
The Blues Show with Jonny Meister airs Saturday nights
from 7PM to Midnight on WXPN.
Coming Up On The Blues Show January 16, 2021:
new blues from Selwyn Birchwood from his album Living In A Burning House
In the midnight hour after The Blues Show, on Blue Dimensions: Program #J03 — songs that connect with the Martin Luther King Day holiday and the aspiration for equality and civil rights for all. We'll hear from one of the strongest voices for civil rights in the world of blues in the 1960s, J. B. Lenoir, who wrote some powerful songs and made some stunning acoustic recordings of them in 1965 and 1966. We'll also play some inventive covers of some of those songs from the late Mickey Baker, and from Mavis Staples, whose family was involved with Dr. King's work. We'll hear a favorite civil rights movement spiritual from Staple Singers patriarch Pops Staples, and one of King's favorites from daughter Mavis. Plus songs for Dr. King from diverse sources, including Champion Jack Dupree, gospel singer Brother Will Hairston, and James Taylor.
Top Blues Albums and Blues Songs of 2020
• • • Online Blues Concerts, Events, & News • • •
The movie Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is now being shown on Netflix. The film, based on a play of the same name by August Wilson, is about events surrounding a 1927 recording session with Ma Rainey known as the "Mother Of The Blues," and it stars Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman in his final film role. It is produced by Denzel Washington. Reviews of the film and the performances of its stars have been very positive. View the trailer.
Some sad news: Joseph "Mojo" Morganfield, son of blues great Muddy Waters has died unexpectedly at age 56 in Chicago. Morganfield recently put out a single "It's Good To Be King," with an album planned for 2021.
read Mojo Morganfield's obituary.
The song Clotilda's On Fire on Shemekia Copeland's album Uncivil War tells the stories of the last ship to bring slaves to the United States, the descendants of those slaves, and the effort of the ship's captain to destroy the evidence of what it did. The wreckage of the ship has been found in Alabama. View Anderson Cooper's report on the Clotilda from CBS 60 Minutes.
Bluesman Jimmy Johnson turned 92 this November. You can view for free his concert with John Primer, Billy Branch, Dave Specter, and John Kattke, recorded last July. You may also support these artists if you would like to.
There's a new children's book about bluesman Blind Willie Johnson. It's called Dark Was The Night: Blind Willie Johnson's Journey To The Stars, named after one of Johnson's songs, a song that was included with the music and sounds of Earth sent into space on Voyager I in 1977, which is where the story starts in the book. It was written by Gary Golio and illustrated by E. B. Lewis.
Review of Dark Was The Night in The Houston Chronicle.
The Blues Images 2021 Blues Calendar with its accompanying CD (including a previously unreleased Victoria Spivey song, several previously unissued songs from Lost John Hunter from the Sun Records studio in Memphis, and more) is available now. The calendar features some of the original artwork and photographs used to promote these 78 rpm records when they were released.
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram was featured on PBS Newshour, November 11, 2020
Watch Christone "Kingfish" Ingram's Tiny Desk Home Concert from NPR
The Chicago Blues Camp is having Facebook Live online concerts that you can either watch live as they happen or later. Recent ones featuring 92-year-old Jimmy Johnson and Mud Morganfield, son of Muddy Waters, are well worth watching.
The Blues Collaborative of Southeast Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley works with a number of regional bands to promote their work; visit their calendar of events.
Working From Home is a series of at-home concerts by blues and roots artists produced by The Arhoolie Foundation and The Little Village Foundation. The concerts they have up include music from C. J. Chenier, The Sons of The Soul Revivers, Aki Kumar and Rome Yamilov, and John Blues Boyd.
On Sunday, May 3rd, the winners of the 2020 Blues Music Awards from The Blues Foundation were announced, along with some performances online, and you can view the event now.
Rory Block is doing Facebook Live Concerts from her home Tuesday and Friday nights, starting at 7:30PM ET
"tune in" daily for online music from Clarksdale MS
Harmonica player Mikey Junior presents live online music every Wednesday from 5PM to 7M from The Twisted Tail's Facebook Page
Roger Girke, Jimmy Pritchard and others perform live online music every Tuesday at 6PM from The Saint Georges Country Store on Facebook Live.
