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2010 Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy Nominiees

Best Contemporary Blues Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* This Time - The Robert Cray Band - [Nozzle Records/Vanguard]
or This Time MP3s for $5.00

* The Truth According To Ruthie Foster - Ruthie Foster - [Blue Corn Music]
or The Truth According To Ruthie Foster MP3s for $9.99

* Live: Hope At The Hideout - Mavis Staples - [ANTI]
or Live: Hope At The Hideout MP3s for $9.99 or $0.99 each.

* Back To The River - Susan Tedeschi - [Verve Forecast]
or Back To The River MP3s for $9.49 or $0.99 each.

* Already Free - The Derek Trucks Band - [Victor Records]
or Already Free MP3s for $9.99 or $0.99 each.

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Sean Costello New Memorial CD Release

Sean Costello was born April 16, 1979 and died April 15, 2008 one day short of his 29th birthday. Sean is being remembered by his label http://www.landsliderecords.com/ with a new release called Sean’s Blues - A Memorial Retrospective. It’s an interesting title considering the 12 previously unreleased tracks. This is a great album, definitely worth owning. Check out these previews:

For those unfamiliar with Sean’s work, well you’re in for a real treat. Whenever I hear Sean I’m always blown away by the tone he got from his guitar. His tone reflects what many other top guitarist would be happy to claim as their finest moments. Check this tune (it’s not on the CD sorry).

Damm, I may have to get one of those guitars just to try and get that sound.

Anyway like I said - this is one fine album, you won’t be sorry you picked this one up.

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Ry Cooder Blues, Mandolin and So Much More

I’ve always been a Ry Cooder fan. His name appears several times in the book Boogie Man - The Adventures of John Lee Hooker in the 20th century” by Charles Shaar Murray and this peaked my interest in blues tunes Ry Cooder may have recorded. Ry was one of a cast of many stars on the John Lee Hooker album Mr. Lucky and a quick search shows many blues tunes in the Ry Cooder MP3s on Amazon.com. Ry’s first two albums would have you believe he was to be a new generation blues artist and truth be told he is frequently recruited for his talents in this area. His first album “Into the Purple Valley” included tracks by Leadbelly and Blind Willie Johnson. Here are some previews of MP3’s available from those first two albums:

You’ll notice some mandolin on those preview and indeed in addition to an accomplished guitar play Ry is also an accomplished mandolin player. Here is a wonderful clip of Ry Cooder blues mandolin that also includes many fascinating facts about Ry Cooder.

RY Cooder also played mandolin in Love in Vain by the Rolling Stones. Ry was recognized by all as an excellent musician recording with many popular artists. His earliest recordings are playing slide guitar with the inovative Captain Beefheart. He played with Little Feat, John Lee Hooker, Taj Mahal, several times with The Rolling Stones and also on Randy Newman’s first album. Ry was also responsible for the Crossroads Movie Soundtrack and appeared in the Buena Vista Social Club sound track. I’m sure this only scratches the surface of Ry’s impact on modern music. Indeed it only addresses one of several genres he has been associated with.

Ry’s musical abilities also impressed some other innovator in the recording industry. I remember, long before my obsession with computers started, being blown away with the sound quality on Ry Cooder’s album Bob Till You Drop. This album was proudly displayed in my collection not only because of its excellent sound quality and unique musical qualities but it also sported a special DDD insignia on the back indicating Digital recording, Digital transfer and Digital final master. I believe Ry Cooders Bop Till You Drop may have been the first DDD recording available and represented state of the art recording quality in its day. So Still my favorite Ry Cooder album is still Bop Till You Drop and I don’t think this pick is just a sentimental favorite. I think most Ry Cooder fans would agree this was Ry Cooder’s finest to date.

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Peter Green - Awesome Blues - Now I Know

There have been a lot of people rave to me about Peter Green. I have to admit I just didn’t get it. I only own one Peter Green CD, Alone with the Blues, and while I’ve certainly enjoyed it I didn’t feel compelled to run out and get more. My friend on twitter TimWD took it upon himself to educate me. With a fine list of recommendations I went off to Amazon and Emusic to figure out what I was missing. Tim provided me with this advice while we chatted on the web while he was watching Peter Green:

Man of the World makes me cry every time. Green Manalishi makes me shiver. Just sing along to all the bluesy ones.

I was able to get the following MP3s from emusic.com on my monthly subscription:

From Four Until Late Feat Dr John
The Green Manalishi
Black Magic Woman
Oh Well
Man Of The World
Albatross

You can get them too - free actually if you sign up for an emusic.com trial account - hey and I get a kick back for you signing up too so please do :>). Just click on the ad below.

Anyway, I’m a Peter Green convert now and it seems to me that The Supernatural Anthology is the Peter Green album to own. Here is a little MP3 Widget from Amazon so you can hear some fine previews from that album.

If you want to pick up the whole album - well one free emusic trial will allow you to download all tracks or you can find it here Amazon.

Thanks for reading and thanks too to TimWD.

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Bob Dylan’s New Album - Together Through Life - is pretty bluesy

Bob Dylan’s new release Together Through Life is out . Bob Dylan is not really a “Blues Musician” but I have no trouble saying this album is more bluesy than any other Dylan album I’m familar with. I love the “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’” which has a Texas blues swing augmented by the accordion (TexMex Blues perhaps).
Another fine example of real blues on this album include “My Wife’s Home Town” which brings that one hook line blues feeling made famous by John Lee Hooker or Muddy Waters in Hoochie Coochie man. Except for “Forgetful Heart and “It’s All Good” this album almost sounds to me like Bob Dylan does Eric Clapton.

As with all Dylan recordings there is no shortage of stories in the songs though nothing as awe inspiring as Blood on the tracks in my opinion. The voice and energy of the past seems to have given way to a new slow, low, gravelly voice. The speed and strumming of the past given way to a rhythmic guitar where the silence between the notes has become a great part of the sound (something I always enjoyed about blues). One thing Bob Dylan is known for is differentiating each of his albums with new sounds. The accordion and the slide guitar are true differentiators for the album.

I love Dylan and I love the blues so I for one am thrilled to have another Dylan album to add to the collection. Here’s an MP3 wiget to give a listen to; “Thanks Bob”.

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