Best Blues Albums 2009...So Far!

The Reverend's Favorite Blues Tunes Through June

Rough Dried: Live At The Triple Door is a rock solid live document, Charlie Musselwhite and crew masterfully mixing houserockin', scorched-earth tunes with slower, tear-jerkin' blues numbers to thrill the audience and keep them on the edge of their seat. If you've wondered what a Charlie Musselwhite show sounds like, this is as close as you're going to get to the real thing.

Damon Fowler's Sugar Shack reminds a lot of the mid-1970s halcyon days of Southern rock, when a bunch of long-haired country boys could mix British Invasion-inspired rock with Hank's hellbilly twang and Muscle Shoals soul and, if not dominate the charts and radio, at least give those Yanks and Brits a run for their money. Although Fowler's brand of Southern rock is buffed up and updated for a new millennia, the same reckless spirit can be found threaded throughout the songs here.

The best thing about a hearing a brand new Duke Robillard album for the first time is that while you're never quite sure where he's driving, you know that you're always going to enjoy the ride. Such is the case with Stomp! The Blues Tonight, a retro-delight that features a perfect balance between Robillard's skilled six-string chops and the invigorating, Doug James-led horn section. Throw in Sunny Crownover's feminine wiles as a counterpoint to Robillard's gruffer vocals on an inspired mix of covers and original songs that were carefully-crafted to evoke an earlier era of the blues, and Stomp! The Blues Tonight is a complete rockin'-n-rollin' success story certain to please your ears even as it sets your toes-a-tappin'!

There are only a handful of top-notch blue-eyed soul-blues singers floating around the blues world these days – Tad Robinson comes to mind – but John Nemeth can easily make a claim as one of the best on the strength of Love Me Tonight. The largely original material (Nemeth wrote ten of the eleven songs) is spot-on throwback soul with bluesy undertones, a welcome musical trip back to the 1950s and '60s. Nemeth displays a wide vocal range, a firm grasp on related styles, and a real talent on the harp while his band, especially guitarist Bobby Welsh, are skilled instrumentalists capable of going whatever way Nemeth swings on a particular song.

Time has aged Jorma Kaukonen's voice into a warm, deep chestnut grain, his vocal approach to the songs ranging from an energetic whisper to a soulful drawl. Accompanied by his impressive guitarwork, which Kaukonen has honed to near perfection over the past five decades, the songs on River of Time are a near-perfect blend of Delta-inspired blues and dustbowl folk that is lively, thoughtful, and laid-back with a carefree energy that makes the album a real pleasure to hear.

Nick Moss and the Flip Tops are the real deal, a road-weary blues band seasoned by hundreds of shows and enthusiastic audiences. Live At Chan's – Combo Platter No. 2 is a spot-on document of the band's loud-and-proud live sound, an ear-pleasing collection of performances that, instead of being dominated by guitar – as with a lot of similar bands today – rather provides listeners with a rich thrill-ride of instrumentation that lends plenty of stage time to harp, piano, bass, and drums. Live At Chan's – Combo Platter No. 2 should motivate any modern blues fan to buy a ticket to the next Moss and the Flip Tops show that comes anywhere within a hundred miles of home.

In the past, bluesman Otis Taylor has written about racism, social injustice, poverty, and drug abuse, imbuing each song with dark humor and the darker-hued, acoustic-based music that he calls "trance blues." With Pentatonic Wars And Love Songs, the uncompromising songwriter turns his creative attention to love and romance, tragedy and loss, creating a master work that not only perfectly captures the energy and emotion of romance and relationships, but has also taken blues music as an art form to a higher level altogether.

Soul Monster perfectly illustrates part of the reason for Piazza's amazing longevity, unusual even in a genre that supports its oldsters, by delivering the sort of traditional blues romps and energetic R&B stomps that hardcore blues fans demand from their artists. Other bluesmen-and-women may get more press, and some may make a larger, hype-driven splash in the small pond that is the blues, but long after you've forgotten those guys and gals, you'll be pulling Rod Piazza's CDs off the shelf and slapping them on the box…you're always guaranteed a good time.

There really aren't words sufficient to describe Ronnie Earl's incredible six-string talents. Just when you figure that you have the man figured out, he pulls out a musical triumph like Living In The Light. It's not that the album defies expectations – Earl's skills are such that you're always guaranteed a great time – but that Earl manages to set the bar higher with each musical outing, and then clear it with ease. Backed by a top-notch band that follows him note-for-note, and with talented guests like Wilson and Keller, Earl has put together one of the best albums of his already impressive and lengthy career, a shoo-in for end of the year honors.

The first time that you hear Shemekia Copeland's voice, you're certain to stop dead in your tracks. An old-school blues wailer in the vein of Etta James or Koko Taylor, Copeland's vocal toolbox includes the complexity of 1970s soul and the subtle influences of 50 years of recorded blues music. Quite simply, Copeland is one of the very best vocalists on the road and in the studio these days. Copeland's Never Going Back takes full advantage of the singer's talents, the album's performances ranging from Chicago-style blues, R&B, and soul to material which borderlines on rock music.