Links for Local Artists | Venues | Blues Events | Cool Blues Links
• • • Area Blues Concerts & Events • • •
For blues event listings visit:
Delta Blue's Calendar
The Blues Collaborative
Bucks County Blues Society
Diamond State Blues Society
Baltimore Blues Society
Blues Society of Central PA
Lehigh Valley Blues Network
Central Delaware Blues Society
[Return To Top Of Blues Events]
• • • January • • •
Sunday, January 17, 2021
Sweet Honey In The Rock virtual concert
(3PM) $15 (event recurs at 8PM)
• • • February • • •
Friday, February 12, 2021
Gabe Stillman @ Sellersville Theater
Sellersville PA 18960 (8PM) $19.50-$29.50
seating at the venue and live stream online of the show are both available
Sunday, February 21, 2021
James Hunter Six @ Sellersville Theater
Sellersville PA 18960 (8PM) $29.50-$45
• • • March • • •
• • • April • • •
Thursday, April 1, 2021
Bucks Blues Explosion 2020 with Rick Estrin & The Nightcats
and Slim & the Perkolators
@ Bucks County Community College, Newtown PA 18940 (7:30PM-10PM)
Monday, April 12, 2021
Walter Trout opening: Little Buddy @ Sellersville Theater
Sellersville PA 18960 (8PM) $35-$49.50
Thursday, April 22, 2021
Tinsley Ellis @ Sellersville Theater
Sellersville PA 18960 (8PM) $25-$39.50
Sunday, April 25, 2021
Catherine Russell with Charanee Wade and Brianna Thomas Ladies Sing The Blues
@ Normandy Farm Hotel & Conference Center
Blue Bell PA 19422 (5PM)
• • • May • • •
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Albert Cummings @ Sellersville Theater
Sellersville PA 18960 (8PM) $21.50-$30
Saturday, May 8, 2021
Blues & Brews with Flamin' Harry & The Roadhouse Rockers
The Little Red Rooster Blues Band, & Stevie & The Bluescasters
@ Sellersville Theater
Sellersville PA 18960 (8PM) $22.50-$35
Saturday, May 22, 2021
Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival
@ Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis MD 21409
Vanessa Collier @ Sellersville Theater
Sellersville PA 18960 (8PM) $25-$39.50
Sunday, May 23, 2021
Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival
@ Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis MD 21409
• • • June • • •
Friday, June 4, 2021
Havre De Grace Jazz & Blues Fest Day 1
Havre De Grace MD 21078
Saturday, June 5, 2021
Saint Georges Blues Festival Day 1
Fort DuPont Parade Grounds
Delaware City DE 19706
11:45AM — Judy Sings The Blues
1:15PM — Studebaker John & The Delaware Destroyers
with Garry Cogdell
3:00PM — Tennessee Redemption with Brandon Santini & Jeff Jensen
4:45PM — Victor Wainwright & The Train
6:30PM — Joe Louis Walker
Garry Cogdell's Session Tent All Weekend Between Sets
Havre De Grace Jazz & Blues Fest Day 2
Havre De Grace MD 21078
Chester County Blues Barbecue @ Wyndsor Farm
Elverson PA 19520 (2PM-7PM) rain or shine
Sunday, June 6, 2021
Saint Georges Blues Festival Day 2
Fort DuPont Parade Grounds
Delaware City DE 19706
11:45AM — Gracie Curren & The High Falutin' Band
1:15PM — Backtrack Blues Band with Wayne Sharp
3:00PM — Toronzo Cannon
4:45PM — Mike Zito
6:30PM — Rick Estrin & The Nightcats
Garry Cogdell's Session Tent All Weekend Between Sets
Havre De Grace Jazz & Blues Fest Day 3
Havre De Grace MD 21078
Friday, June 11, 2021
Billtown Blues Festival Day 1
Lycoming County Fairgrounds, Hughesville PA 17737
Saturday, June 12, 2021
Blues Brews & Barbecue on Hamilton Street, in Allentown PA
Noon — 10PM free
Billtown Blues Festival Day 2
Lycoming County Fairgrounds, Hughesville PA 17737
Sunday, June 13, 2021
Billtown Blues Festival Day 3
Lycoming County Fairgrounds, Hughesville PA 17737
Thursday, June 17, 2021
Indigenous with Levi Platero Band @ Sellersville Theater
Sellersville PA 18960 (8PM) $25-$39.50
Saturday, June 19, 2021
State Street Blues Stroll in the Media PA business district
Media PA 19063
Saturday, June 26, 2021
Dana Fuchs @ Sellersville Theater
Sellersville PA 18960 (8PM) $29.50-$40
• • • July • • •
Thursday, July 8, 2021
Briggs Farm Blues Festival Opening Night:
88 Old Berwick Highway, Nescopeck PA 18635 tel 570-379-3342
6PM-11PM Bret Alexander & Friends (songs from summer of 1970)
MiZ (songs from Grateful Dead album American Beauty)
Friday, July 9, 2021
Briggs Farm Blues Festival Day One br />
88 Old Berwick Highway, Nescopeck PA 18635 tel 570-379-3342
Main Stage:
4:15PM-5:45PM Celisse Henderson
6:05PM-7:35PM Campbell Brothers
7:55PM-9:25PM Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials
9:45PM-11:15PM Ana Popovic
Back Porch Stage:
1:00PM-2:00PM Dane Tilghman & The Jack Adams Band
2:20PM-3:50PM Gabe Stillman
4:10PM-6:50PM (TBA)
7:10PM-8:40PM Pappy Biondo & Justin Mazer
9:00PM-10:30PM Swampcandy
Saturday, July 10, 2021
Briggs Farm Blues Festival Day Two
88 Old Berwick Highway, Nescopeck PA 18635 tel 570-379-3342
Main Stage:
4:00PM-5:30PM Scott Pemberton
5:50PM-7:20PM Mac Arnold & Plate Full O' Blues
7:40PM-9:10PM Victor Wainwright & The Train
9:30PM-11:00PM Shemekia Copeland
Back Porch Stage:
1:00PM-2:10PM The Mighty Susquehannas
2:30PM-4:00PM King Solomon Hicks
4:20PM-6:20PM (TBA)
6:40PM-8:10PM Gracie Curran
8:30PM-10:00PM The National Reserve
Thursday, July 15, 2021
Sonny Landreth @ Sellersville Theater
Sellersville PA 18960 (8PM)
Friday, July 16, 2021
Blast Furnace Blues Festival Day 1
@ SteelStacks, Bethlehem PA 18015
Saturday, July 17, 2021
Bucks County Blues Society's R & B Picnic
Biscuit Miller & The Mix, Shawn Holt & The Teardrops
