|

        Click here to expand and collapse the player

        Blues Browse All

        Churchwood: The Beefheart of the Blues
        0

        Churchwood: The Beefheart of the Blues

        By John Morthland, eMusic Contributor

        Churchwood is a blues-rock quintet hailing from Austin, Texas; Churchwood 2, their second album, was released in February of this year, and makes them sound both more and less like a blues band than their 2011 debut Churchwood. Austin, at this point, thinks of itself as the blues capital of the world, or at least the white blues capital of the world, but you'll not be hearing Churchwood among the usual cavalcade of Austin blues… more »

        Re-Documenting the Blues
        2

        Re-Documenting the Blues

        By John Morthland, eMusic Contributor

        Austrian collector Johnny Parth launched Document Records in 1986 in order to reissue the complete works of early 20th-century American roots musicians, mostly blues artists. Document's modus operandi was simple: Pick an artist and reissue the total output on however many albums — or, later, CDs — it took. Less-recorded artists — Geechie Wiley, say — shared a single album with other names; the more prolific — like Peetie Wheatstraw — got considerably more (seven… more »

        Big Jay McShann: Kansas City, Here I Come
        1

        Big Jay McShann: Kansas City, Here I Come

        By John Morthland, eMusic Contributor

        Big Jay "Hootie" McShann, who died in 2006, at (probably, though it's uncertain) age 90, fell blissfully between the stylistic cracks. Was the composer, pianist, singer and bandleader jazz? Or was he blues? The answer is: yes. Big Jay was shaped by a Kansas City scene that, well removed from the major American music centers, became an important center itself by making up new rules as it went along. The KC of this era produced… more »

        New + Noteworthy

        Editors’ Picks

        eMusic Reviews View All

        Everybody's Talkin' album cover Play
        Download $13.99

        2012 | Masterworks

        Tedeschi Trucks Band, Live: Everybody’s Talkin’

        2012 | Label: Masterworks
        John Morthland By John Morthland eMusic Contributor

        The husband-wife team of Derek Trucks (guitar) and Susan Tedeschi (vocals, guitar), fortified by their 11-piece band, isn’t afraid to take on a honkin’ hard blues such as “Rollin’ and Tumblin’.” But they sound just as good when they’re beefing up folkish material like Fred Neil’s “Everybody’s Talkin’” and the Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Darling Be Home Soon,” which they stretch out past 10 exploratory but tender minutes. Tedeschi, who’s never had problems handling sassy material, shows more warmth and subtlety with each new effort as a singer, but can still get… more »

        Otis Taylor's Contraband album cover Play
        Download $9.99

        2012 | Telarc

        Otis Taylor, Otis Taylor’s Contraband

        2012 | Label: Telarc
        John Morthland By John Morthland eMusic Contributor

        Because it runs the risk of sounding samey, Taylor’s trance-inducing sound, based mainly on blues and other traditional styles, is no easy thing to do year after year, and his last couple or three albums have sounded relatively thin. Not so with this one, with its wall-to-wall harrowing songs and tunings, tempi and textures to match. If anything, he’s using a little more instrumentation than usual; opener “The Devil’s Gonna Lie” rides on haunting pedal steel, swirling B-3, pounding drums, multi-tracked cornet and African djembe, as well as Taylor’s gruff… more »

        Blues Legend - The Best Of album cover Play
        Download $8.99

        2011 | Master Classics Records / The Orchard

        St. Louis Jimmy Oden, Blues Legend – The Best Of

        2011 | Label: Master Classics Records / The Orchard
        John Morthland By John Morthland eMusic Contributor

        Had he never written and recorded anything except “Goin’ Down Slow” — which is only one of the half-dozen or so most enduring blues songs ever — Oden’s place in history would be assured. As it is, he’s known primarily as a songwriter, and while that is where he made his greatest mark once he went to Chicago, his singing and playing are often regarded with condescension. Yet his voice is hardly lacking in back-alley grit, and his piano style digs deeper than many. More importantly, he made fairly imaginative… more »

        It's Great to Be Young and in Love album cover Play
        Download $9.99

        2012 | Jasmine Records / The Orchard

        Doc Pomus, It’s Great to Be Young and in Love

        2012 | Label: Jasmine Records / The Orchard
        John Morthland By John Morthland eMusic Contributor

        Yeah, that Doc Pomus, the one who wrote such ’50s and ’60s rock ‘n’ roll standards as “Save the Last Dance for Me” for the Drifters, “Teenager in Love” for Dion and the Belmonts and “Little Sister” for Elvis. Inspired by the powerhouse voice of Big Joe Turner, Doc entered the record biz as a jazzy, jump blues shouter. He turned to writing after realizing he’d never make it as a performer, especially as a white blues singer. But you know what? He sang with real feeling for the blues,… more »

        eMusic Radio

        Freshly Ripped Radio
        0

        Freshly Ripped Radio

        By J. Edward Keyes, Editor-in-Chief

        Looking for the newest and best on eMusic? Look no further than Freshly Ripped Radio. Every week, our editorial team combs through the crates and pulls out the best of the best, all the better to help you spend your money wisely. more »

        Recommended Radio

        View All

        eMusic Charts

        Blues

        Trending Artists