Blues with a Feeling - The Official Podcast

This week on BWAF, I'm bringing you a blues feast built around one of the great modern collaborations — B.B. King and Eric Clapton’s Grammy‑winning album Riding With the King. Across 12 tracks and 61 glorious minutes, two masters trade warmth, wisdom, and guitar lines that feel like conversations between old friends. I’ll take you through the album across four feature segments, from the jubilant opener “Riding With the King” to the deep blues of “Three O’Clock Blues”, right through to the soul‑stirring closer “Come Rain or Come Shine”. It’s a celebration of legacy, friendship, and the timeless power of the blues. Alongside the feature album, I've lined up a killer selection of new releases — Keb’ Mo’, Aaron Webb, Billy Price, GA‑20 with Charlie Musselwhite, Bywater Call, Chris O’Leary, Jason Ricci, Jovin Webb, Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra, John Primer, Ray Beadle, and Taj Mahal and the Phantom Blues Band.  Settle in for two hours of blues storytelling, new discoveries, and one of the most joyful albums ever recorded. 

This week on BWAF I’m shining a light on one of the most electrifying live blues recordings ever made — Otis Rush’s So Many Roads: Live in Japan. Recorded across two unforgettable Tokyo concerts in July 1975, this album captures Otis in full flight: inspired, fearless, and feeding off a crowd that welcomed him like a returning hero. With Jimmy Johnson’s guitar lines weaving around him and a rhythm section locked tight beneath him, Otis delivers some of the most emotionally charged performances of his career. From the fire of “All Your Love (I Miss Loving)” to the aching beauty of the title track, So Many Roads shows exactly what happens when the blues travels halfway around the world and finds an audience ready to embrace it. I’ll be diving into the story behind these concerts, the musicians who shaped the sound, and the magic Otis brought to those hot Tokyo nights. It’s a classic album that still hits with full force nearly fifty years later. Blues With A Feeling — real people, real blues, real stories, real soul.

This week on Blues With A Feeling, we shine a warm and grateful spotlight on one of the great architects of modern guitar playing: Hubert Sumlin. His 1998 album Wake Up Call sits at a remarkable point in his life — late in his career, seasoned by decades of triumph and heartbreak, yet still playing with that unmistakable spark that shaped generations. Sumlin spent his life as the heartbeat behind Howlin’ Wolf, creating guitar lines that became part of the DNA of blues and rock. Clapton, Richards, Page, Beck, Santana — they all heard something in Hubert that changed the way they played. But Wake Up Call is different. It’s not a sideman record. It’s Hubert stepping forward with clarity, confidence, and a band who lift him beautifully. Across three sets, we explore the emotional depth of this album: the warmth, the spontaneity, the late‑life fire, and the way the band create a perfect vehicle for Hubert to sing and play with more ease and presence than he’d shown in years. Tracks like I’m Coming Home, Wake Up Call, Hubert Runs the Hoodoo Down, and Get This Love Straight reveal a musician reconnecting with himself — relaxed, expressive, and still capable of surprising you. Surrounding the feature, we’ve got a full spread of new releases and contemporary blues from Sean McDonald, Taj Mahal, Ruthie Foster, Harrell Davenport,  Kyle Rowland, Aaron West, Jason Ricci, John Primer & Friends, Keb’ Mo’, and Hussy Hicks. It’s a rich, generous two hours — a celebration of the past, the present, and the artists who keep the blues alive. Join us for a heartfelt journey into the life and legacy of Hubert Sumlin.

  This week on Blues With A Feeling, we open the door to a room most people never got to enter — a small studio in Paris, May 15, 1981, where Buddy Guy and Junior Wells sat down with nothing but a couple of Guild acoustics, some harps and fifty years of shared history between them. No band, no amps, no armour. Just two giants of the Chicago blues, alone and acoustic, telling the truth. Our feature album is the extraordinary Alone & Acoustic, recorded in a single day and released a decade later. It’s a time capsule of two men who helped electrify the blues returning to its earliest form: wood, wire, breath, and memory. Across fifteen songs — from “Give Me My Coat and Shoes” and “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” to “I’m In the Mood,” “Catfish Blues,” and “Boogie Chillen” — Buddy and Junior revisit the Delta, the migration, the clubs, the lineage, and the friendship that shaped their lives. We also bring you nine brand‑new releases, opening the show with a powerful set from Jason Ricci, Chris O’Leary, Jovin Webb, and Aaron West. In set 2, Billy Price, John Primer & Friends, Keb’ Mo’, and the late Mike Finnigan deliver soul, grit, and deep blues storytelling. Then we settle into three acoustic sets from Buddy and Junior — five songs each — letting the Paris session unfold in real time. It’s intimate, warm, spontaneous, and deeply human. We close the night with Ruthie Foster’s beautiful “Thank You,” a perfect final word. Join us for two hours of new blues, deep tradition, and one of the most revealing acoustic albums ever recorded.  

There’s a special kind of joy in saying this: welcome back to Blues With A Feeling. After a big few weeks of new music, travel, and life rolling on as it does, I’m settling in behind the mic tonight with something a little different — a blend of the brand‑new and the deeply familiar. We’ll open the show with two sets of fresh releases from across the blues world — John Primer & Friends lighting up the room with a tribute to Theresa’s Lounge, Chris O’Leary digging deep on his new Blue Collar record, Taj mahal & the Phantom Blues Band, and Aaron West flying the Koori Jack flag with all the swagger you’d expect. And that’s just the first set. But then… we’re going back. This week, I’m revisiting one of the most meaningful episodes I’ve ever made: my tribute to the great Paul Oscher. When Paul passed, the blues world lost a storyteller, a tone‑master, a man who carried Muddy’s bandstand spirit into the modern age. That original show was built with a full heart, and tonight I’m bringing it back — reshaped, remixed, and threaded with the wisdom of a few more years. You’ll hear the songs from the albums that defined Paul’s last decades — Alone With The Blues, Cool Cat, Bet On The Blues, Knockin’ on the Devil’s Door — along with the interview grabs that gave us Paul in his own words. The stories still hit. The tone still stuns. The man still matters. Thanks for listening, sharing, and keeping BWAF alive in its 33rd year. Settle in. This one’s special.  

Some artists don’t just play the blues — they expand its emotional vocabulary. This week on Blues With A Feeling, we welcome one of the most distinctive guitar voices of her generation: Laura Chavez, joining Shaun in conversation to celebrate the release of her long‑awaited debut solo album My Voice. For years, Laura has been the guitarist whose tone, fire, and emotional depth have shaped the sound of contemporary blues. Her résumé reads like a map of modern roots music: Deborah Coleman, Nikki Hill, Dani Wilde, The Mannish Boys, Mike Ledbetter, Vanessa Collier, Casey Hensley, Whitney Shay — and of course the late Candye Kane, whose band became both Laura’s musical home and her artistic crucible. Now, after decades of elevating the voices of others, Laura steps forward with a voice entirely her own — expressed not through lyrics, but through the instrument that has always spoken for her. As the press notes say, “the album is fully instrumental — because for Laura Chavez, the guitar is her voice.” Across ten tracks, Laura tells stories rooted in heritage, memory, and the places that shaped her. There’s the driving, uptempo reimagining of “Born On The Bayou,” recorded as a tribute to her father — “He is a huge CCR fan and would play the tape all the time in the car.” There’s “El Cascabel,” honouring her Mexican heritage and life near the border. And there’s the haunting emotional peak “La Llorona,” arranged as a slow blues at the insistence of Thomas Ruf — “The story of La Llorona is dark and so is the music, but also beautiful and haunting.” In the interview, Laura opens up about the making of My Voice, the challenge of telling stories without lyrics, the emotional weight behind these songs, and the journey from sideman to solo artist. To deepen the arc, we’ll also revisit her powerful years with Candye Kane, drawing from Comin’ Out Swingin’ — a period where Laura’s tone sharpened, her confidence grew, and her musical identity crystallised. Those tracks don’t just provide context; they reveal the roots of the artist we hear today. A rare conversation with a modern master — and a chance to hear the stories behind the sound. Laura Chavez. My Voice. In her own words.