Harper & Midwest Kind, Moonshine Society, Nick Trill & The Thrillseekers, Tom Craig Band
@ Snipes Farm, in Morrisville PA 19067 (10:30AM-7PM)
Blast Furnace Blues Festival Day 2
@ SteelStacks, Bethlehem PA 18015
Hot Tuna with guests David Grisman Trio @ Penn's Peak
Jim Thorpe PA 18229 (8PM)
Sunday, July 18, 2021
Blast Furnace Blues Festival Day 3
@ SteelStacks, Bethlehem PA 18015
• • • August • • •
Friday, August 6, 2021
Roomful Of Blues @ Sellersville Theater
Sellersville PA 18960 (8PM) $25-$39.50
Friday, August 20, 2021
Savoy Brown @ Sellersville Theater
Sellersville PA 18960 (8PM) $29.50-$45
• • • September • • •
Saturday, September 11, 2021
Phoenixville Blues Fest [event status uncertain]
Reeves Park, in Phoenixville PA 19460 (Noon-10PM) free
Gypsy Moon Blues Festival @ Community Park [event status uncertain]
East Petersburg PA 17520 (3PM-8PM) free
Saturday, September 25, 2021
Paoli Blues Festival
Paoli Presbyterian Church on South Valley Road
Paoli PA 19301 (Noon-6PM) free
• • • October • • •
Friday, October 15, 2021
Lancaster Roots And Blues Festival Day 1
various venues in Lancaster PA
performers TBA
Saturday, October 16, 2021
Lancaster Roots And Blues Festival Day 2
various venues in Lancaster PA
performers TBA
Sunday, October 17, 2021
Lancaster Roots And Blues Festival Day 3
various venues in Lancaster PA
performers TBA
• • • November • • •
Friday, November 19, 2021
Reading Blues Fest (Day 1) — Ticket Information
@ DoubleTree by Hilton, Reading PA 19601
Saturday, November 20, 2021
Reading Blues Fest (Day 2) — Ticket Information
@ DoubleTree by Hilton, Reading PA 19601
Sunday, November 21, 2021
Reading Blues Fest (Day 3) — Ticket Information
@ DoubleTree by Hilton, Reading PA 19601
• • • December • • •
[Return To Top Of Blues Events]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Regularly occurring (weekly, monthly) blues jams and events
All of these are on hold, not happening at present, because of the COVID-19 pandemic Weekly
• • • every Monday • • •
blues jam & open mic with Joe Alves Band @ The Ashburner Inn every Monday
Philadelphia (Torresdale) PA 19136 (8PM-11PM)
• • • every Tuesday • • •
Little Red Rooster hosts blues jam @ Villa Capri every Tuesday
Doylestown PA 18901 (8PM)
blues jam hosted by Paul Boddy & The Slidewinder Blues Band @ Havana every Tuesday
New Hope PA 18938 (8PM)
Ursula Ricks hosts "Cats Eye Blues Jam" @ The Cats Eye Pub
Baltimore (Fells Point) MD 21231 (9PM)
Nate Myers and The Aces @ Grotto Pub
Enola PA
• • • every Wednesday • • •
Mikey Jr. @ The Twisted Tail every Wednesday
Philadelphia PA 19147 (8PM)
• • • every Thursday • • •
blues jam hosted by Steve Guyger @ Temperance House every Thursday
Newtown PA 18940 (7PM)
blues jam hosted by Empty Belly Blues Band @ Brut Lounge every Thursday
Feasterville PA 19053 (7:30PM)
• • • every Sunday • • •
Mikey Jr. leads blues jam - open mic @ The Twisted Tail every Sunday
Philadelphia PA 19147 (5PM-9PM)
Blues Brunch, Jam, & open mic with The Philly Blues Kings
every Sunday
@ Jamey's House Of Music
Lansdowne PA 19050 (Noon-3PM) free
Open mic jam Noon-2PM — Philly Blues Kings set 2PM-3PM
Monthly
Fred Miller Blues Band @ The Rusty Nail
Blues Jam 8PM last Sunday of each month
Ardmore PA
[Return To Top Of Blues Events]
Blues Albums Nominated For Grammys:
Best Traditional Blues Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental traditional blues recordings.
Frank Bey All My Dues Are Paid
Don Bryant You Make Me Feel
Robert Cray Band That's What I Heard
Jimmy "Duck" Holmes Cypress Grove
Bobby Rush Rawer Than Raw
Best Contemporary Blues Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental contemporary blues recordings.
Fantastic Negrito Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?
Ruthie Foster Big Band Live At The Paramount
G. Love The Juice
Bettye LaVette Blackbirds
North Mississippi Allstars Up And Rolling
[Return To Top Of Blues Events]
Cool Blues Links
• video of "Jim Crow's Shadow" by The Lizzard Kings featuring Charles Ponder
• Christone "Kingfish" Ingram featured on PBS Newshour, November 11, 2020
• Christone "Kingfish" Ingram's Tiny Desk Home Concert from NPR
• video for Big Harp George's song Build Myself An App
• Watch the virtual version of this year's East Side Kings Festival from Austin TX
• Urban Ladder Society song/video Take Care Of Each Other
• Tinsley Ellis video of "Your Love's Like Heroin"
• Organist Barbara Dennerlein with the great harmonica player Toots Thielemans St. Louis Blues in concert on an Italian TV show "La storia del Jazz" sometime in the 1980s
• James Taylor performs his classic spoof on suburban blues wannabes Steamroller Blues in a 1970 concert in London
• Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton in concert at Paste Studio in NYC, April 4, 2019
• Danielle Miraglia performs at The Center For Arts in Natic MA October 24, 2020
• singer-saxophonist Evelyn Rubio in concert @ The Mucky Duck in Houston TX, September 13, 2020
• Johnny Rawls & Christopher Dean at The Listening Room, Bloomsburg, PA, August 2, 2020
• King Solomon Hicks with Kirk Yano bass & John Sweeney harmonica at The Listening Room, Bloomsburg, PA, September 2, 2020
• Kevin McCann Blues Trio at The Listening Room, Bloomsburg, PA, August 2020
• Danielle Miraglia home concert, September 15, 2020
• King Solomon Hicks video from Vintage Guitar Magazine Everyday I Have The Blues
• Albert Collins Live At Montreaux 1979 great set!
