Peter Karp & Sue Foley Top This Week’s Blues Power Rankings

This little feature is fast becoming the highlight of my week, spending time talking about the blues releases making the biggest impact on blues radio worldwide. This is my kind of chart! Unlike my weekly iTunes Music Report, I know most of these artists and many of these albums. Not only do I know 'em, I like 'em.

First off, congratulations to Peter Karp and Sue Foley, moving up from #4 last week to the top spot this week. The Holmes Brothers, Janiva Magness, and Guitar Shorty all slide a spot to make room for the intriguing collaboration of Karp and Foley.

Moreland & Arbuckle's Flood moves up one spot from last week. I've been wanting to get ahold of it since it was released and it finally arrived Saturday. I'm listening to it for the first time right now and two songs in I already understand why it's been doing so well since its February release. I'm anxious to see if the guys can keep this up for the rest of the album. We're going to gather soon to discuss this record. Why don't all of you get a copy and start listening so we can talk this one together.

This is also a good week this week for a few other favorite albums of mine. Nick Moss' Privileged and Kilborn Alley Blues Band's Better Off Now are both in the Top 10 this week. Matthew Stubbs' Medford & Main, perhaps my favorite album of the year to date, wasn't on the chart at all last week but made a bold move to #25 this week.

Also making the Top 10 this week is Joe Bonamassa's Black Rock. I haven't finished my complete review of that record but I've featured three songs from it in my allegedly daily column Verse Chorus Verse ("Blue And Evil," "Night Life," and "Steal Your Heart Away"). I tip my cap to Joan Hunt for introducing me to JB. I was very pleasantly surprised to see an album from last year still on the charts, that being Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam's Coming Up For Air. Knowles has toured this relentlessly and the work is paying off. Once again a tip of the cap is due to a fellow Blogcritic, that being Sr. Editor El Bicho, for introducing me to Knowles.

There are several releases on this week's list I've not had the opportunity to acquaint myself with but I'm making notes and hope to have the lowdown on them soon. In the meantime, here is your Blues Power Rankings for this week, brought to courtesy of the Roots Music Report:

1. Peter Karp / Sue Foley – He Said She Said    
2. The Holmes Brothers – Feed My Soul    
3. Janiva Magness – The Devil Is An Angel, Too    
4. Guitar Shorty – Bare Knuckle    
5. Moreland & Arbuckle – Flood    
6. Seasick Steve – Man From Another Time    
7. Popa Chubby – The Fight Is On    
8. Joe Bonamassa – Black Rock    
9. The Kilborn Alley Blues Band – Better Off Now
10. Nick Moss – Privileged    
11. Ken Tucker – Juke Joint Serenade    
12. Forrest Mcdonald – Certified Blue    
13. Zora Young – The French Connection    
14. Chris Kirby – Vampire Hotel    
15. Anders Osborne – American Patchwork    
16. Eric Bibb – Booker's Guitar    
17. Hill Country Revue – Make A Move    
18. Little Joe Mclerran – Believe I'll Make A Change
19. Solomon Burke – Nothing's Impossible    
20. Super Chikan – Chikadelic    
21. Cash Box Kings – I-94 Blues    
22. Cee Cee James – Low Down Where The Snakes Crawl
23. Tail Dragger – Live At Rooster's Lounge    
24. Davy Knowles & Backdoor Slam – Coming Up For Air
25. Matthew Stubbs – Medford & Main