This week on Blues With A Feeling, we’re celebrating one of the great modern bluesmen by going back to the album that set his long road in motion. Before the national tours, before the magazine features, before the decades of relentless gigging, there was Cool On It — the mid‑80s record where a young Tinsley Ellis stepped up to the microphone for the first time and showed the world exactly who he was becoming. Recorded in Atlanta with The Heartfixers, Cool On It captures Ellis in full early flight: raw, hungry, and already playing with the conviction that would define his career. It’s the album that caught the ear of Alligator Records founder Bruce Iglauer and opened the door to a partnership that continues today — fitting, as Alligator celebrates its 55th anniversary this year. And with Tinsley currently touring the world behind his latest release, Labour Of Love, it feels like the perfect moment to revisit the spark that lit the fuse. Alongside the feature, we’re also rolling out 14 brand‑new releases — over an hour of the fresh blues, roots, soul, and Americana tracks from across the scene. From Robert Finley and Keb’ Mo’ to Hussy Hicks, Gina Coleman, Billy Price, Robert Randolph, Taj Mahal, Mike Finnigan, Laura Chavez, Ruthie Foster and more, it’s a set packed with depth, colour, and discovery. Join me for a show that looks back, steps forward, and celebrates the blues in all its forms. Cool On It isn’t just a chapter in Tinsley Ellis’ story — it’s the ignition point.    

  G’day there my friends, and welcome to another week of Blues With A Feeling This week, we’re tipping our hats to a man whose shadow stretches from Linden, Texas all the way to Paris, France — the great T‑Bone Walker — and his 1969 Grammy‑winning masterpiece Good Feelin’. Recorded in Paris in ’68, it’s T‑Bone in full command — unhurried, unbothered, and playing like a man who’s lived enough life to know he doesn’t need to prove a thing. The horns shimmy and sway, and T‑Bone glides through it all with that sly, conversational tone that changed the course of the electric guitar forever. Across the show, we’ll wander track by track through all twelve cuts — from the easy swagger of “Good Feelin’” to the deep‑down ache of “Reconsider,” the playful grin of “Poontang,” and the late‑night glow of “Sail On Little Girl.” It’s a portrait of a pioneer standing tall in the twilight, shining like a Parisian streetlight And wrapped around that feature, I’ve stitched together three sets of brand‑new releases — Sean McDonald, Laura Chavez, Mike Finnigan, Harrell Davenport, Hussy Hicks, Selwyn Birchwood, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Gabe Stillman, Studebaker John, JT Lauritsen, Taj Mahal & the Phantom Blues Band, Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials and more.

This week on Blues With A Feeling we’re taking a long, winding drive through the heart of the blues — from the red dirt roads of Texas to the electric back‑alleys of Chicago — and the whole night’s got that slow‑burning, wide‑sky feel about it. We open with two sets of New Releases, eleven fresh cuts that prove the blues is still kicking dust and taking names in 2026. Chris O’Leary fires the starter’s pistol with Bad Decisions, all grit and groove. The Hussy Hicks slide in with a heart‑tugger, Gina Coleman tips her hat to Ida Cox with a deep, rolling Mail Man Blues, and Taj Mahal strolls through with the Phantom Blues Band like a man who’s seen a few jukeboxes in his time. The second set keeps the wheels turning — Mike Finnigan’s soulful Don’t Answer the Door, Selwyn Birchwood’s swamp‑funk sermon All Hail the Algorithm, Gabe Stillman’s Shame Shame, and Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials sliding in sideways on Cold Side of the Bed. Then we settle in for the main event: Lightnin’ Hopkins, live in 1964, on Hootin’ the Blues. Eight tracks of pure Texas truth‑telling. Lightnin’ didn’t just play the blues — he talked it, lived it, breathed it. These recordings feel like you’ve pulled up a chair on his front porch in Centerville, the sun dropping low, Lightnin’ leaning back with that half‑smile, spinning stories only he could tell. Blues Is a Feeling, Me and Ray Charles, Ain’t It Crazy, Chain Gang — it’s all here, loose and alive. From there we head north for a five‑song jolt from Junior Wells and the Chicago Blues Band, straight off Chicago/The Blues/Today! Vol. 1. Junior and Buddy Guy sound like they’re trying to set the walls on fire — Help Me, Messin’ with the Kid, Vietcong Blues, and more. We close with Laura Chavez, Alvin Youngblood Hart rolling down Highway 61, and the Parlour Greens easing us home. A big Texas‑hearted night of blues — warm, dusty, electric, and alive.    

This week on Blues With A Feeling, we’re heading straight to Memphis for a full‑blown celebration of the 2026 Blues Music Awards — the biggest night in the blues world. The BMAs are where legends, lifers, innovators, and rising voices all gather under one roof, and this year’s ceremony delivered one of the strongest line‑ups in recent memory. Across the show, we’ll walk through the artists who shaped the year: • Ronnie Baker Brooks, crowned B.B. King Entertainer of the Year • D.K. Harrell, whose album Talkin’ Heavy took home Album of the Year • Tedeschi Trucks Band, winners of Band of the Year • Tommy Castro, whose track “Can’t Catch a Break” claimed Song of the Year • And a powerful mix of emerging artists, acoustic storytellers, blues‑rock firebrands, and soul‑blues masters But that’s only half the story. The second half of the show is dedicated to a man whose journey feels carved from the heartwood of the American South — Robert Finley. Born a sharecropper’s son in Louisiana, Finley lived a full life before the world ever heard his voice: Army service, carpentry, raising a family, and then losing his sight. With the help of the Music Maker Foundation, he stepped into a second life as an artist, releasing some of the most soulful, lived‑in blues of the last decade. We’ll explore his breakthrough album Sharecropper’s Son, dive into the emotional depth of his songwriting, and celebrate his current visit to Australia with two full sets of Finley’s finest work. It’s a night of winners, storytellers, survivors, and soul. Join me for a special edition of Blues With A Feeling — where Memphis meets Louisiana, and the blues tells its truth.

This week on Blues With A Feeling, we’re coming home. Our classic album feature shines a warm spotlight on John Lee Hooker’s 1995 masterpiece Chill Out — a late‑career triumph from the patron saint of this program. For thirty years, BWAF opened with his incredible song The Healer, and Hooker’s voice, groove and spirit have been the heartbeat of Monday nights ever since. Chill Out captures him in full command: relaxed, unhurried, surrounded by friends, and still summoning that deep, hypnotic pulse that shaped generations. We’ll explore the stories behind the album, the collaborations with Carlos Santana, Van Morrison, Charles Brown and Booker T. Jones, and the remarkable creative resurgence Hooker enjoyed in the final decade of his life — a run that earned him multiple Grammys and cemented his place as one of the most important musical figures of the 20th century. Alongside the feature, we’ve got three sets of brand‑new releases from across the blues world, including fresh tracks from Eric Bibb, GA‑20 with Charlie Musselwhite, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Laura Chavez, Selwyn Birchwood, Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Parlour Greens, Studebaker John & The Maxwell Street Kings, and a beautiful new one from Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band. Settle in for two hours of deep grooves, new discoveries, and a heartfelt return to the well. This is Blues With A Feeling.

