that I have heard so far. Another album due out next week that I already have a promo copy of is Mike Zito’s Blues for the Southside. It is a live recording done in his hometown of St. Louis and will give you a good feel for just how powerful a presence and performer he is while on tour. And an album that I did a review of last month, Booze, Blues, & Southern Grooves by Reddog and Friends will also officially hit the stores and music download websites next week. Also looking forward to the new Bernard Allison, Micki Free, and Dan Patlansky as well as releases by Professor Louie and the Crowmatix and Joan Osborne.
In March, new recordings by long time favorites Albert Castiglia, Sugaray Rayford, Duke Robillard, and Larry McCray are due out. And Kenny ‘Blues Boss’ Wayne will release an album that is a tribute to Memphis Slim & Willie Dixon. I have a promo copy of it sitting here on my desk…I will let ya know what I think in due course.
Overall, a whole bunch of new badass contemporary blues, blues rock, and roots blues is on the way. I call it the roadhouse blues…..and the roadhouse blues is off to a great start in 2022!
Here is a complete listing of releases that I am tracking:
Out now:
Andy Lindquist – My Name Is Mud
Bob Stroger & the Headcutters – That’s My Name (Delmark Records)
Angela Easley – Rise
Keb’ Mo’ – Good To Be
Robbin’ Ford & the Blue Line – Live At Yoshi’s 1996
Tinsley Ellis – Devil May Care
Willie & the Bandits (UK) – When the World Stood Still
John Mayall – The Sun Is Shining Down featuring Marcus King, Buddy Miller, Mike Campbell
Eric Gales – Crown – featuring Joe Bonamassa
North Mississippi Allstars – Set Sail
Steve Vai – Inviolate
John Mellencamp – Strictly A One-Eyed Jack
Upcoming Releases – During February:
Beth Hart – A Tribute to Led Zeppelin (Feb 25)
Bernard Allison – Highs & Lows
Micki Free – Turquoise Blue
Reddog and Friends – Booze, Blues, and Southern Grooves
Dan Patlansky – Shelter of Bones
Mike Zito – Blues for the Southside (Live) (Feb 18)
Joan Osborne – Radio Waves
The Kenneth Brian Band – Keys to the Kingdom
Kathy Murray & the Kilowatts – Fully Charged
The Love Light Orchestra – Leave the Light On
Professor Louie and the Crowmatix – Strike Up the Band
Upcoming Releases – March:
Sugaray Rayford – In Too Deep (March 4)
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne – Blues From Chicago to Paris: A Tribute to Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon
The Duke Robillard Band – They Called It Rhythm & Blues
Big Daddy – It’s a Mad Mad Bad Dad World (March 11)
Larry McCray – Blues Without You (March 25) KTBA Records
Albert Castiglia – I Got Love (March 25) Gulf Coast Records
#blues #roadhouse blues
Ben Vee started out spinning songs on terrestrial radio and at nightclubs back in the 1970’s in his home state of Louisiana. After a career in the construction business, he returned to DJing in 2011. He now hosts two shows each week on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com and writes about the blues at http://www.benveeblues.com from his home in Connecticut. He also has a personal 24 hour stream devoted to the Roadhouse Blues… WRHB
Hope you have time to listen in to today’s Roadhouse Blues Nooner on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com from 12-2 pm ET. Have new tunes from John Mayall, Eric Gales, Emma Wilson, Mike Zito as well as contemporary blues songs from the B. Christopher Band, HeavyDrunk, Alvin Lee, and a bunch more!
Another Blues giant, Jimmy Johnson, passed away on Monday at the age of 93. I will spinning several of his tunes plus alot of Chicago blues and some new contemporary blues songs during today’s Roadhouse Blues show on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com from 3-5 pm ET. #blues #roadhouseblues
We lost another Blues giant this week with the passing of Jimmy Johnson at the age of 93. Born in Mississippi in 1928, Jimmy was a part of the “great trek north” that brought so many blues men and women to Chicago in the 1940’s and 50’s. Jimmy arrived in the windy city in 1950 and over the next 30 years paid his dues singing, playing the guitar and piano, and touring and performing with the likes of Otis Rush, Albert King, Magic Sam, and Freddie King. He was known for a fluid and understated style on the guitar and his high tenor soulful voice was riveting.
Jimmy broke out on the national blues scene in 1979 when, at the age of 50, he released his first big recording, Johnson’s Whacks, on Delmark Records. Over the ensuing years, he took the blues world by storm becoming a fan favorite in Europe. In 1983, he released an album on Alligator Records, Bar Room Preacher, that is part of my personal album collection and one of the great all time blues recordings.
In 2019, at the age of 91, Jimmy released the recording Every Day of Your Life on Delmark Records that won him the Living Blues award as artist of the Year for 2020. It was not a lifetime achievement award, as many are for albums released late in life by well known artists. The recording is a soaring celebration of the blues that he played and the fact that he laid down the tracks at 91 just adds to the special blues aura that marked his life. In particular, the instrumental,Better When It’s Wet, is simply amazing. And the title cut, Every Day of Your Life, is representative of his soulful blues style and apropo as a fitting final statement from one of the greatest of them all! Take the time to give the album a listen….it will remind you of why you love the blues!
#blues #roadhouse blues
Ben Vee started out spinning songs on terrestrial radio and at nightclubs back in the 1970’s in his home state of Louisiana. After a career in the construction business, he returned to DJing in 2011. He now hosts two shows each week on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com and writes about the blues at http://www.benveeblues.com from his home in Connecticut. He also has a personal 24 hour stream devoted to the Roadhouse Blues… WRHB