Join us today for some more incredible contemporary roadhouse blues on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com from 12-2 pm ET. I have new tunes by The Strongman Blues Remedy, JD McPherson, Diunna Greenleaf, Karise Eden, Moblues, AND Hank Williams Jr. as well as some favorites by Justin Townes Earle, Steve Earle, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and Tinsley Ellis.
The new Todd Sharpville album Medication Time, that is due out July 8th on Dixiefrog Records, is a powerhouse blues recording that is sure to garner nominations for album of the year. Exhilarating on some tracks and pensive and thoughtful on others, the new album bubbles with energy from a life lived in the blues.
Some people encounter deep sadness and tragedy in their lives and never recover. Others, like Todd, rise from the ashes of a personal meltdown with a renewed sense of purpose. Almost two decades ago, Todd suffered a nervous breakdown after losing custody of his children during a divorce. Severe depression and suicidal thoughts led to a stay in a mental institution. The ability to continue playing and writing music during his stay as well as the support of family and friends (including fellow bluesman Larry McCray from Detroit) got him through the worst of times and honed his blues talents in the fiery cauldron of depression and recovery.
The new album features 12 songs of which 9 are originals. Two of the recordings have been released as promotional videos and both are well worth the time to watch. (Both are also available on my Youtube Channel playlist for cool roadhouse blues.) Todd and Larry McCray do a really creative animated video for the song Brothers From Another Mother. And Todd does an intensely personal video performance of the Dylan tune, Walk Out In the Rain.
There is also an interesting and powerful blues’d up rendition of the Dire Strait’s tune, Money for Nothing, included on the recording. Guest artist Sugar Ray Norcia heightens the intensity, resentment, and jealousy of the lyrics on vocals; it is well worth a listen. My favorite on the album is the blues rockin’ tune, God Loves A Loser and I also love Get Outta My Way, the slow pretty I Don’t Need to Know Your Name (with a fabulous sax solo) and his rousing version of the Bruce Springsteen song, Red Headed Woman.
Undergirding this powerful recording is Todd’s guitar virtuosity and the production values that Duke Robillard, a two time Grammy Nominee and multiple Blues Music Award winner, brings to any recording that he produces. Todd got his start back in 1992 with the album Touch of Your Love. It won Best Album and Best Guitarist awards at that year’s British Blues Awards. I have a strong feeling that Medication Time will do the same this time around!
#blues #roadhouseblues #bluesrock #britishblues
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, does weekly sets on the SecondLife grid, 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 as well as a Youtube channel.
It’s summertime here in the northern hemisphere and many of us will be taking road trips to see family and friends. Whether the journey is an hour away or across the continent, here are the Roadhouse 66 best blues songs of 2021 to listen to along the way. And this year, for the first time, the playlist is available on the Ben Vee Youtube channel and on the Ben Vee Spotify account. I hope you enjoy reviewing and listening to the songs. And bear in mind that music is not a sports competition…..whether the song is listed at number 4 or number 64, these are all truly great tunes culled from an initial list of over 4,000 new songs that I reviewed or streamed during the course of 2021!! And if you have a comment or want to tell us what your best roadhouse blues song of 2021 was, just leave a comment below.
The Roadhouse 66 Best Blues Songs of 2021 Top Ten
#1 Altered Five Blues Band – Full Moon, Half Crazy
Another in a long series of vibrant upbeat tunes from this amazing band out of Wisconsin, the group is powered by the voice of Jeff Taylor.
#2 Christone “Kingfish” Ingram – Long Distance Woman
The Kingfish is a true superstar of the contemporary blues and…..he is only 23!! He first came to my attention four or five years ago and his musical trajectory just keeps rising and rising!
#3 Dion – I’ve Got to Get to You (ft. Boz Scaggs, Mike Menza, and Joe Menza)
His career started over 60 years ago and at the age of 82 he is still kickin’ out some badass blues songs!
