Robert Cray is a name and a sound well known to any true lover of the blues. Plan to check out We Fly Free and One Shot also. With a voice like hers, she rocks it with soul on One Shot, produced by Jamie Evans. } Give him 20 more years and he might pick up the accent, too. { She'll be putting that back into action with live dates in her homeland next year . We'll put money on next year being an even bigger one. She also used her platforms to pay it forwards with weekly showcase livestreams blues artists she's signed to her own Wild Heart Label, but we can't wait to see her back to hopefully touring properly again in 2021. } Let it Go is an almost painful listen. We dont expect youll need a full-blown introduction to the guitarist and songwriter who gifted the world Bridge of Sighs over 40 years ago, but you might not be quite as familiar with his more recent material. Broadbents party trick is playing slide with a beat up hip flask, and it doesnt take too much imagination to figure out which creative stimulant likely played a big part in perfecting that skill. Le Live de Royal Tea est superieur au cd d Abbey Road . All of them deserve to be heard. Sugaray Rayford Theres gusto and redemption on One Shot, with Jackaman channeling anguish and grit into bold, swinging tunes. The name says it all. Released by Provogue Records / Mascot Label Group and produced by Eric Corne, the record brings us Trout playing better guitar than ever and writing songs that are right on target for the year that 2020 has been. Climax Chicago Blues Band. We and our partners share information on your use of this website to help improve your experience. Although Joanne Shaw Taylor has upped sticks and taken up residence in the US, shes an artist that the Brits are very proud to call their own. Foster soars above her own lofty standards with the big band behind her and showcases the finest female voice in todays roots music scene. Vote for the best artists to see them graduate to the top of the list. Keri Leigh & The Blue Devils. [38] If you know enough about the genre, please vote based on the quality of the band's music instead of just voting for the most popular british blues bands that you might've heard of, but not really listened to closely enough to cast an informed vote. Rhode Island isnt typically thought of a hotbed of the blues, but the strong presence of Roomful of Blues, a revival jazz/blues band plants a giant feather in the cap of Americas tiniest state. You can only vote once on this list. If not, you may want to stay away. I purposely left off widely celebrated names such as Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, John Mayall, and more. Review of Containment Blues 4,259 votes. Epitomising the spirit of DIY, Darvills music has found its way into the eardrums of millions without the backing of a big label, and his tunes have appeared on hit shows like Breaking Bad, Preacher, and Bloodline. Huge mistake to suggest including an album we did not review. And the show-stopping closer Slide Master makes the listener wonder what a joy it must be to check Allison out live. [3] . Good Times, as its title would suggest, pines for days gone by with a wistful, gentle breeze of a sound. Many people consider King King to be the strongest blues/rock band out there these days and Maverick proves the band is worthy of such profound praise. At the rate Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters are keeping up with the times, we can expect to hear great music from them for another thirty years at least. His unique blend of folk and blues could not possibly belong to anyone else and, for anyone unfamiliar with the legend, More From the Levee would be a wonderful place to start. For now, their 2020 release We Fly Free is a good, but not fully great album. Shake your Moneymaker packs the albums most powerful punch as Johnny Iguana bangs the keys into impressive submission. This is an incomplete list of British blues bands and musicians . But undergirding it all is a floor of blues that somehow holds this glorious mess of an album together. But he took up residence in London over 20 years ago and has since become far more than an honorary member of the British scene having played everything from the most iconic clubs, to muddiest festival fields, and even hosted his Soho Radio show. Review of Wild and Free Kyla Brox The blues here can get a little gimmicky and cute from time to time, and Wainrights voice could use a greater sense of heft. If you buy it, enjoy at its best, but prepare for a release that doesnt always stay there. All My Dues are Paid is a truly special album. Brox possesses and commands a vast vocal range and is also a highly accomplished flautist which works surprisingly well in a bluesy context. Song Starter Kit: Bluesmans Child from Pain & Glory, If You See Him from Throw Away Your Blues, Beautiful Day from Throw Away Your Blues. This band packs a powerful sonic punch that could fill any room. The best showcases of his talent include the tortured ballad Ill Go Crazy and the foot-stomping Cracked up Over You. Bryants latest release contains more than a few echoes of old-school R&B and that is not a bad thing at least not in Bryants capable hands. For all his obvious skill as a songwriter, his resonant tenor rattles the soul just as much. 10 questions for Joanne Shaw Taylor (opens in new tab). Tracked at Abbey Road Studios and released by J&R Adventures, the set features new material co-written by Bonamassa and important British musicians including former Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden, ex-Cream