This week on Blues With A Feeling, we open the doors wide with two sets of brand‑new blues — a snapshot of where the music is right now, and a reminder that the blues is still evolving, still restless, still capable of surprise. GA‑20 team up with Charlie Musselwhite for a gritty, old‑meets‑new opener; Alvin Youngblood Hart brings that unmistakable road‑worn fire; Mike Finnigan gives us soul and swing in equal measure; and Amani Burnham steps forward with the confidence of a player who knows exactly where he’s heading. From there, we stay in the present for one more set — Selwyn Birchwood’s swamp‑funk swagger, Laura Chavez carving out her own space at centre stage, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials lighting the fuse with that unmistakable Alligator Records energy, and Eric Bibb reminding us that the blues can still carry grace, urgency and hope in the same breath. All of that sets the stage for tonight’s feature: the 1971 debut album from Hound Dog Taylor & the Houserockers — the record that launched Alligator Records and changed the shape of modern blues. At the same time, we trace the story of a young Bruce Iglauer arriving in Chicago with nothing but passion, curiosity and a stubborn belief in the music. Bruce takes us inside his earliest days in the Windy City and Delmark Records, into the clubs of the South Side, and finally into the moment he decided to record Hound Dog Taylor himself — using his own inheritance to capture two wild nights that would become Alligator’s first release. It’s a story of instinct, risk, joy, and the kind of musical chaos that only happens when the tape is rolling and the band is on fire. And to bring the show home, we land with new music from Taj Mahal & the Phantom Blues Band and finish with Greg Nagy’s Love Letter, written by and featuring the late Bobby Murray — the Detroit‑born guitarist who spent twenty‑three years on the road with Etta James, helping shape her unmistakable late‑career sound. A big show, a big story, and a reminder of how the blues keeps moving forward while honouring the roots that made it.  

This week on Blues With A Feeling, we’re travelling right to the heart of the Delta — not in a nostalgic way, but in a living, breathing, spine‑tingling way. Two feature albums anchor the show, and together they tell one of the great stories in American music: the rediscovery of Son House and the return‑to‑roots of Muddy Waters, both unfolding in the same remarkable year. We begin with Forever On My Mind, the newly released 1964 recording that captures Son House at the exact moment he stepped back into the world after more than two decades of silence. These tapes — rescued, restored, and finally released — show House before the folk‑festival patter, before the revival‑circuit polish. It’s just the man, the guitar, the open‑G tuning, and the raw emotional force that shaped the entire Delta tradition. You can hear him reaching back into memory, pulling old songs into the present, rediscovering his own voice in real time. It’s electrifying in the quietest possible way. From there, we move to Muddy Waters’ Folk Singer, presented in its expanded 1999 reissue. Recorded only months before and after Son House’s rediscovery, it shows Muddy stepping away from the Chicago electricity he helped invent and returning to the acoustic vocabulary of his youth. The intimacy of these sessions — Muddy, Buddy Guy, Willie Dixon — reveals just how deeply the Delta lived inside him. And as the bonus tracks roll in, you hear the Chicago band creeping back, the sound filling out, the future taking shape. Together, these two albums form a perfect conversation: Son House, the rediscovered source.Muddy Waters, the modern inheritor returning to the well.Two men, one lineage, captured at the same moment in time. We round out the show with new releases and modern voices carrying the tradition forward — from Mike Finnigan’s soulful fire to Laura Chavez’s razor‑sharp guitar work — and close with Eric Bibb’s “Muddy Waters,” a song that understands the river better than most. It’s a night of roots, memory, rediscovery, and renewal. A night where the Delta isn’t history — it’s alive, present, and speaking. Settle in. This one runs deep.

This week’s show is a journey through the living, breathing continuum of the blues — from its earliest recorded ghosts to one of its most vital modern storytellers. We begin with a remarkable moment in music history: the sudden appearance online of what appears to be a previously unheard test pressing of Robert Johnson’s Cross Road Blues. This version, reportedly transferred from an original wax cutting, reveals a rawness and immediacy that feels almost impossible after nearly a century. It’s Johnson not as legend, but as a man singing and playing his guitar in a hotel room, in front of a microphone, long before the legend will become folklore. Discoveries like this remind us how fragile the lineage is — and how powerful it remains. From there, we move into the heart of the program: a deep dive into One Mississippi, the brand‑new album from Eric Bibb. I’ve been interviewing Eric since the mid‑90s, and our latest conversation is one of the most insightful we’ve shared. This album marks a new era for him — creatively, personally, and professionally. Recorded with producer Glen Scott in Sweden, One Mississippi blends Bibb’s signature warmth with a renewed sense of freedom and purpose. It’s an album about history, humanity, and the stories that connect us, delivered with the clarity of an artist who knows exactly what he wants to say. We’ll explore the making of the record, the musicians who shaped it, the themes that run through it, and the evolution of Bibb’s sound as he steps into full independence. Along the way, we’ll feature standout new releases from across the blues and roots landscape, showcasing artists who continue to push the tradition forward. Like Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials, Mike Finnigan, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Laura Chavez, Kim Wilson,  Selwyn Birchwood and Parlour Greens

Joy is the first thing that walks into the room this week — bright, unhurried, and absolutely contagious. It’s in the new music, it’s in the stories, and it’s especially in the voice of Ruthie Foster, whose insights peppered throughout the show feel like little bursts of sunlight. Fresh from her 2025 Grammy win, she speaks with that unmistakable mix of humility, humour, and hard‑earned wisdom, and every time she does, the whole show lifts a little higher. That joy threads right through the opening run of new releases — Eric Bibb easing us in with One Mississippi, Mike Finnigan reminding us why his spirit still resonates, Studebaker John shaking the dust off the week, Billy Branch firing up the room. Then Selwyn Birchwood, Robert Randolph, Parlour Greens, and Lil’ Ed keep the energy rolling, each track adding its own colour to the palette. But the heart of the show — the part that glows — is Mileage. Ten tracks, each one paired with a moment from Ruthie. She talks about that elusive Grammy, about what’s changed and what hasn’t, about heartbreak, healing, Tyler Bryant producing, stepping away from the biz, coming back inspired, and that final emotional release that left both of us sitting in the quiet for a moment. Even the tough stories feel lighter in her hands, because she carries them with gratitude, not weight. By the time we hit the final stretch — Kingfish, Kim Wilson, Laura Chavez, and Eddie 9V closing us out — the whole show feels like a celebration of endurance, connection, and the simple joy of making it through another week with music as your companion.  

This week on Blues With A Feeling, we’re diving deep into the world of one of the great modern torchbearers of Texas blues guitar — Sue Foley. With Sue celebrating her birthday last week, and with her brand‑new book Guitar Woman: Conversations and Life Lessons with the Heroines of Guitar on the way in June, it felt like the perfect moment to revisit her remarkable story and her 2021 album Pinky’s Blues.   Sue’s been out on the road recently with her One Guitar Woman tour — intimate, powerful shows honouring the women who shaped the culture of the instrument. Now that she’s finally off the road after a huge couple of months, we’re revisiting my 2021 interview with her, recorded just after Pinky’s Blues was released. Across the show you’ll hear cuts from that conversation, tracks from Pinky’s Blues, and a bonus set from her acclaimed 2018 album The Ice Queen.   But that’s not all. The blues world is absolutely humming right now, and I’ve lined up a set of stunning new releases that have been bending my heartstrings all week. You’ll hear: Mike Finnigan – from his newly released posthumous debut, Eric Bibb – with a powerful track from One Mississippi ahead of his 18‑date Australian tour, Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials – tearing it up on their new Alligator Records release Slideways and Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues – delivering modern blues for modern times on Blues Is My Biography.   It’s a big, beautiful show this week — full of history, heart, and the very best of what the blues is doing right now.   Settle in and turn it up!          

