Best Modern Blues

Cassandra Wilson is a prominent modern jazz vocalist known for her distinctive interpretations of blues and roots music. She draws heavily on American traditions, particularly Mississippi’s rich musical heritage. Her work has garnered critical acclaim and awards including a Grammy in 1996. She appea...

Chris Stapleton is an American country and blues singer-songwriter born in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1978. Before launching his solo career, he spent years as a Nashville songwriter—penning hits such as Josh Turner's 'Your Man' and George Strait's 'Love's Gonna Make It Alright'—and fronted the bluegra...

The Last Days of Oakland is a 2016 album by American musician Fantastic Negrito, winning the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

Ravel’s Violin Sonata No. 2 in G major, M. 77 is a significant work from 1927. The sonata showcases Ravel's distinctive modern style blending French influences with elements of blues music. It is particularly notable for its second movement, an innovative exploration of jazz idioms. This piece is va...

Uncivil War is a 2020 album by American blues singer Shemekia Copeland, noted for blending contemporary blues with Americana and addressing social issues.

Kingfish is the 2019 debut studio album by American blues guitarist Christone Ingram, establishing him as a major new talent in the contemporary blues scene.

Live at the Royal Albert Hall is a 2018 album by American blues-rock singer Beth Hart, capturing her powerful vocal performance at the historic London venue.

Fish Ain't Bitin' is a 1997 acoustic blues album by American musician Corey Harris, showcasing his authentic approach to traditional country blues and earning a W.C. Handy Award.

The Devil Ain't Got No Music is a 2012 studio album by Chicago blues guitarist Lurrie Bell, noted for its deeply spiritual themes and stripped-down acoustic arrangements.

Needed Time is a 1997 studio album by acoustic blues guitarist Eric Bibb, noted for its stripped-down arrangements and deeply spiritual, folk-inflected approach to roots music.

Maurice Ravel's Violin Sonata No. 2 in G major is a three-movement chamber work for violin and piano, completed in the 1920s and first performed in 1927. Its central movement, titled Blues, uses syncopation, bent-note effects, and other idioms associated with American jazz. Ravel treated the violin...

The Beautiful Lowdown is a 2016 soul blues album by American singer and harmonica player Curtis Salgado, praised for its songwriting and released on the Alligator Records label.

Kill or Be Kind is a 2019 studio album by American blues singer and guitarist Samantha Fish, marking her successful debut on the Rounder Records label.

Released in 2016, Porcupine Meat is an album by American blues musician Bobby Rush that earned him his first Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album at the age of 82.

2004 Alligator Records album by blues harmonica veteran Charlie Musselwhite, widely regarded as among his strongest and most deeply personal late-career recordings.

Love Wins Again is a 2016 studio album by American blues singer Janiva Magness, showcasing her blend of soul, blues, and Americana music.

Puttin' It Down is a 1996 blues album by American singer and guitarist Terry Evans, highlighting his deep gospel roots and soulful vocal style backed by seasoned studio musicians.

Self Made Man is a 2020 studio album by the American roots rock and blues duo Larkin Poe, consisting of sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell.

John Mayer is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist born in 1977 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He rose to prominence in the early 2000s with his acoustic rock and pop sound, exemplified by his breakthrough album "Room for Squares" and the hit single "Your Body Is a Wonderland." Over his career,...

Riding with the King is a 2000 collaborative album by guitarists Eric Clapton and B.B. King, earning a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.

Outskirts of Love is a 2015 studio album by American blues singer Shemekia Copeland, released by Alligator Records. Copeland, the daughter of Texas blues guitarist and singer Johnny Copeland, performs material that connects electric blues with soul, rock, and roots music. The album addresses relatio...

Madeleine Peyroux is an American jazz and blues singer and guitarist known for her contralto voice, which has frequently drawn comparisons to Billie Holiday. Born in Athens, Georgia, in 1974, she began performing as a street musician in Paris before signing with Atlantic Records. Her 2004 album Care...

Slideways is a 2002 instrumental blues album by American slide guitarist Roy Rogers, showcasing his technical mastery of the slide guitar alongside his regular backing band.

Don't Call No Ambulance is the 2014 Alligator Records debut by Florida-born blues guitarist Selwyn Birchwood, earning him the Blues Music Award for Best New Artist Debut.

Melody Gardot is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose music blends elements of jazz, blues, and acoustic pop. She began her music career following a severe cycling accident in 2003, using music therapy to aid her cognitive and physical recovery during which she began writing her own m...

Transformation is a contemporary blues and R&B album by American guitarist and singer Jackie Venson, notable for its genre-melding sound and highly dexterous guitar work.

Living in a Dream is a blues rock album by American guitarist Selwyn Birchwood, known for blending modern blues with gritty southern swamp rock and his signature lap steel playing.

Black Magic is a 2023 blues rock album by American guitarist Jared James Nichols, celebrated for his heavy, hard-rock-infused blues style and raw, powerhouse guitar riffs.

Robert Cray – Shame + a Sin (1993) is a Mercury Records album by the Oregon-born guitarist, continuing the polished soul-blues approach that earned him mainstream recognition and multiple Grammy Awards in the 1980s.