lyricist Pete Brown, and piano man Jools Holland. Songs From The Road is all about killer contemporary blues. Joe Bonamassa website, Grammy nominated roots/rock duo Larkin Poe released Self Made Man on their Tricki Woo Records and it rocks with powerful vocals, guitar and lap steel riffs, and a roaring rhythm section. Both lyrically and musically they vow to keep going and going, providing the listener with ample incentive to keep listening and listening. Uncivil War is a definite high point in her career, and addresses vital issues of society and humanity. Meanwhile, Hot refocuses the attention right back to Crays guitar playing as a scorching demonstration of his ability to set the fretboard ablaze. Fresh from scooping the awards for Acoustic Blues Artist of the Year and Blues Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2022 UKBlues awards, Northern Irelands Dom Martin is very much a musician breaking into his stride. 'Girls with Guitars' -The 2011 Ruf Records Blues Caravan Tour - presents three of the scene's hottest young female guitar. It also doesnt hurt that the bands leader (also its singer and chief songwriter) has the shredding skills that guitarists of all ages would understandably envy. This is a lesson he seems to have learned from the greats of the blues. Picking standout tracks is tricky. The New World Blues is a killer set that presents an outstanding talent on the rise. Having gained a sturdy online following during lockdown, the dedication of When Rivers Meets fans has recently been proven in the real world as theyve played a string of jam-packed venues on their first ever UK headline tour. Shes gone on to release eight acclaimed studio albums since then the latest of which was produced by blues heavyweight Joe Bonamassa and released on his KTBA (Keeping The Blues Alive) record label. Each album is just as great as the other. Philip Sayce, Also of note is Give Me All the Love You Got, a surprisingly heartfelt ballad that engages in that age-old blues tradition of begging for a womans affection. She managed to play some of her March UK run in support of 2019's Reckless Heart before the pandemic intervened, but JST managed to follow-up the record with companion EP Reckless Blues in 2020. But their latest release contains a number of songs that could have only seen life in the current day. After all, what could be more heartbreaking than a man facing the demise of his car. Marcus King website, Mike Zito and his smoking band tracked Quarantine Blues while actually in quarantine at the beginning of the pandemic. It will inspire you to live a more full life. Big riffs and anthemic choruses are very much the order of the day here. If theres a finer blues harpist around these days, he or she must be well-hidden. The plaintive voice of Chris Smither has served him well for decades. Your access to this service has been limited. We could go on, but you get the picture: the guy is scarily good. on: function(evt, cb) { Song Starter Kit: Good Stuff from When the World Stood Still, One Way from Paths, Keep Your Head Up from New Breed. My Blues Pathway is a celebration of the blues and blues masters. His guitar playing is both tasteful and energetic and he possesses a particularly wild vibrato, no doubt modelled on that of his hero, BB King. Songs From The Road shows exactly why certain performances are meant to be captured live and in the moment. forms: { Who will be the new Foo Fighters drummer in the post-Taylor Hawkins line-up? Rise up features other demonstrations of this bands ability to revive the past, recognize the present and brace for an uncertain future. This is the sound that inspired him as a young man and has informed his musical journey from then until now. In October, Erja also took part in our Virtual Guitar Show, breaking down some of the songs from her back catalogue and showing us her rig . One of the very finest slide guitar players the UK has to offer, Martin Harley has been releasing music for 20 years and is a virtuoso in both laid back acoustic Weissenborn and fiery electric styles. If you think you have been blocked in error, contact the owner of this site for assistance. listeners: [], Standout tracks include the soulful B.B. If available, you can also see information about where all british blues bands on this list got started. Armed with a loop station, a briefcase full of harps and a bag of slightly homemade looking percussion instruments, Son of Dave is a one-man blues explosion. Remembering Fleetwood Mac Founder Peter Green, The Soulful Voice Of British Blues. Review of Self Made Man This is double-strength blues/rock that will cure what ails you. We tried very hard to narrow our list down to Top 20 but we could not bring ourselves to cut one more album. Lincolnshires Jack Broadbent honed his craft by playing at open mic nights and busking on city streets. listeners: [], Overall, its pretty clear that Savoy Brown aint done yet. Mark Lyon - Electric, Acoustic, Slide, Steel guitar and vocals. Ive had the pleasure of listening to 8 of these albums. Whether hes playing solo with nothing but his lungs and a road worn Resophonic guitar for amplification or backed by the slightly unusual arrangement of a double bassist and a duo of percussionists, the King Size Slim sound is all about rhythm and groove. Born in the unlikely city of Paris, France at a time (1965) when the blues seemed to be in commercial decline, Bernard Allison may not have been the blues hero we were expecting, but if his latest album is any indication, hes on a mission to prove himself