• Buddy Guy at Newport Jazz Festival 08/14/1994
• Alexis P. Suter performs "None Of Us Are Free" at The Iridium in New York City in 2014
• Joe Louis Walker & Eric Gales video "Comin' On"
• Adrena The Corona Blues
• Sir Rod & The Blues Doctors video of "Freedom For My People"
• Evelyn Rubio sings I'm Gonna Love You Tonight
• Toronzo Cannon (clips) @ 2019 Berks BluesFest
• View at-home concerts from various roots musicians (including CJ Chenier) in the Working From Home series from The Arhoolie Foundation and the Little Village Foundation.
• The Sons Of The Soul Revivers sing "Let Me Come Home" in their living room.
• Dukes Of Destiny in performance at Jamey's House Of Music, October 5, 2018 (two songs)
• The 2020 Blues Music Awards online ceremony from The Blues Foundation announcing winners, along with performances by blues artists and archival video
• Andrew Alli & Josh Small — Hard Workin' Man
• Andrew Alli performance and interview
• Bobby Rush Facebook Live Session 3/24/2020
• Keb' Mo' (with guest Jontavious Willis!) concert at Paste Studio New York City
• Sir Rod & The Blues Doctors Come Together not the Beatles song!
(harmonica by Adam Gussow of the duo Satan & Adam; "Sir" Rod Patterson is nephew of Sterling Magee of that duo
• "Triple Tonguing" on the harmonica, from harmonica master Adam Gussow
• Harmonica master Adam Gussow's son Sean plays a whole bunch of instruments!
• Camille Thurman, saxophonist and singer, talks about (and plays) the blues
• Shemekia Copeland on PBS NewsHour Weekend 1/26/2020
• Benny Turner — "Who Sang It First"
• Cash McCall — "One Who's Got A Lot"
• Eddie Taylor and Big Walter Horton Live In Finland in 1976
• Blind Blake with Gus Cannon 1927 "He's In The Jailhouse Now"
• GoogleDoodle for B. B. King's 94th birthday, September 15, 2019
• song video Keb' Mo' with Taj Mahal Don't Throw It Away
• Christone "Kingfish" Ingram in performance at Briggs Farm Blues Festival
July 13, 2019
• Annika Chambers in performance at Briggs Farm Blues Festival, July 12, 2019
• Southern Avenue in performance at Briggs Farm Blues Festival, July 12, 2019
• Cedric Burnside Project in performance at Briggs Farm Blues Festival, July 13, 2019
• James Armstrong in performance at Briggs Farm Blues Festival, July 12, 2019
• Shemekia Copeland "Would You Take My Blood" in performance World Cafe Live
October 3, 2018
• Shemekia Copeland "The Wrong Idea" in performance World Cafe Live
October 3, 2018
• Shemekia Copeland "In The Blood Of The Blues" in performance World Cafe Live
October 3, 2018
• Vanessa Collier "Bad News Bears" in performance Briggs Farm Blues Festival
July 7, 2017
• Vanessa Collier "The Run Around" in performance Briggs Farm Blues Festival
July 7, 2017
• Thornetta Davis "I'd Rather Be Alone" in performance Briggs Farm Blues Festival
July 8, 2017
• Eric Gales "Change In Me" in performance Briggs Farm Blues Festival July 8, 2017
• R. L. Boyce & The Cornlickers "One Of These Days" in performance
Briggs Farm Blues Festival July 7, 2017
• Dave Weld & The Imperial Flames "Mary Had A Little Lamb" in performance
Saint Georges Blues Festival, June 10, 2017
• B. B. King on Ralph Gleason's Jazz Casual in 1968 Part 1
• B. B. King on Ralph Gleason's Jazz Casual in 1968 Part 2
[Return To Top Of Blues Events]
— Jonny's Top Blues Albums of 2020 —
It's not really possible to precisely rank a whole bunch of great albums like these sensibly. What tiny difference makes the #18 album better than the #19 album? I've decided not to rank these in number order.
For the most part, this is just a list of some of the blues albums that have been played on the show in 2020, and they have made 2020 a good blues year, despite COVID-19. One thing of note — very possibly a result of the pandemic — was that there were a lot more singles issued this year than usual. Some are supposed to be on albums coming out in 2021. I'm including them in the albums list, but marking them as singles.
