Pinetop & Willie, Janiva Magness, Magic Slim, John Nemeth Continue Stranglehold at Blues Radio

Several exciting new blues releases are on the horizon this month and next – Eden Brent, Ronnie Earl, Duke Robillard, Charlie Musselwhite – and as they arrive you can expect them to shake up the charts that have grown a bit static of late.  Until then, let’s enjoy seeing the fine albums from these artists where they are for just a bit longer.  I’m not tired or bored with any of them as a listener but as a writer of a weekly column it gets difficult to fan the flames of the same fistful of albums.  Enough about me- let’s look at the charts.

Pinetop and Willie made a great album and I’ve revisited it since reviewing.  I probably shouldn’t be surprised by the album’s stamina, as the two men who made the record are 97 and 74 respectively.  Janiva and John Nemeth have become two of the most popular vocalists on the blues scene and Magic Slim has been a favorite of blues listeners for decades.  I knew of Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King before Have Blues, Will Travel but this is the record that sold me on them.  If you haven’t checked it out and have ever cranked anything by ZZ Top in your life, you really ought to get in on this. 

Those records have all been on the list for a while.  Newer additions would be records from Albert Castiglia, moving up in his first week of release as I predicted as well as more recent fare from Walter Trout, Steve Miller Band, Mitch Woods, and Elvin Bishop.  Some of those are some older names (with the exception of Castiglia) but blues radio fans are still following their work, something you don’t see as prominently in other music idioms.  It’s nice to see experience appreciated.

1. Pinetop Perkins / Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith – Joined At The Hip
2. Janiva Magness – The Devil Is An Angel, Too
3. Magic Slim & The Teardrops – Raising The Bar
4. John Nemeth – Name The Day!
5. Smokin’ Joe Kubek & Bnois King – Have Blues, Will Travel
6. Mitch Woods – Gumbo Blues
7. Elvin Bishop – Red Dog Speaks
8. Les Copeland – Don’t Let The Devil In
9. Tim Woods – The Blues Sessions
10. Walter Trout – Common Ground
11. Steve Miller Band – Bingo!
12. Bettye Lavette – Interpretations – The British Rock Songbook
13. John Lee Hooker, Jr. – Live In Istanbul Turkey
14. The Derek Trucks Band – Roadsongs
15. Jimmie Vaughan – Plays Blues, Ballads & Favorites
16. Otis Taylor – Clovis People, Vol. 3
17. Diana Braithwaite & Chris Whiteley – Deltaphonic
18. Albert Castiglia – Keepin On
19. Anders Osborne – American Patchwork
20. Clothesline Revival – They Came From Somewhere
21. Big Daddy ‘O’ – Used Blues
22. Mississippi Heat – Let’s Live It Up
23. Karen Lovely – Still The Rain
24. Toronzo Cannon – My Woman
25. Eddie Turner – Miracles & Demons