There are albums that entertain, albums that impress, and then there are albums that feel like they open a door into a whole other world. Marcia Ball’s Let Me Play With Your Poodle is one of those rare records — a joyous, rolling, deeply human celebration of Gulf Coast blues delivered by an artist at the height of her powers. Released in 1997, at a time when the blues landscape was dominated by guitar‑slinging men, this album was a revelation. It reminded listeners everywhere that the piano has always been one of the genre’s beating hearts, and that Marcia Ball was one of its most electrifying storytellers. From the moment her left hand starts that unmistakable rolling groove, you’re transported straight into the humid, neon‑lit world she grew up in — a place where Texas roadhouse grit meets Louisiana soul, where New Orleans R&B shakes hands with swamp pop, and where every song feels like it was born at 2am in a crowded bar with the windows open to the street. The title track sets the tone: playful, confident, full of swagger. But the album’s magic lies in its range. Marcia moves effortlessly from strutting boogie‑woogie to tender balladry, from sly humour to emotional depth. Her band — a who’s‑who of Texas and Louisiana players — matches her stride for stride, creating a sound that’s rich, warm, and unmistakably alive. And then there’s the closer, “Louisiana 1927,” a song that resonates deeply with anyone who’s lived through rising waters and the quiet heartbreak that follows. In Marcia’s hands, it becomes a hymn of resilience. Let Me Play With Your Poodle isn’t just a great blues record — it’s a reminder of the joy, grit, and humanity that make this music timeless.   I’m so excited about bringing you this spectacular record this week. And for some extra special sauce, I’ve added new releases from Eric Bibb, Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials, Kim Wilson, Tinsley Ellis, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Laura Chavez, Studebaker John & The Maxwell Street Kings,  Mike Finnigan, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Selwyn Birchwood and Bernard Allison.

    “Black Magic is a marvellously atmospheric and easy record to listen to - with Sam's resonant and flexible vocals a perfect match for his clean virtuoso guitar playing. Moving on from the scorching Chicago blues captured so unforgettably on West Side Soul - here the accent is on a smooth sound with a potential wider appeal. Hit songs like I Just Want a Little Bit, You Belong to Me and Easy Baby stand at the borderline between blues and soul.   Like legends ranging from Eric Dolphy and Booker Little to Otis Redding and Minnie Ripperton, Magic Sam died too young. The Chicago blues singer/guitarist's final studio recording, Black Magic was recorded only a year before he died at the age of 32. Sam had acquired a small but loyal following, and Black Magic's excellence indicates that had he lived, he'd have become as celebrated as Buddy Guy. The passionate testifyin' of What Have I Done Wrong, It's All Your Fault and Stop! You're Hurting Me demonstrates that Sam not only sang and felt blues; he lived them. --Alex Henderson, L.A. Jazz Scene   I’m thrilled to share this groundbreaking album for you this week.   Plus new releases from Robert Randolph & The Family Band,  Christone Kingfish Ingram, Eric Bibb, Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials, Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues, Selwyn Birchwood, Kim Wilson,  Studebaker John & the Maxwell Street Kings, Tinsley Ellis, Mike Finnigan, Laura Chavez and Parlour Greens.    

On his fourth album in four years, Earl proves that he's robust enough to muscle through a set of swinging jazz (Jimmy Smith's "Blues for J"), sizzling gospel ("Walking on the Sea" with the Silver Leaf Gospel Singers), and explosive blues (everything else) with strapping aplomb. As opposed to his previous almost entirely instrumental disc, vocals are featured on about half of these tracks. Kim Wilson sings and plays electrifying harp on four songs, of which a blistering 10-minute version of Otis Rush's "Double Trouble" is a career highlight for both musicians. Earl's burning leads show both an emotional drive and a restraint that make these live-in-the-studio tracks so riveting. It was Ronnie Earls birthday recently and I’m thrilled to feature for you this week, his wonderful release with The Broadcasters “Now My Soul”. Plus new releases from Eric Bibb, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Tinsley Ellis, Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials, Laura Chavez, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Studebaker John And The Maxwell Street Kings and Selwyn Birchwood.      

This week on Blues With A Feeling, following the sad passing of John Hammond in February, I’m rolling the tape all the way back to 1962 — back to a moment when a young New Yorker with an old soul stepped into a studio and cut a debut album that felt less like a beginning and more like a declaration. The record was simply called John Hammond, but don’t let the plain title fool you. This was a mission statement. A line in the sand. A 20‑year‑old kid saying, “I know exactly who I am, and I know exactly where I’m going.”   Plus new releases from Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials, Selwyn Birchwood, Laura Chavez, Eric Bibb, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Christone Kingfish Ingram, Kim Wilson, Sue Foley, Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues, Studebaker John & The Maxwell Street Kings and Bernard Allison.      

Not many living blues musicians can say they have performed with and recorded for legends like Big Mama Thornton, Sonny Rhodes, Luther Tucker, Jimmy McCracklin, Pee Wee Crayton, Carla Thomas, Booker T. Jones, Percy Mayfield, Etta James, B.B. King, and Jimmy Reed. Ron Thompson can, and that's just the beginning! Ron Thompson was a legendary rhythm and blues guitarist and master keyboardist whose career began in the rough and tumble world of East San Francisco Bay nightclubs and bars in the early '70s. During many years of touring coast to coast with John Lee Hooker, Hooker was quoted as saying, 'Ron Thompson, he's my main man!' After serving as John Lee Hooker's bandleader for seven years, Thompson went on to form his own group, Ron Thompson and His Resisters, and toured extensively in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Central America.    I’m super excited to feature for you Ron Thompsons classic 1998 release Magic Touch for you this week. And for extra context, I’ve added some excerpts from my 2020 interview with his long time bandmate and friend Jim Pugh.   Plus new releases from Christone Kingfish Ingram, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Laura Chavez, Eric Bibb, Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials, Tinsley Ellis and Darren Watson.     

Grammy Winners Showcase For more than three decades, Blues With A Feeling has been your weekly home for stories, songs, and the artists who keep the blues alive. And this week, we’re taking a deep dive into the very best of the last six years — a special feature celebrating the winners of the Blues categories at the Grammy Awards from 2021 right through to 2026. It’s a journey through a remarkable period in modern blues: the elders still swinging for the fences, the young guns stepping up with fire in their bellies, and a couple of live records that remind you why nothing beats the real thing. Across these six years, we’ve seen legends like Bobby Rush, Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal and Edgar Winter continue to redefine what longevity looks like, while artists like Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Cedric Burnside, Fantastic Negrito and Larkin Poe have pushed the music forward with fresh energy and fearless creativity. You’ll hear the stories behind the albums, the moments that shaped them, and the artists who made them. You’ll hear how an 88‑year‑old Bobby Rush stripped it all back to guitar and harmonica and still took home the gold. How Cedric Burnside carried the Hill Country heartbeat into a new generation. How Buddy Guy, in his mid‑80s, delivered one of the fiercest records of his career. And how Robert Randolph & The Family Band finally claimed their long‑deserved first Grammy after years of nominations. It’s a celebration of resilience, reinvention, and the deep river of blues that keeps flowing through every decade. Join me for this special edition of Blues With A Feeling — and as always, hug ’em close and have a great week.

“Burke, who turns 65 this month, proves once again that his reengineered fusion of classic rock and soul is essential listening. Produced by Don Was, and ably backed by such stalwart musicians as guitarist Ray Parker, Jr. (“Ghostbusters”), the ten songs on Make Do… draw once again from Burke’s deep list of admirers and famous friends. Van Morrison and Dr. John selected songs specifically for Burke, “At The Crossroads” and the title track “Make Do With What You Got” respectively. Other standouts include Burke’s sublime rendition of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’ “I Got The Blues,” and Bob Dylan’s “What Good Am I,” which Burke lends a much brighter countenance to than the original. On Coco Montoya’s “I Need Some Love In My Life” Burke evokes the blistering sound of the mid-1970s Rolling Stones. “Fading Footsteps,” penned by Lafayette’s David Egan, is propelled by a funky, sweeping organ riff by Rudy Copeland, Burke’s longtime church organist. What you’ve got with Solomon Burke’s new record is much more than simply making do.”  Offbeat Four weeks into the new season of Blues With A Feeling and I’m thrilled to feature this sublime record for you this week. Plus new releases from Robert Randolph, Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials, Studebaker John & the Maxwel Street Kings,   Billy Branch & the Sons Of Blues, Eric Bibb, Tinsley Ellis, Buddy Guy, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Christone Kingfish Ingram, Kim Wilson, Laura Chavez and Roomful Of Blues.      