#4 Colin James – Open Road
Stevie Ray Vaughan opened the door for him in the 1980’s and in the years since he has become a mainstay of the Canadian music scene. This is the title cut from his latest album that was also the Roadhouse Blues 61 best album of the year!
#5 Tommy Castro – Somewhere
This California based bluesman is a personal favorite. I have seen him in concert 3 times and he is an absolutely incredible performer. He also walked away from this year’s Blue Music Awards in Memphis with a bevy of the top awards. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
#6 J Lee and the Hoodoo Skulls – Highway
This blues rock band out of the UK just cranks out some badass music!
#7 Atomic 44s – Fade to Black
I tried to see this southern California band last summer when I went to visit my younger daughter. They are the perfect roadhouse blues band. Unfortunately, COVID cancelled the show. I hope to see them on a future trip!
#8 JP Williams Blues Band featuring Ekat Pereya – Mighty Dangerous Boogie
I just love JP’s style of roadhouse blues. And I appreciate the fact that he appeared in chat on several of my BluesMusicFan Radio shows during 2021.
#9 Polly O’Keary & the Rhythm Method – I’m Not Guilty
A long time star of the blues from the American northwest, Polly O’Keary has paid her blues dues! I just love her voice!
#10 Blues Traveler – Roadhouse Blues
John Popper and company do an amazing blues version of the Doors classic. Easily one of my favorite tunes of 2021….I wonder why?!!
The entire Roadhouse 66 Best blues songs of 2021
The Roadhouse 66 list includes perennial music stars like Melissa Etheridge, Jimmy Barnes, Billy Gibbons, Van Morrison, and Doobie Brothers as well as personal favorites like Uncle Watson’s Widow, Mike Zito, Carolyn Wonderland, the Black Keys, and Davy Knowles. There are a slew of contemporary blues stars on the list such as Eddie 9V, Joanne Shaw Taylor, the Record Company, and Sue Foley. Also included are some rising stars of the genre that you may not have heard before; 8 Ball Aitken, Veronica Lewis, Ben Levin, Hendrikse, and AJ Fullerton to name just a few! I hope you get a chance to listen to all of them sometime soon. Just remember you can use my playlists on Youtube and Spotify to listen to them all and hopefully buy and download a few….the ultimate compliment to the artists!!
ARTIST
TITLE
1
Altered Five Blues Band
Full Moon, Half Crazy
2
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Long Distance Woman
3
Dion
I’ve Got To Get To You
4
Colin James
Open Road
5
Tommy Castro
Somewhere
6
J Lee and the Hoodoo Skulls
Highway
7
Atomic 44s
Fade To Black
8
JP Williams Blues Band featuring Ekat Pereyra
Mighty Dangerous Boogie
9
Polly O’Keary & The Rhythm Method
I’m Not Guilty
10
Blues Traveler
Roadhouse Blues
11
Mike Zito
Dreaming Of You
12
Billy F Gibbons
Stackin’ Bones (Feat. Larkin Poe)
13
Markus K.
