The first winter storm of the year has struck…..but the blues roll on! Tune in today from 3 to 5 pm EST for my Snowed In Roadhouse blues featuring Jay Stollman, GG Davies, Crystal Shawanda, Samantha Martin, and many more at http://www.bluesmusicfan.com.
Here is the intended playlist:
ARTIST
TITLE
ALBUM
Shuggie Otis
Cold Shot
Plays the Blues
Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar
Better To Have Never
The Reckless One
Dave Keller
One More Tear (Feat. Annika Chambers)
You Get What You Give: Duets
Curtis Salgado
The Longer That I Live
2020 Blues Sampler Alligator Records
Eva Carboni
Wages of Sin
Italia Square
Jay Stollman
Back to Memphis
Room for One More
Anthony Rosano and The Conqueroos
Love Got a Hold on Me
Anthony Rosano and the Conqueroos
Crystal Shawanda
Move Me
Church House Blues
Harpdog Brown
Better Days (Featuring Kid Andersen)
Travelin’ with the Blues
Johnny Burgin
Late Night Date Night (Feat. Rae Gordon)
Live
Shaun Murphy
Soul Shake
Flame Still Burns
Dave Keyes
Not So Nice Anymore
The Healing
John Ginty
Damage Control
Bad News Travels
Rita Engedalen & Margit Bakken
They’re Still Passing Through
Women In Blues: Broken Soul Blues
Willie May
Joanna Conqueror
Blues For Sugar
Harmonica Shah & Howard Glazer
My Bottle Is My Bank Account
Ain’t Gonna Worry About Tomorrow
Bonnie Raitt, Keb’ Mo’ and Alan Darby
Million Miles
Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival 2019 (Live)
Citizen Cope and Gary Clark Jr.
Son’s Gonna Rise
Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival 2019 (Live)
Eric Clapton with Andy Fairweather-Low
Lay Down Sally
Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival 2019 (Live)
This godforsaken year is almost done!! Join me today, December 15th, for some contemporary blues on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com from 12 pm to 2 pm EST! I have some Mark Knopfler, Bonnie Raitt, Lee O’Nell Blues Gang, Alastair Greene, the Brother Jon Band, and many more! Below is the intended playlist…..and….they make GREAT Christmas gifts to friends and family!
My first Roadhouse Blues Nooner of the fall season is today (Sept 20th) from 12-2 pm EDST. Tune in for songs by Casey James, Kiko Garcia, Sass Jordan, Keb’ Mo’, Cary Morin, the One Dime Band, and many more!
Below is the intended playlist. I hope you enjoy several enough to download them from your favorite music site and support the artists! During this pandemic, many bands and musicians have been particularly hard hit worldwide because there is no place to perform! Every paid download helps!!
Join us as we get ready for the long Labor Weekend in the United States on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com. Tune in from 3 to 5 pm EST today for new tunes by Paul Buchanan’s Voodoo Preachers, CD Woodbury, The Hi-Jivers, and Gregg Martinez and lots more!
