Best Delta Blues
Includes Drunkard's Special Coley Jones; Peg and Awl Carolina Tar Heels; Frankie Mississippi John Hurt; Engine 143 Carter Family; Indian War Whoop Hoyt Ming & His Pep-Steppers; Newport Blues Cincinnati Jug Band; John the Revelator Blind Willie Johnson; Fifty Miles of Elbow Room Rev. McGee; Sugar Baby Dock Boggs; See That My Grave Is Kept Clean Blind Lemon Jefferson; The Lone Star Trail Ken Maynard, and many more! The Harry Smith Connection: A Live Tribute To The Anthology Of American Folk Music. Classic Maritime Music from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Smithsonian Folkways American Roots Collection. Classic Mountain Songs from Smithsonian Folkways. Classic Blues From Smithsonian Folkways. Folkways: The Original Vision See all Editorial Reviews.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The first time I played this, I felt somewhat let down, since it had such a massive online build-up and had been dubbed something like "the most important folk album in music history"--one that had influenced countless pop and rock musicians."
"Great gift."
"It is all it's cracked up to be."
"As much as I love Bob, I have to say that everything on this album is better than most of Bob's work."
"As someone in their mid sixties the folk music resurgence was very popular in my formative years."
"I have been waiting a long time to get this."
"What an unbelievable compilation of old musi; lyrics, history, original old "stuff" thoughout."
"this is simply the most astounding collection of music ever assembled."
Double vinyl edition of their classic album which was released in October 2007.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"She has a beautiful voice but the style of her music just doesn't resonate with me."
"The harmonies on this album are beautifully sung, the songs often mysterious and intriguing, and addictive."
"Plant reins in his blues metal shout and meshes with alison’s ethereal bluegrass country voice to produce a stunning vocal blend that perfectly matches the eclectic material."
"Burnett provides an aural atmosphere in which Krauss can apply her considerable talents in new and different ways and Plant can draw upon his obvious love of Americana (his cover of Fats Domino's "Valley of Tears" from earlier that same year being just one example, and his cover of "Little Sister" with Rockpile in the 1979 Concert for Kampuchea being another -- make no mistake, Plant didn't veer from "Immigrant Song" into "Stick With Me Baby" out of the blue; such music as appears on this CD was important to him all along)."
"Lead Zeppelin and Union Station, hard rock and bluegrass, here the "twain shall meet.""
"Robert Plant and Alison Krauss may hit the high point of this unanticipated collaboration on track 2, 'Killing the Blues'. They do and undo the blues, bending their unlikely alliance to the service of wistfulness, regret, memory, and--occasionally--hope."
"The first important clue as to why this unlikely combination would blend to perfection is the innate rare tonalities of both Alison and Robert's voices. It is an almost given with at-home quality, that Robert Plant should sing slow bluesy melodies to acoustic guitars and even a fiddle or harmonica in the soup. But, the Burnett experiment strikes gold when Alison Krauss's voice is mixed razor edge close behind Robert's and the melancholy is so heavy thick in the room all carried with an electric guitar in tremolo."
"Let me begin by stating that I am NOT a fan of country or bluegrass music...that said, I found this album to be terrific."
3 Keb' Mo'
Veteran backup guitarist Kevin "Keb' Mo'" Moore has the freshest approach to pulling it off, turning Johnson's devil-obsessed classics "Come on in My Kitchen" and "Kindhearted Woman Blues" into friendly folk music on this 1994 debut.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As much as I loved my girlfriend, I risked the relation by insisting on hearing his entire performance, even though as the headliner, he was the last act of the day when the warmth of the sun was sliding too swiftly into the sunset."
"I fell in love with Keb Mo's voice after I saw the movie "One Fine Day"."
"I'd heard "City Boy" -- on some soundtrack to some tv or doc, or episodic, or movie, or something, which I've forgotten now. Not realizing that I'd already heard and enjoyed a lot of his music on other soundtracks. Anyway, this music is sooooo gorgeously beautiful and meaningful. Oh, yes, and while I could only get a used copy, I must say that the seller was excellent, and the cd in great condition and it arrived really fast."