“Christone “Kingfish” Ingram stands at the crossroads of legacy and innovation. A native son of Clarksdale, Mississippi — a city steeped in blues history — he channels the spirit of the Delta while fearlessly reshaping its future. With Hard Road, his most introspective and ambitious project yet, Kingfish reflects on a journey that’s taken him from local prodigy to global torchbearer for a new era of blues. Kingfish’s music has always honored the past. His mastery of the guitar, steeped in the tones of B.B. King, Albert King, and Buddy Guy, first turned heads when he was still a teenager. But what sets him apart is how he’s expanded the form — blending in funk, soul, hip-hop, pop, and jazz to create a modern blues fusion that resonates across generations and genres. His debut album Kingfish earned a Grammy nomination and topped the Billboard Blues Chart for 91 weeks. His follow-up, 662 (titled after his Mississippi area code) won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2022. Then came Live in London, a fiery, sold-out performance captured abroad, earning him yet another Grammy nomination and solidifying his reputation as one of the genre’s most dynamic live performers. With Hard Road, Kingfish returns not just as a virtuoso, but as a storyteller. Via support from three producers – Tom Hambridge, Patrick “GuitarBoy” Hayes, and Nick Goldston – the album marks a shift lyrically, emotionally, sonically and thematically. The songs explore love, loss, identity, perseverance, and personal growth. There’s a harder edge to the sound, a fusion of rock and R&B sensibilities, but the heart of it is blues: vulnerable, honest, resilient.” With Christone Ingram on his way to Australia for gigs in February and March, I was thrilled to sit down for a chat with the Blues worlds most exciting young star just last week. And of course, there’s plenty of his wonderful music to spice things up. With tracks from his three studio albums “662”, “Kingfish” and his latest “Hard Road. Plus new releases from Eric Bibb, Kim Wilson, Tinsley Ellis, Laura Chavez, Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues, Young Rell Davenport, Shane Pacey & Darren Watson.        

“Five-time GRAMMY-nominated guitarist and songwriter Kenny Wayne Shepherd returns to Australia for the first time since 2018 to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of his landmark debut Ledbetter Heights. Shepherd’s fiery tone and emotive phrasing have cemented him as one of modern blues-rock’s leading voices. This anniversary tour showcases both the evolution and vitality of his craft, spanning hits like Blue on Black and new material from his acclaimed recent releases. Expect a high-octane masterclass in guitar-driven blues and rock.” With news of Kenny Wayne Shepherds visit to Australia, as part of his Ledbetter Heights which begins in the US in just weeks, I was thrilled to welcome Kenny to the show this week, to talk about this remarkably successful album, about what to expect from the shows, and also about his Grammy nominated 2025 release Young Fashioned Ways with Bobby Rush  

Classic Album feature & Interview After a much needed break over Christmas, I’m back for Blues With A Feelings 32nd year with an all time classic, Kim Wilsons first solo album and his debut for Antones Records Tigerman. With a crack bunch of the hottest players on the scene, this record was a big part of my early Blues education and I’m thrilled to feature it this week. And to add a little something for the pot, I’m joined for a chat by the man himself Kim Wilson. Plus tracks from Kims latest release Slow Burn. #blueswithafeeling #blueswithafeelingpodcast #bluespodcast #kimwilson #tigerman #antonesrecords #thefabulousthunderbirds  

“In the studio, Sam Cooke was a consummate pop crooner, whose delicate, caramelized voice charmed the reserved and mild. By the early sixties, his success and stature as a groundbreaking R&B crossover sensation loomed large in the music business. But when Cooke stepped into Miami’s Harlem Square Club on the warm night of January 12, 1963, he let his hair down. He delivered a blistering 37-minute set that showcased his raw, gospel-rooted R&B spark before a predominantly African American audience. Backed by late great saxophonist King Curtis and Cooke’s road band, which notably included guitarists Clifton White and Cornell Dupree, bassist Jimmy Lewis, drummer Albert “June” Gardner, pianist George Stubbs, and saxophonist Tate Houston, Cooke exudes a burst of hell-raising, down-home energy that feels neither measured nor rehearsed. The interaction between the performer and the enlivened Miami audience is natural and uninhibited all at once, as Cooke’s candor shines with each phrasing he sings and interjection he utters. If that quality isn’t enough to prove how dynamic his showmanship was, his distinctive voice and the peerless musicianship certainly is. Cooke attains a delectably gritty timbre that compellingly matches the fire and precision of his backing band, as they prowl through a reinvigorated run of his hit singles. When this storied Miami show finally surfaced in 1985 as Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963, it garnered universal reverence not only as a watershed in soul music history, but in the realm of famed live recordings as well. It best represents Sam Cooke as one of soul music’s undisputed progenitors. One full listen to it and you’ll never want the feeling to end. You’ll most likely repeat it.”  Brandon Ousley    With one show remaining for the year, I‘ve gone deep into the Blues With A Feeling record library to feature for you, possibly the greatest live recording of all time. Plus songs from the very best of the years new releases, including Buddy Guy, Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Maria Muldaur, Janiva Magness, Charlie Musselwhite, Mike Henderson, Southern Avenue Monster Mike Welch, Jo Harman, Tommy Castro, TajMo, The Alexis P Suter Band, Tad Robinson, Jon Cleary and Tad Robinson.    

  “It's been over 30 years since world-class musicians guitarist Little Charlie Baty and harmonicist/vocalist/songwriter Rick Estrin first teamed up and took hard Chicago blues, jump, Texas swing and jazz and mixed it with rockabilly, proto-rock'n'roll, jumping jive, bebop and Estrin's sharply original lyrics, creating a sound one critic described as "Charlie Christian playing in Little Walter's band." Their utter mastery of American roots music is fueled by Baty's jaw-dropping guitar acrobatics and driven by Estrin's captivating original songs, cutting vocals and brilliant harmonica playing. The story of Little Charlie & The Nightcats began back in the early 1970s when Baty--a harmonica-playing UC Berkeley student--first met Estrin. With Rick already an accomplished harp player, Baty decided to switch to guitar full-time and the two formed a blues band. After relocating to Sacramento, Baty quickly reinvented himself as a take-no-prisoners, one-of-a-kind guitarist. With the addition of a drummer and a bass player, Little Charlie & The Nightcats were born. In 1986 the band sent an unsolicited tape to Alligator Records. Alligator president Bruce Iglauer was blown away. He flew to Sacramento to see the band perform and was sold. Their debut album, All The Way Crazy, was released in 1987 to overwhelming success. Almost immediately they went from playing small Sacramento blues clubs to performing concerts and festivals around the country and around the world.” I’m beyond excited to feature for you this groundbreaking record this week. And to add context, my guest this week is the bands singer, songwriter and harp player Rick Estrin, who was kind enough to turn his memory back to 1987 and share all sorts of stories about the bands earliest years. Plus new releases from Eric Bibb, Roomful of Blues, Tinsley Ellis, The Alexis P Suter Band, Darren Watson and Sally King & the Repeat Offenders.   

"Billed as her most personal statement, this may well be Mavis Staples’ finest solo effort to date. In 2004, the powerhouse lead singer of the famed Staple Singers released the rootsy Have A Little Faith on Alligator. Here, producer/guitarist Ry Cooder places the reigning queen of gospel’s voice in an even more intimate setting, paring the instrumentation down to the bare essentials. But it’s the repertoire that makes the album so personal, not to mention riveting. She goes not just back to the church but back to the type of “freedom songs” that made the Staple Singers an inextricable part of the Civil Rights Movement of the ’60s – as Rep. John Lewis writes in the liner notes, “the soul of that revolution.” Just as her family band had something to say then – with songs like “Why Am I Treated So Bad,” “Long Walk To D.C.,” and the hit “Respect Yourself” – Ms. Staples mixes traditional gospel tunes and originals to comment on the state of things in 2007. The program opens with the biting social commentary of unsung blues poet J.B. Lenoir’s “Down In Mississippi,” with Ladysmith Black Mambazo providing vocal backing to Cooder’s guitar and mandolin and the heavy backbeat of his constant collaborator, Jim Keltner. Mike Elizondo, who played on Cooder’s Chavez Ravine, is back on bass and keyboards, with Ry’s son, Joachim, who provided percussion on the acclaimed Buena Vista Social Club. Cooder’s big-toned slide leads off a version of “Eyes On The Prize” that will make the hair stand up on the back your neck. But the autobiographical “My Own Eyes” – recalling her father, Roebuck, and Martin Luther King (singing, “If he can preach it, we can sing it”) is perhaps Mavis’s finest hour. Sure to be on numerous Top 10 lists for 2007." Vintage Guitar    A particular favourite of mine, it’s a thrill to feature for you this week, this sublime record.   Plus new releases from Buddy Guy, Eric Bibb, Roomful Of Blues, Kim Wilson, Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues, Tinsley Ellis, Eddie 9VT, Sally King & The Repeat Offenders, Darren Watson, The Alexis P Suter Band and John Primer &Bob Corritore.  