Artist | Album |
---|---|
Frank Bey | All My Dues Are Paid |
Shemekia Copeland | Uncivil War |
Jimmy Johnson | Every Day Of Your Life |
John Blues Boyd | What My Eyes Have Seen |
Adrena | Corona Blues [single] |
Bobby Rush | Rawer Than Raw |
Alex Dixon's Vintage Dixon | The Real McCoy |
Andrew Alli | Hard Workin' Man |
Kat Riggins | Cry Out |
Ruthie Foster Big Band | Live At The Paramount |
Kirk Fletcher | My Blues Pathway |
Mercedes Nicole | Constellation |
Kat Pearson | My Roots |
Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne | Go, Just Do It! |
Kevin Burt | Stone Crazy |
Jonas Scott Cowan | Parlor Tricks - Exhibit: A |
Dorothy Moore | I'm Happy With The One I've Got Now |
Joe Louis Walker | Blues Comin' On |
Maceo Parker | Soul Food - Cooking With Maceo |
Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra | I'm Just Like You [single] |
Big Bill Morganfield | Stop This Mess [single] |
Sonny Green | Found! One Soul Singer |
Vanessa Collier | Heart On The Line |
Chanda Rule + Sweet Emma Band | Hold On |
Rory Block | Prove It On Me |
Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite | 100 Years Of Blues |
Terrie Odabi | Love Trumps Hate [single] |
Johnny Iguana | Johnny Iguana's Chicago Spectacular! |
Dennis Jones | Soft Hard & Loud |
Leyla McCalla | Vari-Colored Songs |
Henry Gray & Bob Corritore | Cold Chills |
Cathy Grier | I'm All Burn |
Benny Turner | Who Sang It First [single] |
The Lizzard Kings featuring Charles Ponder | Jim Crow's Shadow |
Annika Chambers & Derrick Procell | Black Man's Justice [single] |
Devin B. Thompson | Tales Of The Soul |
Nora Jean Wallace | Blues Woman |
Big Harp George | Living In The City |
Dave Specter & Billy Branch | Ballad Of George Floyd [single] |
Mojo Morganfield | It's Good To Be King [single] |
King Solomon Hicks | Harlem |
Sir Rod & The Blues Doctors | Come Together |
Dave Keller | Live At the Killer Guitar Thriller |
Jack Hadley | Daybreak In Alabama - The Langston Hughes Project |
Robert Cray Band | That's What I Heard |
Sister Lucille | Alive |
Roomful Of Blues | In A Roomful Of Blues |
Ryan Perry | High Risk, Low Reward |
Erin Harpe | Meet Me In The Middle |
Evelyn Rubio | Crossing Borders |
Dave Riley & Bob Corritore | Travelin' The Dirt Road |
GA-20 | Sit Down Baby [single] |
Jimi Hendrix | Live In Maui |
John Lee Hooker | Live At Montreux 1983 |
Tomás Doncker | Wherever You Go |
Duke Robillard & Friends | Blues Bash! |
Anni Piper | Blow Up Doll |
Tas Cru | Drive On |
A Band Called Sam | Legacy |
Boo Boo Davis with ElectroBluesSociety | Chicago Blues Covers |
Bobby BlackHat | America How Great Do You Feel Today [single] |
Phantom Blues Band | Stll Cookin' |
Christian McBride Big Band | For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver |
Kim Wilson | Take Me Back - The Bigtone Sessions |
GA-20 | Live, Volume 1 |
Dion | Blues With Friends |
The BC Combo | The Garage Sessions |
Danielle Miraglia | Bright Shining Stars |
V. A. | 2020 Blues - New Music From Alligator Records |
Sam Barlow | Faith In The Blues |
John Mayall | I'm As Good As Gone [single] |
Lloyd Jones | Tennessee Run |
Chris Shutters with special guest Jimmy Burns | Good Gone Bad |
Cash McCall | One Who's Got A Lot [single] |
Albert Cummings | Believe |
Sonny Landreth | Blacktop Run |
Dom Flemons | Prospect Hill: The American Songster Omnibus |
Donald Kinsey | Bloody Tears [single] |
Tinsley Ellis | Ice Cream In Hell |
Bernard Allison | Songs From The Road |
Cindy Cashdollar | Waltz For Abilene |
Albert Castiglia | Wild and Free |
Reverend Shawn Amos & The Brotherhood | Blue Sky |
Mike Zito | Quarantine Blues |
The BC Combo | The Garage Sessions |
John Primer & Bob Corritore | The Gypsy Woman Told Me |
Misty Blues | Weed 'Em & Reap |
Zakiya Hooker | Legacy |
Eliza Neals | Black Crow Moan |
Tyler Morris | Living In The Shadows |
Tony Holiday | Soul Service |
The Nighthawks | Trying To Get To You |
Linsey Alexander | Live At Rosa's |
Little Red Rooster Blues Band | Under The Covers |
Gerald McClendon | Can't Nobody Stop Me Now |
David Brinston | I'm An O. G. |
Jose Ramirez | Here I Come |
Johnny Never | Blue Delta - New And Used Vintage Blues |
Harper And Midwest Kind | Rise Up |
Catherine Russell | You Reap Just What You Sow [single] |
Johnny Burgin | No Border Blues |
Mark May Band | Deep Dark Demon |
Victor Wainwright and The Train | Memphis Loud |
Hurricane Ruth | Good Life |
Shirley King | Blues For A King |
Eddie 9V | Way Down The Alley |
Clarence Spady | Surrender [single] |
Anthony Geraci | Daydreams In Blue |
The Lucky Losers | Godless Land |
The Mystix | Can't Change It |
Gregg Martinez | Macdaddy Mojeaux |
Lisa Mann | Old Girl |
Sugar Ray & The Bluetones featuring Little Charlie | Too Far From The Bar |
