Well to be honest we have eleven top ten lists this year. These represent the best albums of the year according to various people in the blues music industry.

As you might suspect the people who we have working on this rather fun project this year are pretty busy, hard-working individuals who have deadlines and other special projects going on. A few said they weren’t sure if they would have time to give their list the due diligence it deserved. Charlie Lange for instance just released a brand new album on his Bluebeat Music label in mid-December. The 20 track Rusty Zinn album entitled Last Train to Bluesville was taken from unreleased material in the 90’s. This and the fact that it didn’t get into our hands until late last year, likely kept it off most of these lists.

Virtually everybody else rallied and got me their lists on-time. Of course these are all real pros who know how to stare down a deadline. As per usual, we have a very diverse group of blues enthusiasts  who come from two hemispheres, three continents, and four countries. Within these United States, six states in three time zones are represented. Here in California, three distinct regions are represented and each vote counts as much as the ones from other places. We have no super delegate system.

At the end of our list of lists we have a consensus list of the best albums of 2016. Unlike the lists themselves, which are in no particular order, I ranked those based on the number of ballots each album received, which you can see in parenthesis.

Thanks very much to all of our participants. It is a real kick in the pants for me to catch up with all of you. I wish you all a very special, fulfilling and happy new year.

Chico Blues - Sao Paulo, Brazil

Chico is the founder and president of Chico Blues Records out of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He is widely recognized as the leading blues authority in South America. His label and extensive roster of artists has continued 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 recused himself from selecting any recordings from his own label’s 2015 recordings.

Big Jon Atkinson & Bob Corritore - House Party At Big Jon's

John Primer & The Real Deal Blues Band - That Will Never Do

Lurrie Bell - Can't Shake This Feeling

Mitch Kashmar - West Coast Toast

Sugar Ray and The Bluetones - Seeing Is Believing

Sven Zetterberg - Something For Everybody

Trickbag - Trickbag with Friends Vol. 2

Duke Robillard - Blues Full Circle

Big Creek Slim - Hope For My Soul

The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Strong Like That

Don T- Bone Erickson - Des Moines, Iowa (USA) 

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 98.9 FM, Des Moines.  His program was featured on the station rated ‘Best Radio Station’ in City View’s ‘Best of Des Moines’ reader's survey for the last six years. Don also served as the Chairman of the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame for 15 years.

Harpdog Brown - Travelin' With The Blues

Sugar Ray and the Bluetones - Seeing Is Believing

Mitch Kashmar - West Coast Toast

Thom and the Tone Masters - Rhythm Shot

Knickerbocker All-Stars - Texas Rhody Blues

Duke Robillard and His All-Star Combo - Blues Full Circle

Mighty Mojo Prophets - Record Store

Big Jon Atkinson & Bob Corritore - House Party At Big Jon's

Tony Vega Band - Black Magic Box

Moreland & Arbuckle - Promised Land Or Bust

Jeff Scott Fleenor - Garden Grove, California (USA)

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 the 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 numerous albums for Delta Groove Music. Jeff remains in the employ of Delta Groove Music and excluded himself from listing any albums that were produced by that label in 2015. 

Sugar Ray and the Bluetones - Seeing Is Believing

The James Hunter Six - Hold On!

Nico Duportal & His Rhythm Dudes - Dealing with the Blues

Trickbag - Trickbag with Friends, Vol. 2

Big Creek Slim - Keep My Belly Full

The Knickerbocker All-Stars - Texas Rhody Blues

Raphael Wressnig & Igor Prado - Soul Connection

Sven Zetterberg - Something for Everybody

Aki Kumar - Aki Goes to Bollywood

Thom and the Tone Masters - Rhythm Shot

Tom Hyslop - Nauganee, Michigan (USA)

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.

Greg Izor & The Box Kickers - The 13 14

Golden State Lone Star Blues Revue

Trickbag - Trickbag with Friends Vol 2

Lurrie Bell - Can’t Shake This Feeling

Guy King - Truth

Nancy Wright - Playdate!

Wee Willie Walker & the Greaseland All-Stars - Live! Notodden Blues Festival

Mitch Kashmar - West Coast Toast

Sugar Ray and The Bluetones - Seeing is Believing

Dennis Gruenling - Ready or Not

Ken Johnson - Baltimore, Maryland (USA)                                                                                         

Ken is a blues music fan and a loyal reader and supporter of BLUES JUNCTION   

Lurrie Bell - Can't Shake This Feeling   

John Primer - That Will Never Do 

Mighty Mojo Prophets - Record Store

Trickbag - Trickbag With Friends Vol. 2

Big Jon Atkinson & Bob Corritore - House Party at Big Jon's

Mitch Kashmar - West Coast Toast

Big Creek Slim - Keep My Belly Full

Dennis Gruenling - Ready or Not

Sugar Ray and The Bluetones - Seeing is Believing

Golden State Lone Star Review

Steve Jones - Byron, Illinois (USA)

Steve Jones is president of the Crossroads Blues Society and is a long standing blues lover. He is a retired Navy commander who served his entire career in nuclear submarines. In addition to working in his civilian career since 1996, he writes for and publishes the bi-monthly newsletter for Crossroads, chairs their music festival and works with their Blues in the Schools program. He also writes for Blues Blast Magazine and the Chicago Blues Guide. He resides in Byron, Illinois.