Below is the intended playlist:
ARTIST
TITLE
ALBUM
Omar & The Howlers
Omar’s Boogie
I’m Gone
New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers
Let’s Work Together (feat Jim Dickinson)
Volume I
Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton
Joliet Bound
Play The Blues – Live From Jazz At Lincoln Center
Grant Dermody
Real Time Man
My Dony
Ash Grunwald
180
Trouble’s Door
Vintage Trouble
Nancy Lee (live)
Limited Edition Bonus Disc
BMFR
ARTISTID – The Hi-Jivers – You’re Listening to BMFR
****
The Hi-Jivers
Knee High & Risin
Single
Lucinda Williams
Real Live Bleeding Fingers And Broken Guitar Strings
World Without Tears
Eric Johanson
Love Is Rebellion
Below Sea Level
James House & The Blues Cowboys
Ballad Of The Troubadour Kings
James House & The Blues Cowboys
Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’
Don’t Leave Me Here
TajMo
Avey Grouws Band
Let’s Take It Slow
The Devil May Care
Sugar Ray & the Bluetones feat. Little Charlie Baty
From the Horses Mouth
Too Far from the Bar
Joanne Broh
Wicked Cool
Live
Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters
Big Town Playboy
Rise Up
BMFR
ARTISTID – Voodoo Preachers – You’re Listening to BMFR
****
Paul Buchanan’s Voodoo Preachers
Some Kind Of Voodoo
Testimony
Frankie Moreno
Back to the Boogie
Back To the Boogie
The Barrett Anderson Band
Good Man
Hypnobooge
BMFR
ARTISTID – Gregg Martinez – You’re tuning in to BMFR
****
Gregg Martinez
This House
MacDaddy Mojeaux
Greyhound George Band
Down Home Girl
Electrified
Don Bryant
Your Love is to Blame
You Make Me Feel
BMFR
ARTISTID – CD Woodbury – You’re Listening to BMFR2
Hope all is still well with you and yours! Tune in today from 3-5 pm ET on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com for the Ben Vee Good Time Roadhouse blues featuring tunes by Keb’ Mo’, Jonny Lang, Carolyn Wonderland, Jan James, Larkin Poe, and many more.
Below is the intended playlist which I publish in the hopes that you will download a tune or two and support the contemporary blues!!
I have new songs by Lucinda Williams, Jeff Fetterman, Tony Holiday, Eliza Neals, Victor Wainwright, and many more Good Time Roadhouse blues tunes today, May 21st, at http://www.bluesmusicfan.com from 3 to 5 pm ET. Grab yer favorite beverage and call/message a friend and ask them to share the social distancing blues with ya!!
Have some great tunes lined up for you for today’s Good Time Roadhouse blues show on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com. Will be playing a beautiful duet by Gregg Allman and Mindi Abair that they recorded in 2014 as well as songs by Danielle Nicole, The Nighthawks, Rynhrd Boegel, Jim Allchin with Keb’ Mo’, Pinkie Rideau, and many more. Grab your favorite beverage and/or smoke and join us at from 3 to 5 pm EST.
It’s a sunny day with a bit of a breeze….perfect time for some Good Time Roadhouse Blues. Join us for alot of upbeat contemporary blues tunes on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com from 3-5 pm EST today, April 16th. Got tunes by Keb’ Mo’, Terry Hanck, Ash Grunwald, the Teskey Brothers, The Derek Trucks Band, and many more!
Well the sun is out and the days are gettin’ warmer! Hope you and yours are stayin’ safe during these strange times! Grab your favorite beverage and join us for a mix of new contemporary roadhouse blues and blues rock in equal measures from 12-2 pm EST today on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com.
Got tunes by Malia, Zack Walther, Katie Kadan, King Solomon HIcks, Eric Gales, Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa, Walter Trout, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and many more!
The year 2019 was a banner year for the roadhouse blues across the world. From Australia to Copenhagen and along all points in between, both debut artists and well established performers released a stunning number of new recordings. Every month my in box and my mail box were full of some fabulous blues recordings which makes picking the Ben Vee Roadhouse Blues 66 this year much more daunting.
This year’s list includes classic blues, roots oriented blues, R&B, soul, contemporary blues and blues rock artists with songs that span the genre from “almost the blues” tunes to the stellar classic blues sound of Mary Lane. Given that many of us have some extra time on our hands due to the ongoing global pandemic, I hope you enjoy downloading and listening to every one of these songs.
The position of the songs on the list is of little consequence…you might list them in a different order and get no argument from me. Whether it is song #23 by Samantha Fish or number 66 by the Coyote Kings, all of these tunes made my playlists for my roadhouse blues shows at http://www.bluesmusicfan.com, got mentioned on my Ben Vee Facebook page or Twitter account, and/or got written about on this website at http://www.benveeblues.com during 2019. All 66 are representative of the energy and vitality that permeates the modern contemporary blues….by and large they are upbeat…sometimes loud…and truly international.