capable of the job. Theres attitude by the fistful in everything the band has released to date, which is perhaps unsurprising when you consider that the heavily tattooed, Telecaster-wielding Barras is an ex-MMA cage fighter. But it seems likely that both problems will work themselves out in time. This R&B nine piece band won the Best Live Band at the San Diego Music Awards in 2020. A stunning solo debut. Their new album, Electric Soul Machine, is a must listen. Another touching example is Black Lives Matter.. Everybody knows the name . (1) Black Cat Bones was a British heavy blues rock group from London. Combining hip-hop with the blues is something a fair number of artists have dabbled in over the years, but G Love and his band Special Sauce, have made it a career for over two decades. But Copeland has recently turned forty and her voice shows all of the gravity and none of the rust of a blues elder statesman. He began as a doo-op singer, peppering the pop charts with such hits as The Wanderer and Runaround Sue, then moved in the direction of folk with the 1968 smash Abraham, Martin and John.. But the musicians who stood out for you still found a way to reach people in the pandemic with standout albums and performances. Charlie Musselwhite website, Alastair Greenes 2020 effort The New World Blues on Tab Benoits Whiskey Bayou Records is a stripped-down blast of live-in-the-studio blues/rock built on grit, soul, and first takes. event : evt, Not that sheer technical mastery is the only tool in his shed. But then again, strange is a word the listener would likely use a lot when describing Fantasic Negrito. Blues infused Southern rock, the band self-produced this 11 track, all-original album thats fresh with contemporary, expansive sounds and pristine production. Individuals [ edit] Ian A. Anderson Elles Bailey [1] Ginger Baker Long John Baldry [2] Chris Barber Norman Beaker [3] Jeff Beck [2] Duster Bennett [2] Graham Bond [2] Marcus Bonfanti [4] John Bonham [5] Geoff Bradford Jack Broadbent [6] Jack Bruce [2] Danny Bryant Eric Burdon His performances are passionate and intense, and while his style certainly references its delta blues roots, his delivery pulls it into the 21st century through a swamp of distortion and contemporary rock n roll aesthetics. Review of El Dorado British blues artists list, with photos, ranked best to worst by votes. It features a good man feeling bad and sharing his anguish through both vocals and his harmonica. A member of the same post-war generation that spawned the likes of Clapton, Beck and Page, Trowers ability to dream-up and release new material has never really waned over the years, and if anything its accelerated in recent times. Review of The New World Blues Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He is the only three-time inductee. Review of One Shot The sound of hot valves and Strat single coils that characterised his sound early on is still very much his calling card, and its a reminder to all those starting out on the well-trodden path that cultivating your sound is far more valuable in the long run than reproducing the tones and licks of those who have come before no matter how accurately you might be able to do so. All the top british blues bands named on the list also have discographies on their pages if you click on the british blues band names themselves. Congratulations to all of these fine rocking blues musicians! Ryan Perry, I always look forward to your year end list and your recommendations during the year. Everything works to some degree, but Kings vocal chops are more vividly on display when things slow down as they do on Wildflowers and Wine and the soulful One Day Shes Here.. Savoy Brown Website, Contemporary bluesman, guitarist, singer-songwriter Bernard Allison released Songs From The Road on Ruf Records. Its refreshing to see these instruments sprung from the confines of folk music and given some rock n roll treatment. All in all, Roomful of Blues (kind of) self-titled album would be a nice introduction to anyone unfamiliar with the band or anyone who doubts the sincerity of revival bands. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. The event will be hosted by Paul Jones and will feature music from no less than 4 of the finalists in various categories of the Awards. Theyd been in Europe on tour but COVID-19 cancelled their gigs. It was a tough year for blues its players win hearts and minds the old way, on the stage. The result is a searing collection of tunes that each carve their way into the listeners soul in a dazzlingly different way. Review of Royal Tea One of my favorites from this year was One of Those Days by Louisanas LeRoux because it was an album that blues fans and jam band fans could enjoy together. Heavy Mama 85 listeners Formed over 10 years ago while studying at Perth College, Heavy Mama toured across Scotland for several years, serving up a potent mix of blues, The legendary Dan Erlewine, luthier Gene Imbody and Berklees Tomo Fujita have shot a 6-point lesson video to help. The title track seems to serve as the bands anthem. A five-time Blues Music Award and British Blues Award nominee, Fletcher released My Blues Pathway on Cleopatra Records, his sixth solo album. Fronted by the American radio and TV personality Robert "Sully" Sullivan and consisting of a host of seasoned musicians including bassist James East who has worked with some of the best including Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson and Elton John. A listen to You Make Me Feel must provoke the listener to ask why he hasnt released