Corey Dennison Band (Self-titled)

Lurrie Bell - Can’t Shake This Feeling

Matthew Skoller - Blues Immigrant

Sugar Ray and the Blue Tones - Seeing is Believing

Albert Castiglia - Big Dog

Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne - Jumpin’ & Boppin’

Colin James - Blue Highways

Duke Robillard and His All-Star Combo - Blues Full Circle

Dennis Gruenling - Ready or Not

Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters - Maxwell Street

Michael Kinsman - San Diego, California (USA)

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, as well. Michael is the founder and producer of the San Diego Blues Festival. He is the host of the online radio program Hoodoo Ya Ya featured on Blues411.com's radio programming.

Big Harp George - Wash My Horse in Champagne

Big Jon Atkinson & Bob Corritore - House Party at Big Jon’s

The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Strong Like That

John Blues Boyd -  The Real Deal

Lurrie Bell -  Can’t Shake This Feeling

Luther Dickinson - Blues and Ballads

Moreland & Arbuckle - Promised Land or Bust

Various Artists - God Don’t Never Change

Vasti Jackson - The Soul of Jimmie Rodgers

Wee Willie Walker & the Greaseland All-Stars - Live! Notodden Blues Festival

Charlie Lange - Santa Cruz, California (USA)

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 marked his 40th anniversary of hosting blues radio shows out of Santa Cruz, California. Charlie is also an ongoing contributor to BLUES JUNCTION.

Wee Willie Walker & the Greaseland All-Stars - Live! Notodden Blues Festival

Barrelhouse Chuck -  Remembering The Masters

Trickbag - Trickbag with Friends VOLUME 2

Greg Izor & The Box Kickers - The 13-14

The Beat From Palookaville - Come Get Ur Lovin’

Mitch Kashmar - West Coast Toast

John Blues Boyd - The Real Deal

J Beyer - A Time Of Gathering

Raphael Wressnig  & Igor Prado - The Soul Connection

Big Jon Atkinson & Bob Corritore - House Party At Big Jon’s

Tommy Löfgren - Stockholm, Sweden

Tommy has been with Jefferson since 1970. It is the world’s oldest blues magazine still in circulation. He was editor of this prestigious publication from 1977-1996. He remains a senior contributing writer. Tommy took over Smokestack Blues, a retail and mail order store in Stockholm, in 2000. He has made a pilgrimage to the home of the blues, the United States, 27 times between 1972-2016 to explore the landscape of our African-American musical roots. 

Adrena - Better Days 

Big Jon Atkinson & Bob Corritore - House Party At Big John´s  

Lurrie Bell - Can´t Shake This Feeling  

Big Creek Slim - Keep My Belly Full    

John Blues Boyd - The Real Deal    

Toronzo Cannon - The Chicago Way     

J-Wonn - The Legacy Begins    

Jo Jo Murray - From The Inside       

Bobby Rush - Porcupine Meat   

Sven Zetterberg - Something For Everybody  

John Mitchell – London, England

A blues enthusiast from the UK, John writes reviews for several publications; Blues Blast on the internet, The Groove, the magazine of the Crossroads Blues Society (Illinois), Blues in Britain and Blues Matters, both of which are print magazines in the UK.

Cadillac Kings - The Secret of My Success

Toronzo Cannon - The Chicago Way

Corey Dennison Band (self-titled)

Nico Duportal & His Rhythm Dudes - Dealing With My Blues

Larry Garner/Neal Black - Guilty Saints

Dave Keller - Right Back Atcha

Jack Mack & The Heart Attack - Horns Back To The Shack

Mighty Orq - Love In A Hurricane

Billy Seward - South Shore

Mike Wheeler Band - Turn Up!

Mark Thompson - Bradenton, Florida (USA)

Mark has been listening to blues music for more than fifty years. Growing up in the Chicago area, he got to experience many of the legendary blues musicians live in-person.  He served for twelve years as the president of the Crossroads Blues Society, based in Rockford, Illinois, and, in 2016 served as the president of the Sun Coast Blues Society, based in Tampa, Florida.  Mark writes for Blues Blast and Blues Music Magazines as well as the Chicago Blues Guide website.

Barrelhouse Chuck - Remembering the Masters

Little Charlie (Baty) & Organ Grinder Swing - Skronky Tonk

Lurrie Bell - Can't Shake This Feeling

William Bell - This Is Where I Live

Corey Dennison Band (self-titled)

Mitch Kashmar - West Coast Toast

Duke Robillard and His All-Star Combo - Blues Full Circle

Billy Seward - South Shore

Sugar Ray and the Bluetones - Seeing Is Believing

Rusty Zinn - Last Train To Bluesville 

Consensus Top Ten (three way tie for #1):

Lurrie Bell – Can’t Shake this feeling (7)

Mitch Kashmar – West Coast Toast (7)

Sugar Ray and the Bluetones – Seeing is Believing (7)

Big Jon Atkinson & Bob Corritore – House Party At Big John´s   (6)

Trickbag  - Trickbag with Friends Volume 2(4)

Big Creek Slim – Hope for my soul (3)

John Blues Boyd – The Real Deal (3)

Corey Dennison Band (Self-Titled) (3)

Dennis Gruenling – Ready or Not (3)

Duke Robillard and His All-Star Combo - Blues Full Circle (3)

Wee Willie Walker & the Greaseland All-Stars - Live! Notodden Blues Festival (3)

Sven Zetterberg - Something For Everybody (3)

Editors Note: One of our regular participants wasn’t able to provide us with his top ten list this year, although he did have an excused absence, complete with a note from his doctor. Our dear friend, and long time Southern California blues impresario, Art Martel suffered a massive heart attack a few weeks ago. I spoke with Art on the phone the other day. He is home from the hospital convalescing and beginning a long recovery. As he said to me: ‘I feel like I have been given a new lease on life’. We wish Art and his family our best. He remains in our thoughts. I dedicate this feature to him. Get well soon my friend.