Savoy Brown | Ain't Done Yet |
Too Slim And The Taildraggers | The Remedy |
Downchild | Live At The Toronto Jazz Festival |
Andy Watts | Supergroove |
New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers | Volume 1 |
Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters | Rise Up |
Bette Smith | The Good The Bad And The Bette |
John Németh | Stronger Than Strong |
Johnny Rawls | Where Have All The Soul Men Gone |
Ron Thompson | From The Patio: Live At The Poor House, Vol. 1 |
Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band and Dom Flemons featuring Steve Cropper | Shake Your Moneymaker [single] |
Bob Margolin | Star Of Stage And Screens |
Ju Evans | All About Soul |
Gabe Stillman ft The Nighthawks | Flying High |
Miss Bix ft Keeshea Pratt | Red Walls [single] |
Tomislav Goluban | Memphis Light |
Whitney Shay | Stand Up! |
Sass Jordan | Rebel Moon Blues |
Lucas Spinosa | Friends & Legends Of Louisiana |
Kid Ramos & Bob Corritore | Phoenix Blues Sessions |
Mark Telesca | Higher Vibrations |
AJ Crawdaddy | Steppin' Out! |
Thorbjørn Risager | Come On In |
Peter Parcek | Mississippi Suitcase |
Greg Sover Band | The Parade |
Barrett Anderson Band | Hypnoboogie |
Alastair Greene | The New World Blues |
[Return To Top Of Blues Events]
— Jonny's Top Blues Songs of 2020 —
My top song picks for 2020 . . . of course, as with the albums above, the ranking of these isn't the result of some kind of perfectly precise, logical process. All of these songs added something important to the overall body of blues songs in 2020. Some certainly "packed a punch" — songs like "Clotilda's On Fire" from Shemekia Copeland, telling the story of the last ship to bring slaves to this country, which was burned and sunk to conceal what it did, or "All My Dues Are Paid" from the late Frank Bey, summing up his life in blues.
Artist | Song | Album |
---|---|---|
Shemekia Copeland | Clotilda's On Fire | Uncivil War |
Frank Bey | All My Dues Are Paid | All My Dues Are Paid |
Adrena | Corona Blues | [single] |
John Blues Boyd | In My Blood | What My Eyes Have Seen |
Jimmy Johnson | Every Day Of Your Life | Every Day Of Your Life |
Bobby BlackHat | America, How Great Do You Feel Today? | [single] |
Kat Riggins | Cry Out | Cry Out |
Benny Turner | Who Sang It First | [single] |
The Lizzard Kings featuring Charles Ponder | Jim Crow's Shadow | Jim Crow's Shadow |
Annika Chambers & Derrick Procell | Black Man's Justice | [single] |
Big Bill Morganfield | Stop This Mess | [single] |
Sir Rod & The Blues Doctors | Freedom For My People | Come Together |
Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra | I'm Just Like You (with The Sons Of The Soul Revivers) | [single] |
Phantom Blues Band | Better But Not Good | Stll Cookin' |
Dave Specter & Billy Branch | Ballad Of George Floyd | [single] |
Dennis Jones | I Hate Hate | Soft Hard & Loud |
Ruthie Foster Big Band | Woke Up This Morning | Live At The Paramount |
Terrie Odabi | Love Trumps Hate | [single] |
John Blues Boyd | What My Eyes Have Seen | What My Eyes Have Seen |
Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne | Sittin' In My Rockin' Chair | Go, Just Do It! |
Kat Riggins | No Sale | Cry Out |
Bobby Rush | Hard Times | Rawer Than Raw |
Shemekia Copeland | Money Makes You Ugly | Uncivil War |
Mercedes Nicole | Path Of The Mystic | Constellation |
Frank Bey | Idle Hands | All My Dues Are Paid |
Joe Louis Walker | Feed The Poor | Blues Comin' On |
Jonas Scott Cowan | People Grinnin' In Your Face | Parlor Tricks - Exhibit: A |
Chanda Rule + Sweet Emma Band | Hold On | Hold On |
Dorothy Moore | I'm Happy With The One I've Got Now | I'm Happy With The One I've Got Now |
Alex Dixon's Vintage Dixon | I Want To Be Loved | The Real McCoy |
Rory Block | Prove It On Me | Prove It On Me |
Andrew Alli | Hard Workin' Man | Hard Workin' Man |
Kat Pearson | Ode To My Mother | My Roots |
Bobby Rush | Down In Mississippi | Rawer Than Raw |
Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite | 100 Years Of Blues | 100 Years Of Blues |
The BC Combo | I Found The Blues | The Garage Sessions |
Anni Piper | 24 Guys Named Dave | Blow Up Doll |
Evelyn Rubio | He Did Me Wrong But He Did It Right | Crossing Borders |
Vanessa Collier | Who's In Power? | Heart On The Line |
Johnny Never | Falls Off The Bone (The Blues in 7/8) | Blue Delta - New And Used Vintage Blues |
King Solomon Hicks | Help Me | Harlem |
Maceo Parker | Right Place Wrong Time | Soul Food - Cooking With Maceo |
Big Harp George | Build Myself An App | Living In The City |
A Band Called Sam | Nothing In The Streets | Legacy |
Johnny Iguana | Lady Day And John Coltrane | Johnny Iguana's Chicago Spectacular! |
New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers | Stop And Listen Blues | Volume 1 |