The Top Ten (in no particular order other than #1)
#1 Mary Lane – Blues Give Me a Feeling (2019 Travelin’ Woman)
Mary Lane, from Chicago, recorded the Roadhouse Blues 66 number one tune of 2019 at the age of 83!! How cool is that! She is one of the last living legendary singers of the blues to have been part of the great migration from the American Deep South to Chicago in the 1940’s. Just a fabulous tune!
Big Daddy Wilson – Crazy World (2019 Deep In My Soul)
An expat from the United States who has lived in Germany for years, Big Daddy aces an sumptuous slow soul ballad.
Altered Five Blues Band – Mischief Man (2019 Ten Thousand Watts)
Led by the deep blues voice of Jeff Taylor, this group out of Wisconsin once again makes one of my top performer annual blues lists.
Keb’ Mo’ – Cold Outside (2019 Oklahoma)
I played this song over and over when it came out on the album this past summer. You can nevah get enough of Keb’ Mo’!
Christone Kingfish Ingram – Fresh Out (2019 Kingfish)
A 20 year old with a debut album that features a cut with Buddy Guy as well as another with Keb’ Mo’. Life is good for this very talented young man.
Jontavious Willis – Low Down Ways (2019 Spectacular Class)
Another young blues artist that attracted the attention of Taj Mahal as well as Keb’ Mo’, Jontavious has stardom written all over him. It will be interesting to see how he evolves as a blues artist as the years roll by.
Tiffany Pollack & Eric Johanson – Blues In My Blood (2019 Blues In My Blood)
This blues duo hails from my hometown of New Orleans. Tiffany has a haunting voice that is framed by a strong beat and memorable guitar licks by Eric on this song.
Beth Hart – Bad Woman Blues (2019 War In My Mind)
Beth just has a great time with this tune and shows off the chops that have made her a fan favorite amongst blues rockers.
Brandon Santini – Drive You Off My Mind (2019 The Longshot)
This long time resident of Memphis had a great year in 2019. He was my 2019 Roadhouse Bluesman of the Year for both this album and one he did with Tennessee Redemption. A great voice and world class harmonica player; what’s not to like!
Allman Betts Band – Shinin’ (2019 Down to the River)
The sons of the Allman Brothers pick up where their dads left off! Not much else to be said but get yer tickets when they get close by!!
As you look through the rest of the list and hopefully listen to many, if not all, of the tunes, I hope you get an appreciation for what I term as the roadhouse blues. From its roots in the deep American south, the blues has grown and expanded to become a worldwide phenomenon. (And if someone you know states “the blues is dead” just show them this list and ask them how so?!) I am proud to be one of the DJs and influencers helping get the word out about just how great this music is!!!
Artist
Song Title
Album
1
Mary Lane
Blues Give Me A Feeling
Travelin’ Woman
2
Big Daddy Wilson
Crazy World
Deep In My Soul
3
Altered Five Blues Band
Mischief Man
Ten Thousand Watts
4
Keb’ Mo’
Cold Outside
Oklahoma
5
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Fresh Out (ft Buddy Guy)
Kingfish
6
Jontavious Willis
Low Down Ways
Spectacular Class
7
Tiffany Pollack & Eric Johanson
Blues In My Blood
Blues In My Blood
8
Beth Hart
Bad Woman Blues
War in my Mind
9
Brandon Santini
Drive You Off My Mind
The Longshot
10
The Allman Betts Band
Shinin’
Down to the River
11
Amnesia Blues Band
Fast Johnny Cool
Hailstorm
12
HeavyDrunk
If I Love You Hard Enough
Holywater
13
Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers
Who’s Gonna Save My Soul
No Good Deed
14
Walter Trout
Me My Guitar and the Blues
Survivor Blues
15
Coco Montoya
Lights On But Nobody’s Home
Coming In Hot
16
Ghost Town Blues Band
Shine
Shine
17
Chris O’Leary
7 Minutes
7 Minutes
18
Tedeschi Trucks Band
They Don’t Shine
Signs
19
Van Morrison
Three Chords and the Truth
Three Chords and the Truth
20
Terry Hanck
Howlin’ For My Darlin’
I Still Get Excited
21
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Woman Like You
The Traveler
22
Zack Walther Band
Bad Girl
The Westerner
23
Samantha Fish
Dirty
Kill or Be Kind
24
Giles Robson
Don’t Give Up on the Blues
Don’t Give Up on the Blues
25
Lucky Peterson
Pack It Up
50: Just Warming Up!