Rollin’ and Tumblin’
14
Sean Chambers
Rockin’ Daddy
15
Carolyn Wonderland
Broken Hearted Blues
16
8 Ball Aitken
What Goes Up
17
Eddie 9V
Dog Me Around
18
Sue Foley
Hurricane Girl (ft. Jimmie Vaughan)
19
The Black Keys
Coal Black Mattie
20
Uncle Watson’s Widow
Nasty Dogs Funky Kings Precious and Grace
21
Melissa Etheridge
For The Last Time
22
Jimmy Barnes
End Of The Road
23
Joanne Shaw Taylor
Stop Messin’ Round
24
Steve Marriner
Take Me To The City
25
Simon Kinny-Lewis
Swamp Rat
26
Chickenbone Slim
Serve It to Me Hot
27
The Dirty Mojo Blues Band
My Little Sue
28
The Doobie Brothers
Cannonball
29
Dirty Dave Osti
River Of Shame
30
Eldon Backhouse And The Electric Blues Band
Another Man
31
Band Of Friends
Livin’ Like a Trucker
32
Steve Cropper
She’s So Fine
33
Joe Metzka
Walk
34
Tom Feldmann and Noah Levy
Going Away Baby
35
The Record Company
Today Forever
36
The Kokomo Kings
She´s Shaking Up A Storm
37
Superdownhome
Homework
38
Vintage Trouble
Low Down Dirty Dog
39
Delta Fuse
Letter on the Table
40
Gov’t Mule
Snatch It Back And Hold It
41
AJ Fullerton
The Forgiver And The Runaway
42
Davy Knowles
One & The Same
43
Captain Morgan Express
Hanging Tree
44
Quinn Sullivan
Wide Awake
45
Dave Kalz
Shes Got A Hemi
46
The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
Too Cool To Dance
47
Tommy Z
Tommy Guns
48
Hendrikse
Try to Save Your Soul
49
Andy Lindquist
The River Queen
50
Big Chief Monk Boudreaux
Choo Choo
51
Dionne Bennett
Full Time Job
52
Cactus
Preaching Woman Man Blues
53
Bernie Marsden
Me And My Guitar
54
Teresa James and The Rhythm Tramps
Gonna Rise Together
55
Ben Levin
I Can’t Stop It
56
The Liberators
Wrong Distraction
57
Trainman Blues
Troubled Mind
58
Mike Goudreau Band
Tonight’s The Night For Big Fun
59
Van Morrison
Deadbeat Saturday Night
60
The Immediate Family
Slippin’ and Slidin’
61
Colin Linden
4 Cars
62
WellBad
One Kiss Too Late
63
Dennis Siggery
Gypsy Woman
64
Early Times & The High Rollers
Do What She Do
65
Selwyn Birchwood
I’d Climb Mountains
66
Veronica Lewis
Put Your Wig On Mama
#blues #roadhouseblues #bluesrock
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 as well as a Youtube channel.
There isn’t much good to say about the year 2021 other than, while we were all still hunkered down because of the pandemic, blues artists continued to produce some fabulous music. Join us today as I play some of the tunes included in my Roadhouse 66 Best Blues Songs of 2021. I will feature the top ten tunes of the year by Tommy Castro, the Altered Five Blues Band, Dion, Christone Kingfish Ingram, Colin James, J Lee and the Hoodoo Skulls, the Atomic 44s, the JP Williams Blues Band, Polly O’Keary & the Rhythm Method, and Blues Traveler. Which one was my number one tune for 2021? You will just have to tune in at http://www.bluesmusicfan.com from 12-2 pm ET today and listen along!
For those of you that can’t tune in, I have already posted the entire Roadhouse 66 Best Songs of 2021 playlist on my Ben Vee Spotify account for you to peruse and I will be posting the list to my Ben Vee Youtube channel tomorrow. (Previous year lists for 2017-2020 are also on my YouTube channel.) A review of the 2021 list will be posted here on my blues blog by the end of the week. It is a joy to put together these annual lists of my favorite 66 tunes from among the 6000 or so songs that I spin for the year. I hope you get as much enjoyment from reviewing my selections, listening to them….and hopefully downloading….your favorites!!
Every life is an open road. It’s a lyric from the title cut for Colin James‘ 20th album which was released this week. In Colin’ case, the certainty and direction of his musical journey was cemented when fate intervened back in the 1980’s in his hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan. A late no show and a desperate last minute search for an opening act for Stevie Ray Vaughan led to Colin. After the show, Stevie told him , “I’m opening doors for you….walk through them!”.And that he did!!
In 1988, Colin released his first self-titled album which contained two self-penned hits, Voodoo Thing and Five Long Years that garnered him the first of his 7 JUNO awards and a spot touring with Keith Richards. Over the ensuing years, Colin has rocked it, been credited with reviving swing music in Canada, and, with the last three albums, solidified his standings as one badass roadhouse bluesman.
