Ok, so it’s February. Kind of late for a year-in-review special. But, I was traveling for my day job, the one I get paid for, so that’s why I’m late.
So, I’ve been doing these blues-based years in review for a few years now, and I’m not sure I ever explained the methodology I use, you know, like they do on the entertainment awards shows. Well, here it is: I look at what came out the previous year, some of which I missed at the time (again, not getting paid), and I try to listen to as much as I can. Then I rank them according to what I liked the best. But ranking albums can be problematic when, as last year, there are numerous awesome albums, so sometimes it comes down to mentally flipping a coin.
So, following that exacting scientific method, here is my ranking for blues based best albums in 2022:
- Tedeschi Trucks Band – I Am The Moon (I-IV). The series of four albums is a tour de force. Can’t argue with excellence. Though both Tedeschi and Trucks have long been huge blues musicians, this collection is more of a psychedelic genre-bending stew (complete with trippy movie!), but the music is great. Of the four albums, the second, Ascension, was my favorite.
- Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder – Get On Board: The Songs of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. The long-awaited reunion of these two roots music masters, who were once bandmates in Rising Sons circa 1965, was worth the wait.
- Charlie Musselwhite – Mississippi Son. A master of blues harp, Musselwhite has gone back to basics and produced a simple yet fantastic blues album.
- Blue Moon Marquee – Scream, Holler & Howl. It’s time this Canadian duo, who have produced a sound that is part Tom Waits and part Cab Calloway, get more attention.
- Shemekia Copeland – Done Come Too Far. Copeland is (probably) the Queen of the Blues today. This one isn’t all blues, but it’s a great listen.
- Buddy Guy – The Blues Don’t Lie. Guy just keeps on proving again and again that he is the preeminent bluesman alive.
- Kenny Neal – Straight From the Heart. The Neal family is New Orleans royalty for a reason.
- North Mississippi Allstars – Set Sail. The brothers Dickinson, teaming up with vocalist Lamar Williams Jr., move in a soul blues direction – and it works!
- Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters – Mercy Me. Exquisite guitar playing by one of the modern masters.
- Rory Block – Ain’t Nobody Worried. Though not all blues, Block’s homage to iconic women musicians is a lot of fun.
- Bernard Allison – Highs & Lows. Allison continues to honor the family name (his father was the sensational Luther Allison) with this excellent outing.
- Tommy McLain – I Ran Down Every Dream. This one felt like a discovery for me, though McLain had recorded hits back in the ’50s and early ’60s, so let’s call it a rediscovery.
About the author: Bill Wilcox is a roots music enthusiast recently relocated from the Washington, DC area to Philadelphia, PA and back again.