Chico Blues - Sao Paulo, Brazil

Chico is the founder and President of Chico Blues Records out of Sao Paulo, Brazil. His label continues to produce some of the finest blues recordings in recent years. Some of the most renowned blues musicians in the world have traveled to Sao Paulo to record with the musicians on his label and be backed primarily by the label’s flagship ensemble The Igor Prado Band. Chico didn’t select any recordings from his own label. 

1)      Billy Boy Arnold                                                                    The Blues Soul Of Billy Boy Arnold

2)      Mud Morganfield/Kim Wilson                                          For Pops: A Tribute To Muddy Waters

3)      Mannish Boys  Wrapped Up & Ready

4)      Lynwood Slim  Hard to Kill

5)      R.J.Mischo  Everything I Need

6)      Big Jon Atkinson Boogie With You Baby

7)      Jim Liban with the Joel Paterson Trio I Say What I Mean

8)      Sugar Ray & The Bluetones - Living Tear To Tear

9)      Billy Branch Blues Shock

10)   Piazza Rod & Mighty Flyers  Emergency Situation

Don T-Bone Erickson - Des Moines, Iowa

Don is a long time blues journalist. He is the former Editor for the Central Iowa Blues Society Newsletter and author of 76 monthly feature articles entitled “Legends of the Blues.” He was a founding editor of one of the first online blues journals entitled, Blues Wax. Don is the host of 'T-Bone's House Rockin' Blues Party' and 'The Groove Zone' at KFMG 99.1 FM, Des Moines.  His program was voted "Best Radio Station" in Cityview's "Best of Des Moines" reader's survey in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. He is also the Chairman of the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame.

1)      Big Jon Atkinson  Boogie With My Baby

2)      Sugar Ray & the Bluetones  Living Tear To Tear

3)      Bob Corritore  Taboo

4)      The Chris O’Leary Band Live At Blues Now!

5)      Mikey Junior  Traveling South

6)      Mud Morganfield/Kim Wilson                                           For Pops: A Tribute To Muddy Waters  

7)      The Mannish Boys  Wrapped Up And Ready

8)      The Tony Vega Band  Shakin’ At The Easy

9)      Matt Schofield Far As I Can See

10)   Markus James  Head For The Hills

Jeff Scott Fleenor - Garden Grove, California

Jeff is the universally recognized leading authority on the international blues scene. He had been the Southern California Regional Specialty Music Buyer for Virgin Mega Stores. He has written liner notes for over two dozen albums. He has also been the co-producer for the “Blues on Bay” festival in Newport Beach. For the past 15 years, Jeff has been the International Talent Coordinator for the Doheny Blues Festival. Also during that time, Jeff was the host of a Southern California based radio show called “The Blues Disease.” Jeff is a blues historian and archivist of the highest order. In addition to that, he has produced twelve albums for Delta Groove Music including this year’s Mannish Boys’ album Wrapped Up and Ready. Jeff remains in the employ of Delta Groove Music and excluded himself from listing any albums that were produced by that label in 2014.

1)      Lynwood Slim  Hard to Kill

2)      Denilson Martins  Big D

3)      Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin  Common Ground

4)      Jim Liban & the Joel Paterson Trio                                     I Say What I Mean

5)      Mud Morganfield/Kim Wilson                                           For Pops: A Tribute to Muddy Waters

6)      Sugar Ray & the Bluetones                                                  Living from Tear to Tear

7)      Al Blake Blues According to Blake

8)      R.J. Mischo  Everything I Need

9)      Joakim Tinderholt & His Band  You Gotta Do More

10)   Toots Lorraine Make It Easy

Tom Hyslop - Negaunee, Michigan

Tom is a contributing editor and senior writer for Blues Music Magazine. For 15 years he was a senior writer for Blues Revue Magazine during which time he profiled artists Magic Slim, Phillip Walker, Nick Curran, Rick Estrin, Jody Williams, Duke Robillard, Kim Wilson, Nick Moss, John Primer, Big Jack Johnson, Sean Costello, Gary Clarke Jr. and others.

1)      John Nemeth Memphis Grease

2)      Sean Costello In the Magic Shop

3)      Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin Common Ground

4)      The Mannish Boys Wrapped Up and Ready

5)      Mark Hummel The Hustle is Really On

6)      Denilson Martins Big D

7)      Nathan James & the Rhythm Scratchers                       Natural Born That Way

8)      Bob Corritore Taboo

9)      Raoul and the Big Time Hollywood Blvd.

10)   Sugar Ray & the Bluetones Living Tear to Tear

Michael Kinsman - San Diego, California

For over twenty years Michael has written about blues and roots music for the San Diego Tribune, the city's leading daily newspaper. He has written for numerous outlets including Blues Revue Magazine, Blues Music Magazine and VH1.com. Since 1998 Michael has interviewed more than 500 blues and roots artists. He has produced music festivals since 1998. Michael is the founder and producer of the San Diego Blues Festival and host of the SD radio blues program “Every Shade of Blue.”

