Best Roots Blues
Into the Purple Valley is the second solo studio album by American guitarist and singer Ry Cooder, released in 1972. The record draws on blues, folk, gospel, country, and other forms of early American popular music, using Cooder's arrangements and roots-oriented instrumental approach. Its repertoire...
The Real Thing is a live double album by American blues musician Taj Mahal, recorded at the Fillmore East in New York and released in 1971. It presents Taj Mahal with a larger ensemble that includes horns and percussion, extending his blues, folk, and roots repertoire toward African and Caribbean rh...
The Last Days of Oakland is a 2016 studio album by American blues and roots musician Fantastic Negrito. Blending raw blues, funk, and R&B elements, the record explores the gentrification and socio-economic changes affecting Oakland, California. It received critical recognition and won the Grammy Awa...
Wicked Grin is a 2001 studio album by American blues musician John Hammond. The album consists entirely of songs written by Tom Waits, and Waits also served as producer, making it a focused interpretation of one songwriter's catalog rather than a collection of original Hammond compositions. Hammond...
Migration Blues is a 2017 studio album by American blues musician Eric Bibb. It uses acoustic and roots-blues arrangements to address migration, displacement, borders, and the movement of people, connecting contemporary concerns with older blues and folk traditions. The album treats migration as bot...
Dave Alvin’s *King of California* offers a compelling look at roots-based music. Released in 1994 on Hightone Records, this acoustic album showcases Alvin's expertise in blues and country-blues traditions. The collection draws heavily from California’s musical landscape and is appreciated by fans of...
The Truth According to Ruthie Foster is a studio album by American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Ruthie Foster, released in 2009 by Blue Corn Music. The 11-track record draws on blues, soul, gospel, and folk-rooted songwriting, with Foster's vocals and guitar at the center. It is intended for li...
David Bromberg is the self-titled debut studio album by American multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter David Bromberg, released in 1971 on Columbia Records. The album features an eclectic blend of roots music, incorporating elements of blues, folk, bluegrass, and country rock. It featured nume...
"Needed Time" is a studio album by American acoustic blues guitarist and singer-songwriter Eric Bibb, released in 1997. The record is noted for its minimalistic, stripped-down arrangements that heavily emphasize Bibb's vocal and guitar work. It represents a deeply spiritual approach to roots music,...
Spectacular Class is a 2019 blues album by American singer, guitarist, and songwriter Jontavious Willis. Released by Kind of Blue Music, it contains ten songs written by Willis and draws on Delta, Piedmont, Texas, country, gospel, and acoustic blues traditions. Willis performs vocals and acoustic gu...
John Hammond is the 1963 self-titled album by American blues singer and guitarist John Hammond Jr. The record presents Hammond in an acoustic blues setting, drawing on country-blues and folk-blues traditions rather than the electric band sound used on some of his later recordings. It belongs to the...
National Steel is a 1997 studio album by Canadian singer and guitarist Colin James. The record centers on acoustic and roots-blues material, using the national steel guitar tradition as part of its musical identity rather than presenting James solely through electric blues or rock arrangements. Blue...
Mississippi Moan is an album by American guitarist Erin Harpe, notable for its authentic revival of traditional 1930s Delta blues and Piedmont fingerpicking guitar techniques.
