There were three major blues releases this week and I worked feverishly to get all three reviewed this week in time for the weekly Blues Power Rankings. Guess which album debuted in the Top 10? Yep, the one I haven’t finished reviewing yet. Welcome to my world.
Enough about me, though. We’ve got some great albums that are heating up blues radio and we should talk about that. Let’s start with the album I’ve not yet reviewed that made that Top 10 review: Charlie Musselwhite’s The Well. I’ve listened to it a couple times since getting it Tuesday and it has really grown on me. The Well is his first album since his Blues Music Award-winner Delta Hardware. We’ll discuss this album in greater detail, and soon.
Let’s look at a couple other things on the chart that have pleased me. How about the major surge by Peter Parcek and his excellent Mathematics Of Love record? I haven’t written a full review of the album yet but I’ve written about a couple songs from this in the weekly BPR 6-Pack; this is a very good record. We’ve also got the return to the charts of Chris James & Patrick Rynn’s Gonna Boogie Anyway. I’ve never understood why this album hasn’t charted higher and more consistently. Many blues fans loved their debut and this follow-up is every bit its equal. I’m thrilled to see it back in the mix this week.
I really like the look of this week’s charts. I’d also like to point out I finally made good on my promise to finish the Karen Lovely review. She’s in at #30 this week with Still the Rain, an album that has moved up and down the charts from week to week and a record I really love.
- Pinetop Perkins / Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith – Joined At The Hip
- Janiva Magness – The Devil Is An Angel, Too
- Elvin Bishop – Red Dog Speaks
- Albert Castiglia – Keepin On
- Magic Slim & The Teardrops – Raising The Bar
- John Nemeth – Name The Day!
- Charlie Musselwhite – The Well
- Smokin’ Joe Kubek & Bnois King – Have Blues, Will Travel
- Peter Parcek – The Mathematics Of Love
- Walter Trout – Common Ground
- Tim Woods – The Blues Sessions
- Steve Miller Band – Bingo!
- Dr. John And The Lower 911 – Tribal
- JJ Grey & Mofro – Georgia Warhorse
- The Derek Trucks Band – Roadsongs
- Foghat – Last Train Home
- Jimmie Vaughan – Plays Blues, Ballads & Favorites
- Davis Coen – Jukebox Classic
- Bettye Lavette – Interpretations – The British Rock Songbook
- Les Copeland – Don’t Let The Devil In
- Mississippi Heat – Let’s Live It Up
- Otis Taylor – Clovis People, Vol. 3
- Bob Corritore & Friends – Harmonica Blues
- Shakura S’aida – Brown Sugar
- Moreland & Arbuckle – Flood
- Anders Osborne – American Patchwork
- Chris James & Patrick Rynn – Gonna Boogie Anyway
- Eddie Turner – Miracles & Demons
- Mitch Kashmar & The Pontiax – 100 Miles To Go
- Karen Lovely – Still The Rain