Nora Jean Wallace | Martell | Blues Woman |
Kirk Fletcher | Fattening Frogs For Snakes | My Blues Pathway |
Sonny Green | If Walls Could Talk | Found! One Soul Singer |
Kevin Burt | You Get What You See | Stone Crazy |
Tomás Doncker | Hard Time Killing Floor Blues | Wherever You Go |
Mike Zito | Quarantine Blues | Quarantine Blues |
Vanessa Collier | Bloodhound | Heart On The Line |
Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne | T & P Train 400 | Go, Just Do It! |
The Lizzard Kings featuring Charles Ponder | Pennsylvania Avenue Blues | Jim Crow's Shadow |
Sugar Ray & The Bluetones featuring Little Charlie | What I Put You Through | Too Far From The Bar |
Bette Smith | Fistful Of Dollars | The Good The Bad And The Bette |
Jonas Scott Cowan | Church Street | Parlor Tricks - Exhibit: A |
Cathy Grier | Ode To Billy Joe | I'm All Burn |
Duke Robillard & Friends | You Played On My Piano (ft Michelle Willson) | Blues Bash! |
Kim Wilson | Rumblin' | Take Me Back - The Bigtone Sessions |
Jack Hadley | Merry Go Round | Daybreak In Alabama - The Langston Hughes Project |
Devin B. Thompson | Tell Me | Tales Of The Soul |
Roomful Of Blues | Phone Zombies | In A Roomful Of Blues |
John Blues Boyd | Why Did You Take That Shot | What My Eyes Have Seen |
Chanda Rule + Sweet Emma Band | Another Man Done Gone | Hold On |
Cindy Cashdollar (w/ Rory Block vocal) | That Ain't No Way For Me To Get Along | Waltz For Abilene |
Rory Block | In My Girlish Days | Prove It On Me |
Alex Dixon's Vintage Dixon | Groanin' The Blues | The Real McCoy |
Dorothy Moore | Sad, Sad Sunday | I'm Happy With The One I've Got Now |
Ruthie Foster Big Band | Brand New Day | Live At The Paramount |
Kat Pearson | Labour's Train | My Roots |
Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne | Just Do It! (duet w/ Dawn Tyler Watson) | Go, Just Do It! |
Catherine Russell | You Reap Just What You Sow | [single] |
Frank Bey | I Bet I Never Cross Your Mind | All My Dues Are Paid |
Jimmy Johnson | Somebody Loan Me A Dime | Every Day Of Your Life |
Christian McBride Big Band | Medgar Evers Blues | For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver |
Johnny Burgin | I Just Keep Loving Her (Mada Sukinanda) | No Border Blues |
Maceo Parker | Cross The Track | Soul Food - Cooking With Maceo |
Victor Wainwright and The Train | Memphis Loud | Memphis Loud |
Shirley King | Hoodoo Man Blues (with Junior Wells) | Blues For A King |
Eddie 9V | Going Down Slow | Way Down The Alley |
Anthony Geraci with Dennis Brennan and Monster Mike Welch | Jelly, Jelly | Daydreams In Blue |
Bobby Rush | Smokestack Lightning | Rawer Than Raw |
Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite | If I Should Have Bad Luck | 100 Years Of Blues |
Big Harp George | Don't Talk! | Living In The City |
New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers | Let's Work Together | Volume 1 |
A Band Called Sam | Mother Blues (Papa Blues) | Legacy |
GA-20 | The Whale Has Swallowed Me | Live, Volume 1 |
Jonas Scott Cowan | Evil On My Mind | Parlor Tricks - Exhibit: A |
Vanessa Collier | Freshly Squozen | Heart On The Line |
Kirk Fletcher | Life Gave Me A Dirty Deal (hca Charlie Musselwhite) | My Blues Pathway |
Kim Wilson | Money, Marbles & Chalk | Take Me Back - The Bigtone Sessions |
Cathy Grier | Key To My Survival | I'm All Burn |
Nora Jean Wallace | I'm A Blues Woman | Blues Woman |
Danielle Miraglia | Walkin' Blues | Bright Shining Stars |
Kevin Burt | I'm Busting Out | Stone Crazy |
Shemekia Copeland | Apple Pie And A 45 | Uncivil War |
Johnny Iguana | Hammer And Tickle (instrumental) | Johnny Iguana's Chicago Spectacular! |
Dennis Jones | I Love The Blues | Soft Hard & Loud |
Mojo Morganfield | It's Good To Be King | [single] |
Leyla McCalla | Love Again Blues | Vari-Colored Songs |
Henry Gray & Bob Corritore | Going Down Slow | Cold Chills |
Sonny Green | Cupid Must Be Stupid | Found! One Soul Singer |
Miss Bix ft Keeshea Pratt | Red Walls | [single] |
Erin Harpe | What's The Matter With The Mill | Meet Me In The Middle |
Dave Riley & Bob Corritore | Country Tough | Travelin' The Dirt Road |
Sam Barlow with Annika Chambers | My Babe | Faith In The Blues |
Tomás Doncker | I'm Gonna Run To The City Of Refuge | Wherever You Go |
Cathy Grier | Backroad Blues | I'm All Burn |
Greg Sover Band | Feelin' Sumthin' | The Parade |
[Return To Top Of Blues Events]
About The Blues Show and Jonny Meister
The Blues Show airs every Saturday night from 7:00 to Midnight on XPN. Host Jonny Meister explores this music and its history not only because it is the key ingredient in later rock and pop music, but also because of its own special allure and unique power as a style of music and expression of the human soul.