more. The full-voiced tenor has created an album that has its share of weaker moments, but on balance, Take Me Back is a strong work and fine introduction to the fan whod never before experienced his output. The set comes across as a tribute to and a step forward from some of the most important rock music to ever hit a microphone and proves that new, meaningful guitar music is still being made. Perhaps you didnt review John Nemeths new Stronger Than Strong album. Alastair Greene website, Legendary blues/rock veterans, Savoy Brown, released Aint Done Yet on Quarto Valley Records, much to fans delight. They came home, went into lockdown, and wrote and recorded this rocking set that then came out on Gulf Coast Records. List includes The Yardbirds, Eric Burdon & the Animals, more. Its a fine enough album closer to make you forget that Stronger that strong is at times a little uneven. The set is a back porch session by two of the most famous blues players ever and lets Bishop and Musselwhite do it their own raw-boned way with minimal interference to disrupt the vibe. Uncivil War would not have been possible by a less time-tested voice. G Loves sound isnt for everyone, but those who want their blues to go down with a side order of fun would have a hard time finding a better album than The Juice. And weve deliberately chosen not to suffix that with for his age. With a record-breaking number of votes from fans, from the Rock and Blues Muse Group, and our editorial staff, our faith in music fans has been reaffirmed. Think of her as a softer, more intimate Etta James. Hope these guys continue their stellar start to their career. Don't miss the latest deals, news, reviews, features and tutorials. Have you Lost Your Mind Yet is not for those who prefer their music blues or otherwise performed in a more straightforward, conventional manner. Blacktop Run is a much better album than it might have been years earlier. . If you're a fan of blues and blues/rock, some of these artists you know well. Megan and Rebecca Lovell on the endless possibilities of slide guitar and playing 21st-century blues. FANTASTIC NEGRITO - HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND YET. })(); 2023. The Greatest Entertainers Of All Time. window.mc4wp.listeners.push( Dont let the title of Jeremiah Johnsons latest album fool you. Page 2 of 11: The best blues guitarists of all time Intro + best rock guitarists The best blues guitarists of all time Early innovators It sure would be at or near the top of my personal top 20 list of albums released in 2020. When Rivers Meet website, Expanding on Marcus Kings Southern soul, rock and blues sound, El Dorado is Kings first solo album, produced by Black Keyes guitarist Dan Auerbach, out on Fantasy Records. We also learn that the wounds of his upbringing, far from killing his spirit, has fueled it. From blue-eyed soul stars ( Amy Winehouse, Sam Smith, Adele) to boy bands (One Direction, Westlife), boyish-faced balladeers (Ed Sheeran, Hozier), garage rockers (Shame, The Struts, Idles) and. Why release one album in 2020 when you can put out two? From the youngest member of the list onto, shall we say, the most experienced. Song Starter Kit: Bluesdaddy from Bluesdaddy, Never Rains from Hooks & Lines, Last Page from Something Old, Something New. Fatback Deluxe Style: Classic American blues Influenced by: Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker Gear: Gibson ES-335, Gibson Les Paul Pro, late 60s Ampeg AUB-1 fretless bass Review of 100 years of Blues They are raw, unpolished and ragged. Anthony Gomes website, Britains own blues/rock hurricane King King dropped the bands most evolved record yet this year with Maverick, which was released on Channel 9 Records. English blues band, Savoy Brown has been proving this belief wrong since the mid-sixties. BA1 1UA. Chris Smither may have a better album in him yet, but thats hard to imagine. 2020 Blues Albums Spotify Playlist If 2020 will be forever remembered as the year of a deadly pandemic, it can also be thought of as a year that demonstrated the undying spirit of the blues. Sometimes, having friends in the right places helps a great deal. A vintage party that evokes the kind of old-school shindig where you could picture James Dean cutting the rug with Marilyn Monroe. Tinsley Ellis website, Released on KTBA Records (Joe Bonamassas record label) Blues with Friends by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dion, features blues/roots contemporary artists Jeff Beck, Billy Gibbons, Joe Bonamassa, Samantha Fish John Hammond Jr., Sonny Landreth Jerry and Jimmy Vivino, Joe Louis Walker, Brian Setzer, Stevie Van Zandt, Bruce Springsteen, and more. Great list well done When Rivers Meet and everyone else. Just make sure they aren't already on the list and check your spelling, because this is already an accurate compilation of the best examples of british blues, as well as a good place to start if you're asking yourself, or friends, exactly how to get into british blues music. JOHN PRIMER & BOB CORRITORE -THE GYPSY WOMAN TOLD ME, VICTOR WAINRIGHT AND THE TRAIN - MEMPHIS LOUD, ELVIN BISHOP & CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE 100 YEARS OF THE BLUES, JOHNSON JEREMIAH - UNEMPLOYED HIGHLY ANNOYED. Songs from the Road will make a believer of you. The 30 best British Blues Rock albums ever By Geoff Barton, Hugh Fielder, Sian Llewellyn, Paul Henderson, Scott Rowley ( Classic Rock ) published 19 February 2019 The best British Blues Rock albums: Direct from the Delta to Dartford and beyond, the Blues turned British rock on its head