"Saw him in a Hallmark movie, loved his style and got a few of his CD's."
"I always try to find the highest-resolution format for each disc I buy, and, compared to the standard (non-SACD) version, this one captures way more detail, ambience, and better imaging."
"All of Keb's CDs are well recorded."
Best Traditional Blues
Double vinyl edition of their classic album which was released in October 2007.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"She has a beautiful voice but the style of her music just doesn't resonate with me."
"The harmonies on this album are beautifully sung, the songs often mysterious and intriguing, and addictive."
"Plant reins in his blues metal shout and meshes with alison’s ethereal bluegrass country voice to produce a stunning vocal blend that perfectly matches the eclectic material."
"Burnett provides an aural atmosphere in which Krauss can apply her considerable talents in new and different ways and Plant can draw upon his obvious love of Americana (his cover of Fats Domino's "Valley of Tears" from earlier that same year being just one example, and his cover of "Little Sister" with Rockpile in the 1979 Concert for Kampuchea being another -- make no mistake, Plant didn't veer from "Immigrant Song" into "Stick With Me Baby" out of the blue; such music as appears on this CD was important to him all along)."
"Lead Zeppelin and Union Station, hard rock and bluegrass, here the "twain shall meet.""
"Robert Plant and Alison Krauss may hit the high point of this unanticipated collaboration on track 2, 'Killing the Blues'. They do and undo the blues, bending their unlikely alliance to the service of wistfulness, regret, memory, and--occasionally--hope."
"The first important clue as to why this unlikely combination would blend to perfection is the innate rare tonalities of both Alison and Robert's voices. It is an almost given with at-home quality, that Robert Plant should sing slow bluesy melodies to acoustic guitars and even a fiddle or harmonica in the soup. But, the Burnett experiment strikes gold when Alison Krauss's voice is mixed razor edge close behind Robert's and the melancholy is so heavy thick in the room all carried with an electric guitar in tremolo."
"Let me begin by stating that I am NOT a fan of country or bluegrass music...that said, I found this album to be terrific."
Best Detroit Blues
This 1971 collaboration between primal one-part-Delta/one-part-Detroit singer-guitarist John Lee Hooker and Southern California blues revivalists Canned Heat works in large part because all parties involved are a little off. Hooker, the most unsystematic of the major bluesmen of his generation, isn't a good fit for disciplined players; rather, he requires sidemen who play by feel.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"John Lee Hooker says on the first disc that Alan Wilson must've listened to all his music to play along as he did. Alan Wilson's harmonica is sheer brilliance and John Lee proves he is the master of boogie."
"While some people might not like the fact that this is "unpolished" and sounds like they just met at the studio to play, for my tastes, I think that sort of looseness actually adds to it, since the blues are not really and exact science."
"My feeling for this album is an overall thing, and based not on cherry-picking but what the result achieved, at least these many years later - a deeper respect for what both Mr. Hooker and the Canned Heat were into back then, honest representation of the roots delta (though not purely so) and expressiveness allowed within the blues music they loved that came to engage so many, years later in the boogie incarnation."
"Whether you are a John Lee Hooker fan or generally a blues fan, I would greatly recommend this set."
"If you're a fan of John Lee Hooker and Alan Wilson this is for you."
"One of the best CD's ever."
"I have no doubt John Lee Hooker is a master, and Canned Heat won me over with great boogies both before and after this album."
"cool collaberation between John Lee Hooker and Canned Heat."