Live Focus – Mike Henderson – Last Night At The Blue Bird - Live “Mike Henderson's long musical career saw him tour with Mark Knopfler, record with Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt and Kelly Willis. His song writing skills have been showcased by the Dixie Chicks, Trisha Yearwood and Patty Loveless, and he's played in numerous bands over the years including The Steel Drivers with Chris Stapleton. He first started playing regular shows at Nashville's Bluebird Café in 1986 while a member of The Kingsnakes. ‘Last Nite at the Bluebird – Live’ brings to close a thirty year relationship with the famous venue and documents the late musician in an intimate venue he knew and loved. A gentle ribbing of the venue and the famous singer-songwriter sessions it hosts gets his audience warmed up as he opens the album with his own composition, ‘Weepin’ & Moanin’.  Not letting up, the boogie shuffle of ‘Matchbox’ quickly follows.  However, things really step up a gear with the searing slide guitar on ‘Too Much Alcohol’, a song made famous by the late Rory Gallagher.  This version finds Henderson playing with the fire of Elmore James and Jeremy Spencer combined. Other highlights include ‘When I Get Drunk’, the harmonica soaked ‘Have A Good Time’ and ‘Pay Bo Diddley’ from Henderson’s old band, The Bluebloods. ‘Last Nite at the Bluebird – Live’ is well produced live recording that highlights Henderson’s raw energetic guitar skills and ability with work with an intimate audience, anyone who was lucky enough to catch any of these shows really did witness something special and as this recording proves, catching lightning in a bottle is possible.” Folk and Tumble Really excited to present this crackin live set this week. Plus new music from Billy Branch & the Sons Of Blues, Kim Wilson, Eric Bibb, Maria Muldaur, GA20, Chambers DesLaurier Band, Lloyd Spiegel, Darren Watson, The Alexis P Suter Band and Candice Ivory.    

Classic Album Feature – The Paladins – Years Since Yesterday   “Hottest roots rock band on the West Coast; terrific guitar from Dave Gonzales. Minimalist and raw as hell. "Beat for beat, there's no better band than The Paladins. This lineup is lethal!"--L.A. WEEKLY   The Paladins' own way of making music has earned them fans from many quarters. They have toured often with Los Lobos and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Texas guitar hotshot Anson Funderburgh and The Fabulous Thunderbirds' Kim Wilson worked on the band's self-titled debut album. The Los Lobos connection continues on Years Since Yesterday, which was produced by Lobos saxman/producers Steve Berlin and engineer Mark Linett.”   I’m excited to feature for you this incredible album from one of the very best bands I’ve ever seen this week. Plus new releases from Buddy Guy, Roomful Of Blues, Maria Muldaur, Kim Wilson, Eric Bibb, Fiona Boyes, Greg Nagy, The Alexis P Suter Band, Dave Keller, Darren Watson, John Primer & Bob Corritore and GA20.

“David Johansen is a true musical chameleon. Whether fronting the influential punk band the New York Dolls, lounging it up as Buster Poindexter or invoking the blues with the Harry Smiths, he has always demonstrated his unique talent for taking a musical style and making it his own. On David Johansen and the Harry Smiths, David and his first-rate band summon the spirit of the blues through American musicologist/folklorist Harry Smith. Featuring gripping performances of songs by Muddy Waters, Mississippi John Hurt and Bob Dylan.” A favourite of mine when It was released back in 2000, Im excited to feature for you this week, this extraordinary record.   Plus new releases from Buddy Guy, Kim Wilson, Harrell “Young Rell” Davenport, Eric Bibb, Sue Foley, Shirley Johnson, Greg Nagy, Fiona Boyes, Alexis P Suter Band, Lloyd Spiegel and Darren Watson.

The first live album from the King of Texas Roadhouses. Raw rockers, soul ballads, driving band. A best seller. "Breathtaking, hardcore roadhouse rhythm & blues"--Rolling Stone I’ve long been a fan of this classic live set from Delbert and his amazing band and now, for the first time, I’ll be featuring it in its entirety on the show. Plus new music from Buddy Guy, Roomful Of Blues, Eric Bibb, Sue Foley, Kim Wilson, Fiona Boyes & The Fortune Tellers feat. Hubert Sumlin, Monster Mike Welch, Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues, John Primer & Bob Corritore, Mike Henderson, Darren Watson, Young Rell Davenport and Johnnie Johnson and Friends.

A favourite band of mine from back in the very early days, a copy of this incredible live show has recently made its way back into the Blues With A Feeling record library and I’m beyond excited to be featuring this album for you this week. Plus tracks from the latest releases by Buddy Guy, Jimmy Burns, Mike Henderson, Shirley Johnson, Kirk Fletcher, Bily Branch & The Sons of Blues, Fiona Boyes & The Fortune Tellers feat. Hubert Sumlin and Raphael Wressnig.   

  “Blues Is My Wailin' Wall is the debut album by the American musician Mighty Mo Rodgers, released in 1999. Rodgers referred to his music as "nu bluez"; he was also working on a master's thesis titled "Blues as Metaphysical Music (Its Musicality and Ontological Underpinnings)". He initially released the album on his label, North Star Records, in December 1998. Rodgers supported the album with a North American tour. He was nominated for a W. C. Handy Award for "Best New Artist Debut". Exclaim! wrote that the album "is no revivalist camp ... but a richly musical charge that recalls the work of the late Curtis Mayfield... Rodgers' deep, warm vocals embrace gospel and R&B, and his voice alternates between a powerful growl and a gentle caress across arrangements designed around solid hooks that first seduce the listener before driving home their message."The Daily Herald noted that, "where most contemporary blues songs are riffs built around hogging guitar solos, Rodgers brings a literate, philosophical punch to the genre."The Edmonton Journal said that "slices of soul, dips into R&B, some rootsy roadhouse arrangements and a voice that has lived every lyric, amounts to an impressive 11 songs.” Long a favourite of mine, I’m excited about featuring this remarkable record for you this week. Plus new releases from Buddy Guy, Roomful of Blues, Billy Branch & the Sons of Blues, Alexis P Suter Band, Mike Henderson, Fiona Boyes & the Fortune Tellers feat Hubert Sumlin, Monster Mike Welch, Jimmy Burns, Shirley Johnson, Tom Hambridge, Raphel Wressnig, Darren Watson and Kirk Fletcher.  