Jonny Meister with Catherine Russell
The Blues Show covers the entire history of the blues from 1920 to the present, from the best-known to the most obscure blues, with focus on the present-day blues, but with an eye on the rich history of this music and its large body of timeless recordings.
Host Jonny Meister has been playing the blues on WXPN since March 1977. Meister grew up with old blues records in the house. His father played boogie woogie on the piano, which Jonny learned at about the age of 12. Later he played in rock bands and did a few solo gigs as a singer-songwriter. As his interest in blues grew, he became especially interested in the history of the music, a history not always revealed by the rock musicians and their promoters who drew heavily on the blues.
Jonny spent a week with the family of the late, great blues musician J. B. Lenoir in 1979, and he was one of the consultants for the Wim Wenders film The Soul Of A Man which featured Lenoir, in the PBS film series The Blues. He won the "Keeping The Blues Alive" award for work in Public Radio for The Blues Show in 2000 and a "Best of Philly" award from Philadelphia Magazine in 1996 for "Best Local Radio Show".
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Send Jonny an This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. about the show.
Check Out Some Cool Blues Links
Jonny with Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, St. Georges Blues Festival 2019
Jonny with Cedric Burnside,
Briggs Farm Blues Festival 2019

Jonny with Tierinii Jackson of Southern Avenue, Briggs Farm Blues Festival 2019
Jonny with Frank Bey, house concert September 2019
Jonny with Mindi Abair, Reading Blues Fest November 2019
Jonny with Mikey Junior, live recording session Philadelphia PA, September 2019
Jonny with King Solomon Hicks,
Briggs Farm Blues Festival 2019
Jonny with the late, great James Cotton, Riverfront Blues Festival 2013
Jonny with Vanessa Collier,
Riverfront Blues Festival 2018
Jonny with Lurrie Bell, Riverfront Blues Festival 2019
Jonny with Miss Freddye,
at house concert 2018
Jonny jammin' with Samuel James, at
The Psalm Salon in Overbrook 2010
Jonny with R. L. Burnside, WXPN May 31, 1986
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Ready for anything and everything!
Local Blues Artists in our listening areas
A C Steel & The GalvanizersBlue Jay Slim and the Tone Blasters
Blue Plate Specials
Georgie Bonds
Deb Callahan
Lisa Chavous & The Philadelphia
Blues Messengers
Vanessa Collier
Dukes Of Destiny
Roger Girke
Mike Guldin and Rollin' & Tumblin'
Judy Sings The Blues
Kitty Mayo and the Emperess Band
Mikey Jr.
Johnny Never
Philly Blues Kings
Porkroll Project
Scoville Blues
Sister Blue Band
Slim and The Perkolators
Greg Sover
Stevie and the Bluescasters
Norman Taylor
— — Venues — —
Ardmore Music Hall
23 East Lancaster Avenue
Ardmore PA 19003
610-649-8389
Building 24 Live
1115 Bern Road
Wyomissing PA 19610
610-375-2700 7:30PM $25
The Flash
102 Sycamore Alley
Kennett Square PA 19348
484-732-8295
Jamey's House Of Music
livehouse and BYOB Café
32 South Lansdowne Avenue
Lansdowne PA 19050
tel or text 215-477-9985
fax 215-879-1457
Keswick Theatre
291 North Keswick Avenue
Glenside PA
215-572-7650
Lansdowne Folk Club
at the Twentieth Century Club
84 South Lansdowne Avenue
Lansdowne PA 19050
484-466-6213
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 East Main Street
Tuckerton NJ 08087
609-389-0118
The Lucky Well
111 East Butler Avenue
Ambler PA 19002
215-646-4242
Mermaid Inn
7673 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia PA 19118
215-247-9797
The Record Collector
358 Farnsworth Avenue
Bordentown NJ 08505
609-324-0880
Saint Georges Country Store
1 Delaware Street
Saint Georges DE 19733
302-836-8202
Sellersville Theater
24 West Temple Avenue
Sellersville PA
215-257-5808
The State Theatre
15 Livingston Avenue
New Brunswick NJ 08901
732-246-7469
The Twisted Tail
509 South 2nd Street
Philadelphia PA 19147
215-558-2471 email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
World Cafe Live
3025 Walnut Street
Philadelphia PA 19104
215-222-1400
[Return To Top Of Blues Events]
The Mississippi Blues Project:From the summer of 2012 through the summer of 2013, with support from The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, through the Philadelphia Music Project, we presented The Mississippi Blues Project, a series of concerts by Mississippi blues artists that are now available online, with shows from The Cedric Burnside Project, Big George Brock, Terry "Harmonica" Bean, Jimmy "Duck" Holmes, Robert Belfour, Big A (Anthony Sherrod) with Robert "Bilbo" Walker, Super Chikan, The Homemade Jamz Blues Band, Rory Block, and James Cotton. Check 'em out!
Jonny's 78 rpm record want list:
Blind Lemon Jefferson
Okeh label:
80525B Stillery Blues
80526B Woman Labor Man
80527B My Easy Rider
80528B Elder Green's In Town
80529B English Stop Time
80536B Laboring Man Away From Home
Rubin Lacy
Columbia label:
145347-2 Black Dog Blues
145348-3 Long Lonesome Blues
145349-2 Railroad Blues
145350-2 Red River Blues
Willie Brown
Paramount label:
Pm 13099 Kicking In My Sleep Blues
Pm 13099 Window Blues
Pm 13001 Grandma Blues
Pm 13001 Sorry Blues