1)      Janiva Magness Original

2)      Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin Common Ground

3)      Missy Andersen In the Moment

4)      Joe Louis Walker Hornet’s Nest

5)      Big Jon Atkinson Boogie With You Baby

6)      Rob Stone Gotta Keep Rollin’

7)      Elvin Bishop Can’t Get Wrong Right

8)      Devon Allman Dirty & Ragged

9)      Ronnie Earl Good News

10)   Nathan James & the Rhythm Scratchers Natural Born That Way

Charlie Lange - Santa Cruz, California

Starting in the 1970’s Charlie was doing research for independent boutique blues labels including Specialty Records in the U.S. and Route 66 Records out of Sweden. He has written liner notes for Verve, Rounder and other record labels. Charlie has also done oral histories of Joe Liggins, Ray Agee, Roy Milton, Percy Mayfield, Lowell Fulson, JD Nicholson, George “Harmonica” Smith and others for various labels. In the 1980’s, Charlie started his own business called Bon Ton West and for several years booked virtually every blues and zydeco musician out of Texas and Louisiana on their west coast tours. He also booked the famous Antone’s West shows as well as select acts at the Long Beach Blues Festival. During this time he started Bluebeat Music which is widely considered the largest on-line retailer of blues, jazz, soul and vintage rock&roll in the world. 2015 marks his 40^th anniversary of hosting blues radio shows out of Santa Cruz, California. Charlie is also an ongoing contributor to BLUES JUNCTION.

1)      Lynwood Slim  Hard To Kill

2)      Nathan James & The Rhythm Scratchers                        Natural Born That Way

3)      Big Jon Atkinson  Boogie With You Baby

4)      Al Blake  Blues According To Blake

5)      Jim Liban with the Joel Paterson Trio                              I Say What I Mean

6)      Sugar Ray & The Bluetones  Living Tear To Tear

7)      Bob Corritore Taboo

8)      Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin  Common Ground

9)      Raoul & The Big Time Hollywood Blvd

10)   Dave Spector  Message In Blue

David Mac – Huntington Beach, California

1)      Jim Liban with the Joel Paterson Trio                                I Say What I Mean

2)      Lynwood Slim Hard To Kill

3)      Al Blake The Blues According to Blake

4)      Denilson Martins Big D

5)      Big Jon Atkinson  Boogie With You Baby

6)      Billy Boy Arnold                                                                   The Blues Soul of Billy Boy Arnold

7)      Sugar Ray and the Bluetones Living Tear to Tear

8)      RJ Mischo Everything I Need

9)      Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin Common Ground

10)   Nathan James & The Rhythm Scratchers  Natural Born That Way

Art Martel - Pomona, California

In 2014 Art Martel celebrated his 20^th year of being in the blues business. It was in 1994 that Art began co-hosting a radio show, “Breakfast With The Blues” with legendary blues purveyor Left Coast Carl at KSPC 88.7, the voice of the world famous Claremont Colleges. Soon he was tapped to host his own show and he can still be heard on his “Same Old Blues Show” on that same station. Since 1998 Art has been booking national touring bands in Southern California. He eventually started his own booking and production company, Straight Up Blues Productions. Both in the spring of 2013 and in the fall of 2014, Art served as tour coordinator for the west coast tour of Germany’s B.B. and the Blues Shacks.

1)      Sugar Ray And The Bluetones                                           Living Tear To Tear

2)      Kai Strauss  Electric Blues

3)      Big Jon Atkinson  Boogie With You Baby

4)      Kyle Jester  After All This

5)      Josh Hoyer And The Shadow Boxers (Self Titled)

6)      Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin  Common Ground

7)      Bob Corritore  Taboo

8)      The Knickerbocker All-Stars  Open Mic At The Knick

9)      The Mannish Boys  Wrapped Up And Ready

10)   Rip Lee Pryor  Nobody But Me

John Mitchell - Farnham, Surrey, England

John Mitchell is a UK-based blues enthusiast who contributes regularly to a number of blues magazines including “Blues Blast.” Additionally, John is a regular contributor to the “Crossroads Blues Society of Northern Illinois” which is published six times a year both on-line and in print. He is a contributor to Blues in Britain a monthly print magazine.

1)      Dave Keller  Soul Changes

2)      Albert Castiglia  Solid Ground

3)      Mississippi Heat  Warning Shot

4)      Dave Specter  Message In Blue

5)      The Mannish Boys  Wrapped Up And Ready

6)      The Butanes                                                                          12 Frozen Favorites From The Upper Bayou

7)      Kai Strauss  Electric Blues

8)      Billy Branch  Blues Shock

9)      Jim Liban with the Joel Paterson Trio  I Say What I Mean

10)   Dana Robbins  Dana Robbins

Mark Thompson – Gulfport, Florida

Mark is writer for Blues Blast and Blues Music magazines.

1)      Dave Specter  Message in Blue

2)      Ronnie Earl  Good News

3)      Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin  Common Ground

4)      Linsey Alexander  Come Back Baby

5)      Madison Slim  Close But No Cigar

6)      Jim Liban with the Joel Paterson Trio                              I Say What I Mean

7)      Steve Dawson  Rattlesnake Cage

8)      EG Kight  A New Day

9)      Mississippi Heat  Warning Shot

10)   Selwyn Birchwood  Don't Call No Ambulan