“Walter “Wolfman” Washington, a New Orleans guitarist and singer… played his mix of funk, blues, soul and jazz in the city’s clubs for six decades. A quintessential local luminary, Mr. Washington held down long-running weekly residencies at clubs including the Maple Leaf and d.b.a, where he recorded a live album with his band, the Roadmasters, that was released in 2013. He was also a member of a durable trio, with the keyboardist Joe Krown and the drummer Russell Batiste Jr., that released “Live at the Maple Leaf” in 2008. Between New Orleans gigs, Mr. Washington toured clubs, particularly around the South, and worked an international circuit of blues clubs and festivals. Mr. Washington’s guitar playing was lean, light-fingered and harmonically rich, conveying a relaxed authority as it teased and jabbed. His voice could convey flirtatiousness, amusement, heartache or wily agility, and his syncopated phrasing was as close to jazz as to traditional blues, leaping easily into falsetto or letting loose a vulpine howl.” Its long been an ambition of mine to spend some time featuring this incredible musician Walter “Wolfman” Washington and this week, its all coming together as I feature this incredible release “Funk Is In the House” .   Plus new releases from Buddy Guy, Mike Henderson, Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues, Candice Ivory, Kirk Fletcher, The Alexis P Suter Band, Monster Mike Welch, Roomful of Blues, GA 20, Darren Watson, Shirley Johnson and Raphael Wressnig.  

“Young blues guitar slinger teams up with rough-hewn soul singer from the Motor City for a set of rockin’ blues in a kind of Stevie Ray Vaughan-meets-Rod Stewart (or maybe, more accurately, David Lee Roth) vein. Most of this will appeal more to rock fans than hardcore blues fans, although straight shuffles like “Face Down In The Blues” and Bangham’s slow blues instrumental “My Turn To Talk” should register with both camps. Bangham also scores big points with guitar fanatics with his revved-up Hammond B-3 organ-fueled instrumental romp, “Kid Stuff.”   A favourite album of mine for many reasons, I can’t wait to feature this wonderful release with you this week. And to add a little something, I invited Kid Bangham himself to join me for a chat about this record, his first following his departure from the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Plus glorious new releases from Buddy Guy, Mike Henderson, Billy Branch & the Sons Of Blues, Roomful of Blues, Raphael Wressnig and Alexis P Suter Band.

“The Sky Is Crying gathers ten previously unreleased tracks that Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble recorded between 1984’s Couldn’t Stand The Weather and 1989’s In Step, their final album before Vaughan died in a helicopter crash. Mobile Fidelity has released all five recordings, including the debut, Texas Flood, on outstanding SACDs (Analogue Productions has the vinyl covered).   Though each of these recordings displays Vaughan’s jaw- dropping talent, The Sky Is Crying most reveals the many styles he soaked up like a musical sponge. Check out Vaughan’s jazz chops on Kenny Burrell’s “Chitlins Con Carne,” and Hendrix’s “Little Wing,” arguably this collection’s most staggering achievement, alternately whisper-sweet and screamingly fierce.   Other tips of the hat are to Muddy Waters, Lonnie Mack (“Wham”), Elmore James, and Albert King (the title track), yet each song is pure, unleashed SRV. The sound is big, bold, up front, and clean as a whistle. Vaughan’s different tonal shadings—from warmly purring, to raggedly distorted, to wasp-tailed sting, plus a rare acoustic turn on the gorgeous closer, “Life By The Drop”—are all superbly captured, and the drums and bass have plenty of clarity and wallop. A brilliant musical document…if a sad reminder.”   With what would been Stevie’s birthday last week, I’m excited to feature for you this extraordinary collection of songs on Blues With A Feeling this week. Plus new releases from Buddy Guy, Mike Henderson, Fiona Boyes & The Fortune Tellers feat Hubert Sumlin, Billy Branch & the Sons Of Blues, Monster Mike Welch, Kirk Fletcher, The Alexis P Suter Band, Jimmy Burns & Soul Message Band, Shirley Johnson, Chris Wilson, Tom Hambridge, Kent Burnside, Raphael Wressnig and Mud Morganfield.

Like the force of nature that she was, GRAMMY-winning Koko Taylor, the undisputed "Queen of the Blues," was in a league of her own. With her exuberant, deeply soulful, good-time style and her tough-as-nails band, she could be counted on to make the reluctant fans dance and the quiet ones jump for joy. When Taylor passed in June of 2009, the world lost a musical icon. "Koko Taylor," according to Rolling Stone, was "the greatest blues singer of her generation." With Koko Taylors birthday falling this week, I couldn’t resist the urge to feature for you, her 2000 release for Alligator Records Royal Blue.   Plus new releases from Buddy Guy, Roomful Of Blues, Tom Hambridge, Monster Mike Welch, Candice Ivory, The Alesis P Suter Band, Kent Burnside, Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues, Mud Morganfield, Mike Henderson, Kirk Fletcher and Raphael Wressnig.

“Recorded in Chicago's Cook County Jail on a hot fall day in 1970 and released the following year, the recording of this historic event was named #499 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, hitting #1 on the Billboard R&B charts, #3 on the Jazz charts and #25 on the Top 200. One of several live albums King released, it features a selection of his best-known songs. Includes "How Blue Can You Get?", "Please Accept My Love" and his signature classics "The Thrill Is Gone" and "Every Day I Have The Blues". Couldn’t be happier to be featuring this incredible record with you this week, in honour of BB’s 100th birthday.   Plus new releases from Buddy Guy, Roomful Of Blues, Johnnie Johnson, Mike Henderson, Billy Branch, Alexis P Suter Band, Kirk Fletcher, Monster Mike Welch, Mud Morganfield, Tom Hambridge, Jo Harman, GA 20, Raphael Wressnig, Chris Wilson and Kent Burnside.

“No way was Dr. John was going to let Katrina pass into history without saying what he had to say. But no way could anyone have seen this coming. City That Care Forgot is at once the most fervent, acerbic, livid music Mac Rebennack has ever made; the most eloquent and probably the funkiest, too. Dr. John has never been one for grand statements or even topicality, but he’s rightfully, righteously pissed. His city, his people, those who made New Orleans home and love it as much as he does, were knocked down hard, but not out: that’s his message. “All you gotta do is want it bad enough,” he repeats in “You Might Be Surprised.” Others have said it in music since the catastrophic events, but perhaps none with as much clarity, force, optimism, fight and, ultimately, love. He wanted this record to be an event, so Dr. John brought in some heavies to augment his regular band: Eric Clapton is swampy and biting on three tracks; Terence Blanchard blows his trumpet with a heart full of soul on two. Willie Nelson lends his voice, Ani DiFranco hers. But it’s not the visitors who get noticed here; it’s the singer who names names and points fingers and demands closure. Dr. John may be the first artist ever to rhyme hurtin’ and Halliburton, but in this “second battle of New Orleans,” as he calls the city’s efforts at resurrection, in this place of “‘drowning victims’ full of bullet holes” (extra quote marks his-to indicate major skepticism), there is care after all. It comes from those, like Dr. John, who refuse to see their home die, and it’s all wrapped up in quintessential NOLA music that leaves no doubt this city’s still got plenty of living to do.” Jeff Tamarkin With it being 20 years in August since Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on New Orleans, I thought it was long overdue for me to feature this classic album. Plus new releases from Buddy Guy, Maria Muldaur, Janiva Magness, Mike Henderson, Candice Ivory, Kirk Fletcher, Alexis P Suter Band, Raphael Wressnig and Kent Burnside.

  “Anders Osborne “Coming Down” was his first studio recording in over five years. On Coming Down Anders sings about his two great loves, his wife and New Orleans. The CD finds Anders in a sparse setting that showcases his songwriting. One of the highlights of the CD is the song “Katrina.” Anders and his family moved backed to New Orleans six weeks after the devastating hurricane. Recorded in Nashville and New Orleans, Coming Down was co-produced by Anders and Troy Verges (BMI country songwriter of the year).” He's created one of the best albums of the year. Paste Magazine I’ve been hunting my copy of this sublime record for a decade and its finally returned to my hands and I can’t wait to feature it  for you this week. Plus new releases from Buddy Guy, Maria Muldaur, Charlie Musselwhite, Janiva Magness, Tom Hambridge, Candice Ivory, Mike Henderson, Kent Burnside, Kirk Fletcher, GA20, Chambers DesLaurier, Willie Buck & Bob Corritore, Monster Mike Welch and the Alexis P Suter Band.            

