Newer Blues Artists or Recordings

I'm surprised that the Tedeschi Trucks Band hasn't been mentioned yet. They're not quite a straight ahead blues band as they blend a variety of other genres including R&B, funk, jazz, soul and rock. Derek Trucks, the former child prodigy, cut his teeth with the post-Dickie ABB alongside Warren Haynes and has to be mentioned among the greatest slide players of all time. Susan Tedeschi is a wonderful blues singer with a distinctive style, along with adding a solid rhythm and double lead guitar to the mix. The rest of the band, which includes a total of something like 10 musicians and singers, is rock solid and they put out a huge sound. I saw them at Red Rocks last summer and they just killed it. Check out their latest and probably best album, I Am The Moon.  Their Layla Revisited album is also outstanding.

If you're looking for more traditional blues, I'd like to call attention to the website for MusicMaker.org. This is a charitable foundation that's devoted to providing a wide range of assistance to artists in need who are primarily older Carolina Piedmont Blues performers, most of whom are in financial need and/or poor health. The artists they've helped include Guitar Gabriel, Etta Baker, Beverly Guitar Watson, Cootie Stark etc. Members of the MM Advisory Board include such artists as Taj Mahal, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, Bonnie Raitt, Elvin Bishop, and Pete Townshend. Below is a description of some of the things MM does, and I urge you to check out their site for more info....and send them a few bucks if you can!

"Music Maker takes a holistic approach to the needs of our partner artists. We prioritize their health and quality of life. We recognize that no two artists have identical needs. To support our artists in both their lives and their careers, we provide a wide umbrella of services. We help them get medical care and access to affordable housing. To make their music accessible to a wider slice of the public, we help them secure recording opportunities and book performances for them around the globe. We create the promotional materials they need to publicize their performances."