This is a list of some great new 2026 blues music recordings that have been released since the start of the new year! Joe Bonamassa has a tribute album to B.B. King out. Robin Trower has a new live album from the summer of 2025 concert performances and one of my favorite female contemporary blues artists, Teresa James, has a new recording. Eric Bibb, Tinsley Ellis, the Altered Five Blues Band, Danny Bryant, and Duke Robillard have also released new music! The list also includes some artists you may not have heard of like Charles Tiner, Voodoo Ramble, Ed Alstrom, Alex Lopez, Spencer MacKenzie, and Jay Buchanan…I hope you give them a listen. The year 2026 is off to a good start for the blues!
New 2026 Contemporary Blues Recordings
Joe Bonamassa – B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100
This 32 song tribute to B.B. King in celebration of his 100th birthday includes a who’s who of contemporary artists assembled by Joe Well worth your time!
Teresa James & the Rhythm Tramps – Bad at Being Good
A sassy and sultry voice backed by a world class band is a winning recipe for Teresa and has been for many years…oh yeah!
Eric Bibb – One Mississippi
This is an incredible recording and sets the bar pretty high for traditional blues albums being considered for awards for the coming year.
Altered Five Blues Band – Hammer & Chisel
A personal favorite, this Milwaukee based group is fronted by one of the great voices of his generation, Jeff Taylor.
Ed Alstrom – The Idea of Humanity…
Ed is from New Jersey and can play dem ivories and the organ….very nice recording!!
Duke Robillard & His All Star Band – Blast Off
I wrote a review a couple of weeks ago about this recording that you can find on my blog! Duke is one of the all time great bluesmen and if you ever get a chance to see one of his performances you should jump at the opportunity!
New 2026 Blues Rock Recordings
Robin Trower – One Moment in Time Live in the USA
Robin will be 80 in a couple of weeks and the man just isn’t slowing down. This album features songs from a couple of concerts he did during the summer of 2025.
Danny Bryant – Nothing Left Behind
Danny is steadily emerging as one of the premier blues rock talents on the planet and this recording will do nothing but help his ascent.
Voodoo Ramble – Made in the UK Live
Out of my ancestral home of Croatia, Voodoo Ramble continues to release solid blues rock recordings. They are a testament to just how badass the music coming out of Europe is!
Alex Lopez and the Xpress – Retro Revival
Alex is from Tampa and the man can rock the blues!! This is his seventh album and I hope it helps expose him to a bunch of new fans…he has the talent!
Spencer MacKenzie – Empty Chairs
I’ve been following Canadian Spencer MacKenzie’s career for 10 years or so. He is an unabashed blues rocker and solid guitar player.
New 2026 Blues R&B/Soul Recordings
Charles Tiner – Good Soul
This is great self produced album by Charles Tiner who is based in Springfield, Illinois. He has a great voice and the album is full of gospel oriented and blues based tunes written by Charles.
New 2026 Blues Acoustic/Roots/Americana Recordings
Tinsley Ellis – Labor of Love
An acoustic focused outing by Tinsley allows his guitar virtuosity to shine….mhmmm. Tinsley is truly an American treasure!
Jay Buchanan – Weapons of Beauty
Jay Buchanan hails from California and has a persona and voice that defies genre boundaries like Chris Stapleton, Delbert McClinton and Bonnie Raitt. Give the song Caroline a listen…it’s not a blues song in terms of musical structure but the lyrics are coated in the blues.
#blues #bluesmusic #bluesnews #bluesreviews #musicnews #newmusic #contemporaryblues
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 for BMFR at http:/www.bluesbeats.com and on his own blog at http://www.benveeblues.com from his home in Connecticut.
Leave a Reply