Best Texas Blues
An intense, high-powered performance from Stevie Ray's early days, featuring Testify; Texas Flood; Wham! Rewind to 1983 and here is Stevie Ray at the beginning of his fame, his first album with his backing band Double Trouble, Texas Flood , having just been released to critical and popular acclaim. At this early stage in his career he was still very much in thrall to Jimi Hendrix (the flower-power shirt gives it away), as covers of "Voodoo Chile" and "Third Stone from the Sun" (the latter a Hendrix-inspired guitar-abuse session) indicate. The highlight of the show, however, is his rendition of "Texas Flood," which turns out to be an amazing essay on the art of blues guitar.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon""Texas Flood" on this evening is one of, if not THE finest Electric Blues performances ever caught on tape!"
"Watch and despair, for we shall never see the likes of this performance ever again."
"thank you so much, I will enjoy this."
"My husband loves this DVD!"
"His performance of "Third Stone From the Sun" was key in landing him a tie (with Allan Holdsworth) for #1 on my list."
"This DVD is astounding."
"A long time friend recommended it, and I was never a huge fan...until now!!"
Best West Coast Blues
"Musical journey" is an apt description, as Scorsese and the six other directors responsible for these seven approximately 90-minute films follow the blues--the foundation of jazz, soul, R&B, and rock & roll--from its African roots to its Mississippi Delta origins, up the river to Memphis and Chicago, then to New York, the United Kingdom, and beyond. Lou Reed's "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" and the ElektriK Mud Kats' (with Chuck D. of Public Enemy) hip-hop-cum-traditional updating of Muddy Waters's "Mannish Boy" are among the best of them; on the other hand, a rendition of "Cry Me a River" by Lulu (?!).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A huge hit with my father in law."
"Great item; great price; great service; greatly appreciated."
"i love blues, i love movies, so it is a good blend."
"I have been thinking of purchasing this DVD collection since I first watched parts of it on PBS."
Best Memphis Blues
Includes Drunkard's Special Coley Jones; Peg and Awl Carolina Tar Heels; Frankie Mississippi John Hurt; Engine 143 Carter Family; Indian War Whoop Hoyt Ming & His Pep-Steppers; Newport Blues Cincinnati Jug Band; John the Revelator Blind Willie Johnson; Fifty Miles of Elbow Room Rev. McGee; Sugar Baby Dock Boggs; See That My Grave Is Kept Clean Blind Lemon Jefferson; The Lone Star Trail Ken Maynard, and many more! The Harry Smith Connection: A Live Tribute To The Anthology Of American Folk Music. Classic Maritime Music from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Smithsonian Folkways American Roots Collection. Classic Mountain Songs from Smithsonian Folkways. Classic Blues From Smithsonian Folkways. Folkways: The Original Vision See all Editorial Reviews.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The first time I played this, I felt somewhat let down, since it had such a massive online build-up and had been dubbed something like "the most important folk album in music history"--one that had influenced countless pop and rock musicians."
"Great gift."
"It is all it's cracked up to be."
"As much as I love Bob, I have to say that everything on this album is better than most of Bob's work."
"As someone in their mid sixties the folk music resurgence was very popular in my formative years."
"I have been waiting a long time to get this."
"What an unbelievable compilation of old musi; lyrics, history, original old "stuff" thoughout."
"this is simply the most astounding collection of music ever assembled."
Best Chicago Blues
It sounds like the beginning of a story: "So, Slowhand and the King of the Blues were riding in a car ..." If this is a musical journey, it's the kind that rolls down long, empty stretches of country highway at 80 miles an hour, with the top down and the stereo blasting. What they do here is cover 12 classic blues songs, many of them staples of King's repertoire, so the title of this album makes sense.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Excellent collaboration between two blues legends."
"This was a gift for my son at Christmas."
"I like "Riding with the King," "Ten Long Years," "Key to the Highway," "Three O'clock Blues," "Help the Poor," "I Wanna Be," the rollicking "Days of Old," and "When My Heart Beats like a Hammer.""
"Great blues and rock by 2 great classics."
"Bought for hubby, we are both happy with this CD!"
"Classic Cd by two of the best artists in the world 🌎!!!"
"Good album, good SACD sound."