“Known to music fans around the world as the “King of the Boogie,” John Lee Hooker endures as one of the true superstars of the blues genre: the ultimate beholder of cool. His work is widely recognized for its impact on modern music – his simple, yet deeply effective songs transcend borders and languages around the globe. Each decade of Hooker’s long career brought a new generation of fans and fresh opportunities for the ever-evolving artist. He never slowed down either: As John Lee Hooker entered his 70s, he suddenly found himself in the most successful era of his career – reinvented yet again, and energized as ever, touring and recording up until his passing in 2001.”   John Lee Hookers been on my mind in August,  after his birthday a couple of weeks ago and I thought I’d celebrate together by putting together a classic collection of his earliest and most successful songs, plus tracks from 1989s chart topping The Healer.   Plus new releases from Buddy Guy, Maria Muldaur, Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Charlie Musselwhite, Mike Henderson, Larry McCray, Candice Ivory, Monster Mike Welch, Alexis P Suter Band, Raphael Wressnig, Chambers DesLaurier and Willie Buck & Bob Corritore.

“The ultimate “blues brother”, Eric Bibb is known and revered globally as a fiery singer- songwriter with true soul, grounded in the folk/blues tradition but with contemporary sensibilities. Testament to his endurance as one of the most relevant, leading bluesmen of our time, Eric’s most recent album, Ridin’, has received a Grammy nomination in the Best Traditional Blues Album category. It sits in the Top 10 of multiple blues and roots charts, has over three million Spotify streams and been lauded by critics as his “late life classic” and “a fervent gospel-backed blues manifesto”. The past twelve months alone has seen his entire catalogue clock up 15 million streams. It is easy to point to Eric’s accomplishments. A five-decade career recording with folk and blues royalty. Three Grammy nominations and multiple Blues Foundation awards. A following that not only crosses borders, it crosses continents.” I’m super excited to feature Eric incredible 1999 Ruf Records release Home To Me this week. Plus new releases from Buddy Guy, Maria Muldaur, Mike Henderson, Candice Ivory, Willie Buck & Bob Corritore, Raphael Wressnig, Roomful Of Blues, Alexis P Suter Band, Jo Harman, Tom Hambridge and Monster Mike Welch.  

“Slant 6 Mind is Greg's thirteenth album on Red House Records and a Grammy nominee! It's got a swampy, funky, lowdown sound that ranges from driving rhythms to sensuous folk and back again. The musicians are great and the combination of guitar players Greg, Kelly Joe Phelps, and Bo Ramsey is superb. The feel of Slant 6 Mind reaches back to Greg's earlier albums, such as Down in There as it evokes the landscape and people that created him a world he sketches with the artistry of writers like William Faulkner, Bruce Springsteen or Robert Frost.” I’m excited about sharing this wonderful record with you this week. Plus plenty of the most exciting new releases hitting my inbox right now. With songs from Buddy Guy, Maria Muldaur, Charlie Musselwhite, Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Candice Ivory. Monster Mike Welch, Mike Henderson, Chambers DesLaurier, Willie Buck & Bob Corritore, Raphael Wressnig and Jo Harman.      

  “Blues scholar Guy Davis is an equally adept player, singer and storyteller in the tradition of his mentor, Taj Mahal. On Skunkmello, named for a legendary chicken thief who was caught and hanged for his crimes around 1900, rootsy troubadour Davis travels from the straight country-blues of “Natural Born Eas’Man” and his Piedmont-flavored original “The Chocolate Man” to the gritty South Side Chicago blues of “It Takes Love to Make a Home” without missing a beat. He blows some mean harmonica on a cover of the classic “Going Down Slow,” accompanied by former Paul Butterfield Blues Band keyboardist Mark Naftalin on Hammond B3 organ and John Platania of the Van Morrison Band on some piercing electric guitar. And he summons up some commanding Howlin’ Wolf-ish vocals on the haunting “Shooting Star.” Davis, a naturally gritty soulful vocalist, also demonstrates some authentic claw-hammer banjo technique on two old-timey unaccompanied numbers, “Shaky Pudding” and “Blackberry Ramble,” and also on the folkloric title track. The chilling closer, “Uncle Tom Is Dead (Milk ‘n’ Cookies Remix),” is an educated, old-schooler’s indictment of rap music that carries an important, socially charged message for a generation that has lost its sense of history.” Bill Milkowski 2006 I’m beyond excited to finally feature for you this uncredible record this week. Plus new releases from Buddy Guy, Mike Henderson, Maria Muldaur, Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Janiva Magness, Willie Buck & Bob Corritore, Kirk Fletcher, Chambers DesLaurier and Larry McCray.

The roots of the style that would become Otis Taylor’s most recognizable contribution to blues can be found on Truth Is Not Fiction (Telarc Records) released in 2003. Music critics were both enthralled and a bit mystified by Taylor’s signature “Trance Blues” electric, psychedelic style. Truth is Not Fiction earned a top 10 album of the year listing from the New York Times and was also featured with rave reviews from USA Today, Washington Post and NPR, and the record culminated in a Downbeat critics award for “Blues Album of the Year.”   Im excited to feature this 2003 from classic from Otis Taylor this week. Plus new releases from Buddy Guy, Mike Henderson, Janiva Magness, DK Harrell, Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Maria Muldaur, Kent Burnside, Willie Buck & Bob Corritore, Gerald McClendon, Chambers Deslaurier and Garry Burnside.   

“Tony Joe White's 2013 album is awash in danger, spiritual uncertainty and environmental fury. Hoodoo's lyrical concerns are matched by a particularly intense strain of White's trademark swamp funk. Hence the title's double edged meaning: 'hoodoo' referring both to the songs' ominous tone and the palpable vibe that filled the studio as the songs were cut. Cut mostly live to tape - vocals and all - much of Hoodoo consists of first takes. Culled from an initial stack of 17 tunes, the 9 songs that comprise the album come alive in the haunting atmosphere and intensity of the stripped down recording process…” With Tony Joe Whites birthday last week, I’m thrilled to feature this wonderful album this week. Plus new releases from Buddy Guy, Charlie Musselwhite, Janiva Magness, Maria Muldaur, Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Southern Avenue, Little Charlie Baty, Kent Burnside, Jon Cleary, Kirk Fletcher, Tad Robinson, Larry McCray and Garry Burnside.

The return of the legendary harmonica giant from the 1950s Chicago blues scene. "A triumphant comeback"—Billboard   Billy Boy Arnold is back. With his 1992 Alligator Records debut, Back Where I Belong, Arnold firmly reestablished himself as one of the foremost practitioners of classic Chicago blues. His wailing harmonica playing and soulful vocals are a perfect match for his streetwise songwriting. The combination of Delta-influenced blues with a more urban sophistication not only defines Arnold's sound, but was also a significant contribution in the early, formative days of rock and roll.    I’m excited about featuring this wonderful record for you this week. With Billy Boy backed by a crack group of young West Coast hotshots, he sounds like he’s having the time of his life. Plus new releases from Charlie Musselwhite, Buddy Guy, TajMo, Janiva Magness, Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Larry McCray, Chambers DesLauriers, Eric Gales, DK Harrell, Brandon Santini and Terry Hanck.

“Cotton’s long, fabled career is unrivaled in terms of its historic import….a name that is mentioned alongside some of the very best performers ever to play the instrument. Cotton’s playing has cemented his place in the top tier of blues harmonica masters: that muscular tone, those brawny wails, the stinging high note bends. …sends a shiver down the spine. Fiery, inimitable, ferocious attack, dominance and power. The well of talent he draws from is as deep as the blues he plays.” – Living Blues   With the great James Cottons birthday in July, I’ve pulled together a collection of some of the great mans finest tunes. And to put it all in context, I’m joined by another monster of the blues harmonica Kim Wilson, who was kind enough to share with us his memories of the man from Tunica Mississippi.   Plus tracks from the latest releases by Buddy Guy, Janiva Magness, Taj Mo, Charlie Musselwhite, Southern Avenue, DK Harrell and Hat Fitz & Cara Robinson.