The Roadhouse

It’s back to the norm this week after a special anniversary review of show openers. Of course, the norm is to mix up blues styles and push out a lot of new blues releases. Sue Foley, Danielle Nicole, Mud Morganfield, John Mayall, and Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps definitely support that approach. Of the 15 tracks in the hour, 12 are from 2018. So, it looks from here like another fun hour of new variety – a variety of the finest blues you’ve never heard – the 678th Roadhouse.

I’ve got some Roadhouse debuts this week in Velma Powell & Bluedays and Burton Brothers Blues Band. I’ve also got Paul Thorn, Jimmie Vaughan and Reverend Raven. And, I’ve thrown in a set that centers around a single artist. That’s all in the hour ahead – the next hour of The Roadhouse and the next hour of the finest blues you’ve never heard - the 679th Roadhouse.

This edition of The Roadhouse celebrates 13 years with our tradition - a review of the opening tracks from the previous year. Altered Five Blues Band, Cash Box Kings, Johnny Mastro & Mama's Boys, Wee Willie Walker, and Tommy Castro step out front and center. It's not so much the finest blues you've never heard - because if you've been listening, you've heard it. But, it's definitely an hour of foot-stompin', chair-dancing blues - the 677th and 13th anniversary Roadhouse.

We're getting winter-weary at The Little Blue House on the Wetlands. But, however cold it is outside, the Macbook is hot with blues this week. Billy Boy Arnold, Eric Bibb, Jimmie Vaughan, Sue Foley, and Lucky Peterson warm the hour. We'll just forget about the snow and focus on the accumulation of the finest blues you've never heard - the 676th Roadhouse.

Whether you call it all blues or not, the hour has a clear mix and a definite feel. John Campbelljohn, James Hunter Six, Duke Robillard, Curtis Salgado & Alan Hager, and Reverend Shawn Amos provide the variety. Call it what you want. I'll call it another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 675th Roadhouse.

It seemed so much rockier when I started putting it together - then it all smoothed out across the hour. Delta Wires, Janiva Magness, Laurie Morvan, Little G. Weevil, and Peter Karp take the lead. It's an hour that shows yet another face of the blues and certainly stands as another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 674th Roadhouse.

It seemed so much rockier when I started putting it together - then it all smoothed out across the hour. Delta Wires, Janiva Magness, Laurie Morvan, Little G. Weevil, and Peter Karp take the lead. It's an hour that shows yet another face of the blues and certainly stands as another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 674th Roadhouse.

It's not all that unusual in The Roadhouse to mix it up a bit. I'm staying with that approach in this hour. The Might Duck Blues Band, Peter Parcek, Sue Foley, Arnaud Fracin & His Roots Combo, and Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings represent the variety you've come to love in The Roadhouse and make for another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 673rd Roadhouse.

With a new year comes new music and artists. I've got a ton of both in this hour, including Carvin Jones Band, Curtis Salgado & Alan Hager, Nasta Super & Chris Cain, Tinsley Ellis, and Miss Freddye. I think this hour has the most Roadhouse debuts of any in the life of the show. It's a fresh start in a fresh year and a fresh hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 672nd Roadhouse.

Let's call this edition of The Roadhouse a freestyle edition. At the last minute, I threw out the playlist, deciding instead to let one song lead me into the next. I've got Monster Mike Welch & Mike Ledbetter, John Primer & Bob Corritore, Sugar Ray & The Bluetones, Lavay Smith & Her Red-Hot Skillet Lickers, and Anthony Geraci & The Boston Blues All-Stars in the hour. It's an hour of unplanned blues and certainly another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 671st Roadhouse.

This edition of The Roadhouse pulls fifteen tracks from the blues releases of 2017. Altered Five Blues Band, Samantha Fish, Jason Ricci, Milligan Vaughan Project, and Eric Bibb lead the way, but also I've placed some surprises along the path. Don't think of this as a "best of" edition. Instead, think of it as an hour-long summary of the year in blues and another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 670th Roadhouse.

I'm on the road this week, so you get a Roadhouse Rewind from 2009. I'll be back next week with a new edition. The 252nd Roadhouse closes out the Christmas season with a good mixture of holiday and non-holiday blues. Koko Taylor, Indigenous, Luther Allison, Gina Sicilia, and Sonny Boy Williamson take front and center in this edition. They're backed by a full bandstand of other artists that will leave you with no doubt that this is another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

It's Christmas weekend in The Roadhouse - a time to gather the family and celebrate. Accordingly, this hour is a celebration of the blues and our little blues family. With Christmas tracks and brand new music, there's plenty to celebrate. Shannon Preston, Vin Mott, Tinsley Ellis, Curtis Salgado and Alan Hager, and Sandra Hall provide the festive atmosphere for another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 668th Roadhouse.

I try to fill every hour to the brim with great blues tracks, but this time, I've outdone myself. With eighteen tracks, this is the biggest Roadhouse ever. The Love Light Orchestra, Arthur Adams, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Joe Bonamassa, and Shaun Murphy are just a few of the great featured artists. It's a huge hour of blues and clearly another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 667th Roadhouse.

Under normal circumstances, you always get an hour of great new blues in The Roadhouse. But, it's the holiday season. That means you also get some great holiday blues. Lucky Peterson, Michael Burks, Heather Newman, Mavis Staples, and Johnny Rawls help mix in the new with the holidays. It's another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 666th Roadhouse.