Best New York Blues
On September 25, 2012, internationally renowned guitar superstar Joe Bonamassa will release the highly anticipated JOE BONAMASSA: BEACON THEATRE LIVE FROM NEW YORK on CD, showcasing the stunning sold-out two-night performance at New York City s legendary Beacon Theatre. He kicks it off with Slow Train, from 2011's solo album Dust Bowl and rolls through a number of fan-favorites including: Cradle Song, Dust Bowl, When The Fire Hits The Sea, Bird On A Wire, Blue & Evil, Mountain Time, and many more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Best cover of that song that I have heard and I think that Moore would agree."
"Great music and performances."
"Product as described."
"The only way to see him is live."
"Joe Bonamassa ...Nuff said!"
Best East Coast Blues
On September 25, 2012, internationally renowned guitar superstar Joe Bonamassa will release the highly anticipated JOE BONAMASSA: BEACON THEATRE LIVE FROM NEW YORK on CD, showcasing the stunning sold-out two-night performance at New York City s legendary Beacon Theatre. He kicks it off with Slow Train, from 2011's solo album Dust Bowl and rolls through a number of fan-favorites including: Cradle Song, Dust Bowl, When The Fire Hits The Sea, Bird On A Wire, Blue & Evil, Mountain Time, and many more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Best cover of that song that I have heard and I think that Moore would agree."
"Great music and performances."
"Product as described."
"The only way to see him is live."
"Joe Bonamassa ...Nuff said!"
Best New Orleans Blues
Great collection: Ain't That a Shame; Blueberry Hill; I'm in Love Again; Blue Monday; I'm Walkin'; The Fat Man; Goin' Home; All by Myself; Poor Me; Whole Lotta Loving; Going to the River; Honey Chile; Valley of Tears , and more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"LOVE this cd, many great recordings, every one is a treasure - blues with plenty of rock&roll, hints of swing, creole and big band- you know where this is coming from if you have an ear for it."
"Not as good as I expected."
"The best of Fats , I love the music you can sing along and dance with the music."
"Great songs; nice presentation."
"Everything was a-ok with this disc."
"What's not to like about Fats."
"Excellent audio recording’s of the most popular songs."
Best St. Louis Blues
101 cuts from the most important post-WWII blues label, including 19 unreleased recordings and over two dozen singles making their album debuts (which means those with every Chess re-issue only own about half this set!).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you like Blues, you are familiar with Chess records."
"Anybody who is a real blues fan will already own the big hits in this set - the real reason to have it (besides having those hits in a single package) is for the lesser known artists, which make up over a third of the collection."
"From the gritty Robert Nighthawk to the urbane Lloyd Glenn to the soulful Etta James, the creators of this collection have managed to bring together some of the most interesting, moving, and important recordings of the post-War era. Put the discs into your player and you'll hear famous classics like Otis Rush's "So Many Roads, So Many Trains," as well as unnoticed gems like Willie Dixon's "Walking the Blues" (a little gimmicky, but a rare chance to hear some terrific unaccompanied riffs by Lafayette Leake)."
"To the best of my knowledge, there is no better collection of Chess Blues classics to own than this one."
"Learned the great blues singers from Chess Records."
"This is an absolutely essential collection for any serious blues or music collector."
"Great collection of standards."
"one of the very best in box sets there is!"
Best Cajun & Zydeco Blues
Soak up these soulful performances of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Ellis Marsalis; Santa's Second Line New Birth Brass Band; Christmas in New Orleans James Andrews; Silver Bells Heritage Hall Jazz Band; 'Zat You, Santa Claus?
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I especially enjoyed "Zat You Santa Claus" & the less traditional Christmas tunes, which are definitely toe-tappers."
"THIS IS A GREAT CD!"
"Recommend highly... enjoyed the extended liner notes on each of the musicians, as well."
"Perfect for a band/music teacher, cool friends who have everything, and family who like great music."
"Always brings me back to the great city of NOLA when I listen to it."
"I love this CD."
"Saw this in New Orleans but didn't have time to pick it up."