26
Heather Newman
I’m Coming For You
Rise from the Flames
27
Left Lane Cruiser
Smooth Commander
Shake and Bake
28
Delbert McClinton
A Fool Like Me
Tall, Dark, and Handsome
29
Miss Bix and the Blues Fix
Follow Me Down
We Don’t Own the Blues
30
Ash Grunwald
Ain’t My Problem (ft The Teskey Brothers)
Mojo
31
The Texas Horns
I’m Doin’ Alright (ft. Carolyn Wonderland)
Get Here Quick
32
The Mike Duke Project
I’m Not Sad Tonight
….Took a Whlle
33
Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters
Baby How Long
Beyond the Blue Door
34
Travelin’ Blue Kings
Ninety Minutes
Wired Up
35
Al Basile
So Called Story Teller
B’s Hothouse
36
Ida Bang & the Blue Tears
Shelter Me
Good to Me
37
Arsen Shomakhov
Women and Whiskey
Rainy City Blues
38
Elles Bailey
Help Somebody
Road I Call Home
39
The Teskey Brothers
So Caught Up
Run Home Slow
40
Kerry Pastine and the Crime Scene
Down Down
City of Love
41
Tad Robinson
Real Street
Real Street
42
Sugaray Rayford
The Revelator
Somebody Save Me
43
Southern Avenue
Whiskey Love
Keep On
44
Honey Hounds
Shine On
The Flame
45
Zac Harmon
Gypsy Road
Mississippi BarBQ
46
Annika Chambers
I Feel the Same (ft Paul DesLauriers)
Kiss My Sass
47
Tennessee Redemption
Back To Tennessee
Tennessee Redemption
48
Ivy Ford
Start a Fight
Harvesting My Roots
49
Wentus Blues Band w/ Duke Robillard
2:19
Too Much Mustard
50
Rockin’ Johnny & QuiQue Gomez
Everybody Loves My Baby
Dos Hombres Wanted
51
Albert Castiglia
Heavy
Masterpiece
52
Seth Rosenbloom
Broke And Lonely
Keep On Turning
53
Arlen Roth
I Can Fix It (ft Jack Pearson)
Tele Masters
54
Eliza Neals
Pawn Shop Blues (Roadhouse)
Sweet Or Mean
55
The Kokomo Kings
Heatwave
Fighting Fire with Gasoline
56
Robin Trower
Coming Closer to the Day
Coming Closer to the Day
57
Blue Moon Marquee
As I Lay Dying
Bare Knuckes & Brawn
58
Peter Ward
Train to Key Biscayne
Train to Key Biscayne
59
Duke Robillard
Don’t Bother Trying To Steal Her Love
Ear Worms
60
Harpdog Brown
Thinkin’ and Drinkin’
For Love & Money
61
Brother Yusef
I’m a Bluesman
Jook Joint Jam
62
Manx Mariner Manline
Rattlesnake
Hell Bound for Heaven
63
Josh Newcom
Girl Got the Mojo
The Blues Gonna Getcha
64
Savoy Brown
Conjure Rhythm
City Night
65
Big Wolf Band
Be Free
Be Free
66
Coyote Kings
Drive Me
Rocket
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.