R.L. Burnside's background is pure Mississippi Delta--he was raised in the hill country and musically trained by quintessential bluesmen like Fred McDowell. But this record, like all his work, is infused with an adventurous spirit, haunted by eerie bits of electronic music and dark, despondent subject matter. The combination sounds irresistibly fresh, and scary as a hellhound on your trail. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Features

• Extra tracks

Asin: B00004Z43I
Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Delta Blues    3. Electric Blues    4. Electric Delta Blues    5. Juke Joint Blues    6. Modern Delta Blues    7. Modern Electric Blues    8. Pop   

Singer-guitarist Kevin Moore, known by his slangy abbreviation Keb' Mo', has already enjoyed commercial success. He's cut radio hits like "I Was Wrong," toured with Bonnie Raitt, and won Grammys for his last two albums. Yet this time, Moore's truly nailed his blues-pop ambitions with a warm mix of sonics and songcraft. The Door wraps spare arrangements around Moore's bone-deep slide guitar and the slow-granite foundation of drummer Jim Keltner and bassist Reggie McBride. They catch the spirit of the music's simple country roots, but spin savvy moves like updating Elmore James's "It Hurts Me Too" with a hip-hop groove that flies. Moore has also penned wise, sweetly emotional lyrics. He weaves themes like class-consciousness (the star-crossed love ode "Anyway") and poverty of the spirit ("Change") into heart-tugging ballads colored by the chocolate-y Mississippi moan of his voice. Add in flourishes of electric jazz guitar and some nasty rock tones, and this tallies up as his most ambitious, balanced CD. But shouldn't he have called it The Do'? --Ted Drozdowski ... Read more

Features

• Enhanced

Asin: B00004Z3TX
Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Contemporary Blues    3. Pop   

By now, the world ought to know that Mark Selby was the songsmithing genius behind Kenny Wayne Shepherd's massive hit "Blue on Black." Clearly, someone figured out that there's probably more where that came from; hence, Selby's own debut, on the venerable Vanguard label. Indeed, this album contains all the necessary ingredients: blues-rock riffs chock-full of crunchy goodness; workmanlike lyrics with just enough wit to be clever, but not so much as to sound pretentious; and a backing band that sounds as if they're having the time of their lives. If there's a failing here, it's that the album is occasionally a little too glib, and when Selby tries on a ballad or a bit of acoustic blues, it doesn't quite come through. When he rocks out, though, he's capable of transporting the listener to a sweaty blues bar at 2 a.m., full of hard-core partyers making a mockery of last call. Selby's greatest asset is that he has the same unpretentious charm that's made Tommy Castro so well-known. May it serve Selby equally well, if only because the world does need more songs like "Kink in the Chain" and "Smoked." --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Asin: B00004XSPF
Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Folk-Rock    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Singer/Songwriter   

The fourth album from modern bluesman Eric Bibb is a get-out-of-bed delight, the kind of record that makes you feel like being productive. As with his previous efforts, Home to Me contains some strong folk elements, especially on the slower, mellower numbers such as "Singin' in My Heart." The son of folk musician Leon Bibb, the Eric Bibb met and learned from such luminaries as Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger. Though Bibb's career is based in Europe (he lives in Sweden), he has cultivated a growing American following, which is only appropriate, as his music--a flavorful mix of folk, country, and soul over a solid blues base--is very much a U.S. creation. Even "Mandela Is Free," which contains African-style chants and rhythms, is sung over a folk-blues accompaniment--and what could be more uniquely American than fusing disparate musical styles? Full of sunshine and good feeling, Home to Me is a perfect summer release, guaranteed to provide warmth all through the year. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Asin: B00004TZCH
Subjects:  1. Acoustic Blues    2. Blues    3. Contemporary Blues    4. Pop   

Why all the fuss about young, up-and-coming blues stars when the ones who've been honing their chops for years are often so much better at their craft? It's a question to ponder when listening to Norton Buffalo's first solo recording in 20 years. Since that last outing, he's been a featured harmonica player with the Steve Miller band, and the years have served him well. It's not just Buffalo's execution, which is flawless, or the fact that he's a more-than-competent vocalist, or that years of collaboration have afforded him a guest-star lineup that includes Miller and guitarist Elvin Bishop. It's also that Buffalo's capable of swinging through multiple blues-oriented styles with the greatest of ease, whether he's moaning out the heartfelt ballad "I Know I'm Fallin'," serving up tasty blues-rock with "Is It Love," going all Texas with "Let Me Be Your Man," or getting jazzy with "Hoodoo Roux." A potpourri of styles has become de rigueur in contemporary blues, but few manage it with as much aplomb as does Norton Buffalo. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Asin: B00004X0SN
Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Contemporary Blues    3. Modern Electric Blues    4. Pop   

This career-spanning box of three CDs and a DVD celebrates a legacy that looms larger than that of any blues-rocking guitarist since Jimi Hendrix.Despite fears that a series of posthumous releases had depleted the Stevie Ray Vaughan vaults, previously unreleased gems dominate the selection. Highlights extend from Vaughan's swaggering apprenticeship with Paul Ray and the Cobras to slash-and-burn concert performances from the final month of his life. There are obligatory dips into the songbooks of Hendrix and Buddy Guy, appearances on MTV Unplugged and Austin City Limits, and instrumental interplay with brother Jimmie Vaughan and tourmate Jeff Beck. Though his guitar never loses its flamethrower intensity, the set documents his progression from the showoff licks of the young "Stevie Rave On" into a fully rounded artistry of soulful depth. --Don McLeese ... Read more

Features

• Box set

Asin: B000051XZF
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues-Rock    3. Box Sets (Audio Only)    4. Electric Blues    5. Electric Texas Blues    6. Guitar Virtuoso    7. Modern Electric Blues    8. Modern Electric Texas Blues    9. Pop    10. Rock    11. Texas Blues