Blues Album of the Year

West Street West Weston

For those of us who are familiar with the British harmonica great and terrific vocalist, Steve “West” Weston, it is almost impossible to believe that this brand-new release is the first solo album of his long and storied career. He may best be known as the harp player in the Swedish based ensemble of International musicians known as Trickbag. On West Street he is joined by the ubiquitous Finnish guitarist Tomi Leino and Swedish double upright bassist Lars Näsman. Both are fellow Trickbag bandmates. Denmark based drummer Mikko Peltola rounds out this multi-national band. The album is on Näsman’s Magic Productions record label. Weston wrote all eleven songs on this wonderful album of blues which is played the straight natural way.

Acoustic/Country Blues Album of the Year

First Born Big Creek Slim and Rodrigo Mantovani

Marc Rune aka Big Creek Slim is a Danish blues man who recently moved to Brazil and has recorded yet another marvelous album. First Born comes on the heels of two outstanding 2017 releases. This time out he recorded the CD with the Sao Paulo based Chico Blues family of musicians and has made yet another thrilling record. He is accompanied by the album’s producer and bass player Rodrigo Mantovani. First Born features a mix of Big Creek Slim originals and some thoughtful covers that fall into the rural/country blues spectrum. Big Creek Slim is an accomplished blues singer and instrumentalist who plays dobro as well as twelve string acoustic guitar and even a banjo on one track. This record represents blues music at its finest.

Soul-Blues Album of the Year

Love Makes a Woman The Knickerbocker All-Stars

This Rhode Island based blues collective has just put out its fourth album in as many years and like everything else that they have released, it is a beauty. They also have on board two new Knickerbockers, vocalists Darcel Wilson and Detroit’s Queen of the Blues, Thornetta Davis. They lead the band to the land of soul music where these musicians play like they have been here their entire lives. Duke Robillard’s longtime rhythm section of drummer Mike Texiera and bassist Brad Holland, along with longtime Duke heads and former members of Roomful of Blues, sax men Doug James and Rich Lataille, anchor this horn heavy band. This album barely beat out James Hunter’s 2018 release, Whatever it Takes. Hunter could win this thing every time he makes record. He is that good, but it also gives you an idea the strength of Love Makes a Woman.         

Gospel-Blues Album of the Year

Everybody Needs Love Marcel Smith

This is Marcel Smith’s long overdue, debut solo album. He is a veteran of the gospel music world who has sung and played guitar in various groups since he was a child. This Bay Area based musician paints his gospel chops onto a broader soul canvass. Backed by the usual Little Village/Greaseland Studios crew, Smith makes some great choices as far as material is concerned. He covers Sam Cooke and Bobby Womack for instance as well as tackling the Gospel standard This Little Light of Mine. As Rick Estrin states in the album's liner notes, 'It’s a stylistically adventurous collection and Marcel’s transcendent talent, boundless passion and deep soul fervor are on full display.'    

Instrumental Album of the Year

Chicken Burrito Raphael Wressnig with Alex Schultz & James Gadson

Chicken Burrito was recorded in the blues mecca of Los Angeles, which seems entirely appropriate as both guitarist Alex Schultz and drummer James Gadson have recorded and performed together in the City of Angels since the mid-90’s. Through the years Schultz has split time between Los Angeles and Europe, the latter is where his association with the young B3 phenom Raphael Wressnig began back in 2002. Wressnig has recorded seventeen (by my count) albums under his own name. This might be his most personal release, as he wrote all the tracks on the album and completely surrenders his soul to the almighty groove which has always been central to his music. Chicken Burrito is a wonderful vehicle for three like-minded individuals who bring their own diverse talents together to make an album with a relentless groove.

Jazz Album of the Year 

Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album John Coltrane 

To say that finding over eighty minutes of never before heard John Coltrane music is cause for celebration would be a ridiculous understatement. Now a little over half a century since John Coltrane left us, and 55 years since these recordings were made, new John Coltrane music has been discovered. All but one track on this two-disc set has never been released until now. These are recordings made at Rudy Van Gelder’s Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, recording studio (where else?) on March 6, 1963. The band that had been with him for about a year at this point would come to be known as the classic quartet. From 1962 through 1965 they made some of the most exciting and innovative recordings in the history of American music.

Country Album of the Year

Deep In the Heart of Me Junior Brown

Deep in the Heart of Me is Junior Brown’s tenth studio album. Here Brown gives listeners a big dose of what put this major talent on the map in the first place several decades ago; that is great original songs sung in a rich baritone with a back-up band who lends incredible rhythmic support to an artist who is likely to take some wild excursions on both electric and steel guitar. Like great traditional blues, the country music sounds of Junior Brown don’t come with an expiration date. His music is timeless. This album, Junior Brown’s long-awaited album, was originally scheduled for a 2017 release and has finally arrived here in 2018. Like the best things in life, Deep in the Heart of Me was worth the wait.

The Best Roots-Americana Album of 2018  

Feline Roots Nikki Hill

I use this category to delineate recordings which are not strictly blues recordings. Maybe this category should be: 'Very Cool, Eclectic, Albums that I Really Dig.' That may be a little wordy, how about 'Wonderfully Hard to Categorize Albums of 2018?' The 2018 release by Nikki Hill fits this category like a glove. Feline Roots, like Nikki Hill, is straight up rock&roll. Just so there is no confusion here, this is not blues-rock which seems to bring out the worst features in both blues and rock to create a bastardized form of music that doesn’t sound like either one. Nikki and her great band now feature the great guitar work of Laura Chavez to go along with the buzz saw attack on that instrument by Matt Hill. Nikki Hill lets it rip and this album sounds like a throwback to a time when youthful exuberance ruled the day.

Best Re-Issue Album of the Year (single artist)

Jody Williams Diary of a Chicago Blues Man

With the recent passing of Jody Williams, it might be time to direct you to the most comprehensive release of one of the Windy City's most prolific and recognizable guitarists. This new 2018 offering from Jasmine Records came just a few months before the passing of the legendary blues man. From his session work with Bo Diddley, Billy Boy Arnold, Jimmy Rogers, Floyd Dixon and others to the amazing recordings he did under his own name, Jody Williams defines the bright and jazzy sound of 1950’s Chicago Blues. Many of these recordings have never been available digitally, so this is a welcome re-issue of classic sides and a must for any blues library.  Jody Williams 2/3/35 – 12/1/18

Best Re-Issue Album of the Year (compilation)

Mambo Americano

Mambo Americano offers a comprehensive 63 song collection of Mambo inspired chart recordings stretching from the sax blasting of Chuck Higgins to the cool harmonies of The Robins and Harptones to Cal Tjader & Georgia Gibbs. A wacky Mambo voyage kicking off with Wynonie Harris' suggestive All She Wants To Do Is Mambo then weaving through a labyrinth of quirky jazz and bluesy interpretations which include selections by Rosco Gordon, John Lee Hooker, Earl Bostic and others. The entire set ends with the close to authentic Leeward Island Mambo from Big Shell Steel Band Of Argentina.

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