Well, here it is again … my inexpert, incomplete review of the best blues albums of 2021. Better late than never.
1. Selwyn Birchwood – Living in a Burning House. A mature masterwork of a young(ish) musician carrying the torch for the next generation of blues greats.
2. Eric Bibb – Dear America. Bibb takes on social justice themes and creates a masterpiece.
3. Guy Davis – Be Ready When I Call You. For a born and raised city dweller, Davis can do country blues with the best.
4. Corey Harris – Insurrection Blues. Harris tells it like it is in his first release in three years.
5. Gov’t Mule – Heavy Load Blues. Gov’t Mule are no strangers to the blues, but this album is all about the blues, and its a great one.
6. Black Keys – Delta Kream. The rockers have produced a raw, edgy, straight-ahead blues album reminiscent of their early works.
7. New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers – Vol. 2. Archival material from a 2007 session with North Mississippi Allstars’ Dickinson brothers and their dad Jim, Jimbo Mathus, Alvin Younglood Hart and Charlie Musselwhite.
8. Christone “Kingfish” Ingram – 662. Kingfish’s second album is a love-letter to his roots in the Mississippi Delta’s 662 area code.
9. Joanna Connor – 4801 South Indiana Avenue. If you’ve ever caught one of Joanna Connor’s live shows, you know what searing guitar is like. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for?
10. Sue Foley – Pinky’s Blues. A tight, excellent album.
11. GA-20 – GA-20 Does Hound Dog Taylor: Try It, You Might Like It!. I’ve been a fan of Matthew Stubbs’ work as a sideman for Charlie Musselwhite and as a solo performer. Now, this tribute to Hound Dog Taylor provides a vehicle for some great slide playing.
12. Robben Ford – Pure. Ford has been around for decades, and he’s still one of the greatest blues guitarists around.
13. Joe Bonamassa – Time Clocks. Speaking of great blues guitarists … Bonamassa’s release album is a tour de force.
14. Blues Traveler – Traveler’s Blues. Oddly, Blues Traveler never really played much blues in their heyday. But with harpist-extraordinaire John Popper leading the band, and guest appearances by Keb’ Mo’, “Kingfish” Ingram, Warren Haynes, John Scofield and others, the outfit is well-suited to knock out some excellent blues.
15. Cedric Burnside – I Be Trying. Born into blues aristocracy, Burnside captures the heart of the blues.
16. Zac Harmon – Long As I Got My Guitar. A road warrior from the Mississippi Delta, Harmon plays great soul-blues.
17. Chris Cain – Raisin’ Cain. Another long-time road-warrior, the only mystery is, how did he not use this album title before now?
18. Joanne Shaw Taylor – The Blues Album. The title is a little misleading, since English prodigy Taylor has released numerous blues albums before, but it works.
19. Colin James – Open Road. A great effort from the Canadian Blues-rocker.
20. Maria Muldaur (with Tuba Skinny) – Let’s Get Happy Together. More ragtime than blues, the album is nevertheless a tonic for our trying times.
About the author: Bill Wilcox is a roots music enthusiast recently relocated from the Washington, DC area to Philadelphia, PA and back again.