The OPEN ROAD album is an impressive collection of original songs as well as covers of tunes he recalls first firing his imagination at the age of 12. It has rockin’ blues songs, traditional blues numbers, and beautiful roots tunes. Overcoming the challenges of the pandemic, Colin drew together the talents of Chris Caddell (rhythm guitar), Steve Pelletier and Norm Fisher (bassists), Simon Kendall and Jesse O’Brien (Hammond B3 organ), and Geoff Hicks (drums) to make the recording. It was mixed at the famed Abbey Roads Studios in London by producer Dave Meszaros. And the product, which includes guest appearances by Steve Marriner (harmonica) and Jerry Cook and Steve Hilliam (saxophone) is in my opinion his best overall release to date and worthy of consideration as one of the best blues recordings of 2021 world wide, not just in Canada. To give you a feel for just how good it is, I use a 5 star rating system for songs and there are 13 on the Open Road recording. My overall rating is an incredible 57 out of a possible 65. As context, my normal rating for an album I considered great would be 40 to 45! This recording is special!!
The album opens with some tasty guitar pickin’ on the Tony Joe White song As The Crow Flies. Colin then takes on challenge of covering an Albert King tune, Can’t You See What You’re Doing to Me. He follows that up with some badass lowdown blues on That’s Why I Am Crying. The fourth song Open Road was written by Colin and Craig Northey. It is insightful observation on life and the travails of a traveling musician. On the fifth tune, Change It, Colin pays tribute to his fateful meeting with Stevie Ray with a song written by Doyle Bramhall. The album also contains two songs written by Colin and Colin Linden, another of my favorite Canadian artists, Raging River and There’s a Fire. Colin cranks out a signature rockin blues tune, Leave This House, that he wrote with Tom Wilson as the seventh cut. Colin’s version of the Bob Dylan song, It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry is a showcase for his voice and some more tasty guitar licks. And he absolutely aces another Dylan tune, Down On the Bottom, that served as one of the “promo singles” released back in September. Colin also delivers a fabulous cover of the John Lee Hooker song, Bad Boy. One of my all time favorite bluesmen is Otis Rush and the recording of It Takes Time featuring some exquisite harmonica by Steve Marriner is just simply badass roadhouse blues! And to top it all off, the last song on the album is a soulful rendition of Otis Redding‘s I Love You More Than I Can Say.
I have been told that the average music lover buys a dozen or so albums a year. In what is fast becoming the new age of the single, I highly recommend that you purchase the entire recording to truly appreciate what an incredible recording this is! And in the coming months, I will be more than willing to hit the open road to see Colin James work his musical magic on stage….how about you?
Colin James – Open Road (2021 Stony Plain Records)
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 24 hour stream devoted to the Roadhouse Blues… WRHB
Join us today, June 3rd, from 3-5 pm EDT on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com for some of the best new contemporary blues on the internet as I feature brand new songs from albums that will be released in the near future by Robben Ford, Billy F Gibbons, Derrick Procell, and Mike Zito! You will get to hear them first on BMFR!!!
Join me for my annual Roadhouse Mardi Gras show on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com from 12-2 pm EST! I am from New Orleans and love to share what I call the “Down the Bayou” blues of artists not only from Louisiana but around the world. I will have tunes by Tab Benoit, Marcia Ball, Long Tall Deb, Jersey Swamp Cats, Kjell Gustavsson Rhythm & Blues Orchestra and many more.
Join me today for my Roadhouse Blues Nooner from 12 to 2 pm EST at http://www.bluesmusicfan.com. Got tunes by Link Wray, Vidar Busk & His True Believers, C.W. Stoneking, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Bulldoze Blues Band, Mia Dyson, Steve Earle & the Dukes, and plenty more!
Government restrictions on the right to assemble during the ongoing pandemic have destroyed the livelihoods of many local musicians and performing artists. And the rationale for lockdowns being used by politicians and public health officials bode ill for their long term future.
The current pandemic was initially termed the Wuhan flu before it was deemed politically incorrect. It is a virulent and deadly form of the flu. It is not the first such strain nor will it be the last. Every year, the flu strikes millions of people. It is particularly deadly to the elderly and those with other serious underlying medical problems. AND it mutates as it goes so that in any given year there can be new strains to address. And this strain is really bad news.
But we know this….if you are over 70 or have a serious medical issue…take EVERY rational precaution. If you are over 50, wear a mask and wash your damn hands when you are out and about. But if you are under 50 and have no serious medical condition, you should have the CHOICE to take the RISK and get on living your life. Restricting the rights of people under 50 to go to a restaurant or a concert hall or a local bar is government sticking its nose where it can….but it shouldn’t!!
We ALL live with risk every moment of every day. And destroying the livelihoods of performing artists to mitigate these risks is not going to do anything but lead to more drug use and suicides among this vulnerable group of people. Public Health officials are already stating that it may be 2022 “before they feel the threat to the public is under control”. And I have news for you ….the NEXT STRAIN of flu after COVID-19…and there will be a next strain… will lead to the same rationale for restricting public assembly in the name of safety……..for whom?
At some point, we must, in the music industry, stand up to the hysterical (and politicized) fear mongering. Previous generations have had to battle evils that far outweigh this pandemic. All we have to do is endure the slights of the social media trolls (who tolerate no opinion but their own) and rationally make the case that freedom is about making choices and taking the associated risk. If the reasoning takes hold that MY freedom should be restricted dramatically to lower YOUR risk then democracy will become just a platitude and public health officials will be screaming an alarm on any number of issues. If they can restrict your right to assemble, they can damn sure restrict your ability to eat, drink, smoke, drive, create music, or make comments like I am…all in the name of public health!! Fight for your freedoms…..and help put a lot of performing artists and musicians back to work NOW!
Ben Vee is an internet DJ and writer from New Orleans that now lives in Connecticut with his wife Annette. He started spinning records back in the 1970’s and has been writing about the roadhouse blues since 2011. He does two roadhouse blues shows each week on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com and he writes about the blues when the urge strikes on http://www.benveeblues.com.
It’s already the end of August….and 2020 can’t get done soon enough for me!! Join us today, August 27th, from 3 to 5 pm EST for the Ben Vee Good Time Roadhouse Blues show on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com. Let’s blues the day away…..together!!
The intended playlist is below:
ARTIST
TITLE
ALBUM
Andrew Alli
Chrome-A-Thick
Hard Workin’ Man
Linda Shell
Me & The Band (Me & My Guitar)
Under The Influence
The Lucky Losers
Half a Nothing
Godless Land
Savoy Brown
River On The Rise
Ain’t Done Yet
Wayne Nicholson & John Campbelljohn
Shake Your Money Maker
Elmore’s Blues
Turn On
Wasted Days
The Ghost On The Wall
JD Taylor
By All Means
The Coldwater Sessions
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Born In Louisiana (Live With Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown)
The Legends EP Vol. II
Sonny Landreth
Congo Square
KFOG Live From The Archives 2
Tab Benoit
Fever For The Bayou
Carolyn Wonderland
Swamp
Moon Goes Missing
Honey Island Swamp Band
Head High Water Blues
Demolition Day
Laurence Jones
Soul Swamp River
Smokehouse
Cadillac In the Swamp
Cadillac In the Swamp
Tiffany Pollack & Eric Johanson
Keep It Simple
Blues In My Blood
Wily Bo Walker/Danny Flam
Fool for You (2020 Hindsight)
Ain’t No Man a Good Man (Deluxe)
Johnny & the Mongrels
True Life
Creole Skies
Blackie & The Rodeo Kings
How Come You Treat Me So Bad featuring Janiiva Magness
Ben Vee Blues 