Top 20 Blues Albums of 2024

Choosing the “Top 20 Blues Albums of 2024” was a challenge, thanks to a year overflowing with extraordinary music. The blues thrived in 2024, blending its deep-rooted traditions with bold, innovative approaches. From iconic legends to rising stars, these albums embody the essence of the blues, showcasing its timeless power and versatility.

As we celebrate the standout blues of 2024, our excitement for what lies ahead in 2025 continues to grow. With its ever-evolving spirit, the blues promises new voices and stories waiting to be discovered. Dive into this year’s list and join us in honoring the past while embracing the vibrant future of the genre.

~Jordan

2. Shemekia Copeland – Blame It On Eve

Label: Alligator Records

Blues and Americana singer-songwriter Shemekia Copeland glows brightly in her newest album, Blame It on Eve.  Shemekia takes this album in a slightly different direction then her last three, America’s Child, Uncivil War and Done Come Too Far focusing instead largely on the often-harsh expectations society places on women.

While some content was written explicitly for this album, Shemekia has chosen to cover the songs of other iconic singer-songwriters such as her father Johnny Copeland, Albert King, Ray Davies, John Fogerty, John Prine, Lucinda Williams, Jesse Winchester, Stevie Wonder, and Oliver Woods. In each instance, she makes an old song new with her magnificent, inspiring delivery.

As for favorites – who can pick? Each song is its own small masterpiece. Check this album out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

3. Joanne Shaw Taylor – Heavy Soul

Label: Journeyman Records 

Joanne Shaw Taylor’s Heavy Soul is her ninth full studio album, and continues her exploration of blues, soul and rhythm and blues. Her smoky soulful voice is her trademark, but this album once again accentuates her guitar skills, and she is truly one of the most underrated guitarists in the blues/blues rock world. Sweet ‘Lil Lies opens the album, tells the story of a relationship that may have run its course.  With a fluid guitar riff and an upbeat tempo, it is representative of her commercial potential as it blends her blues styling with a popish flair. Her cover of Joe Simon’s Drowning in the Sea of Love, with its funk-infused opening, is a gorgeous R&B tune, well-suited for her voice. But the standout track is Black Magic, with its sensuous groove, pulsing guitar, and stellar backing vocals, it is enchanting and unforgettable.

4. Tab Benoit – I Hear Thunder 

Label: Whiskey Bayou Records

Award-winning blues guitarist Tab Benoit is back with I Hear Thunder, his first studio album in thirteen years, released on August 30th via Whiskey Bayou Records. This highly anticipated album features ten electrifying tracks that showcase Benoit’s signature guitar style and powerful songwriting, created in collaboration with Anders Osborne. I Hear Thunder is a testament to Benoit’s return to music after a creative hiatus.

With its mix of passionate guitar solos, heartfelt lyrics, and exceptional collaborations, I Hear Thunder is a powerful comeback, proving Tab Benoit is back and better than ever.

5. Danielle Nicole – The Love You Bleed

Label: Forty Below Records

Versatile and authentic blues woman Danielle Nicole released her third album in January – The Love You Bleed. This album reached #1 on the Billboard Blues chart a mere 2 weeks after its release and is at once soulful, sassy, funky and expressively blues. Danielle is a Grammy nominated and Blues Music Award winning blues artist who plays the bass guitar and sings with a wide range of tonality and phrasing. She can be reminiscent of Amy Winehouse and Aretha Franklin. All but one of the songs on this album were written/co-written by Danielle Nicole and her husband, Brandon Miller, and are about love, loss and perseverance. Miller is her lead guitarist, and they work very well together. She shows her versatility throughout the album.

A Top 20 of 2024 blues list would be incomplete without this album appearing on it.

6. Mike Zito – Life Is Hard

Label: Gulf Coast Records

Mike Zito’s – Life is Hard produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, has become a very personal album. His wife Laura suggested the idea, when she was diagnosed with cancer in mid-2022, to express his feelings in music after she would die. Which unfortunately happened when she lost the fight last summer. It has become a beautiful tribute and, according to Mike, ‘The best album I have ever made’. The album contains twelve songs, two of which were written by himself and nine covers.

The stand out song on this album is the beautiful Forever My Love (Mike Zito) in which he expresses his love for his wife. It has become a completely balanced CD in which he can express his pain, emotions, frustrations and sadness. An absolute must for every true blues lover and one of the highlights of 2024.

7. Albert Castiglia – Righteous Souls

Label: Gulf Coast Records Under Exclusive License To The SRG ILS Group

After spending a couple of years with Blood Brothers, the time was right for Albert Castiglia to do another solo album, so said Blood Brother and label boss Mike Zito. And Albert has surely delivered!

With a host of friends and family fueling the theme of the album, Righteous Souls delivers a fantastic selection of music from classic slow blues, introspective heartfelt tunes, to a rollicking good time. Showcasing Albert’s versatility and power as a performer and guitarist, his heart and righteous soul show his continuing development as an artist. With his blistering guitar and soulful raw vocals, along with the talents of his guests, you will not be disappointed.

An outstanding album from a musician who lives and feels the music to his soul.

8. JJ Grey & Mofro – Olustee

Label: Alligator Records

In this, the Greys tenth outing, we have a mixed bag of styles he weaves seamlessly into one of his strongest efforts yet. His deep love for the wildlands of Florida comes through loud and clear on the title track and his cover of John Andersons 1992 hit Seminole Wind summoning the ghost of Seminole Chief Oceola. Other tunes like Sittin on Top of the World are reminiscent of the best of Southern Rock, while On a Breeze conjures images of a soulful crooner. This Album is a must have for any fan of Greys eclectic style.

9. Dion – Girl Friends

Label: Keeping The Blues Alive Records

After two previous successful albums with friends, Blues with Friends and Stomping Ground, Dion, aka Dion Di Mucci, has managed to attract twelve friends to continue this successful series with him. Dion and Girlfriends is a collection of twelve songs, each with it’s own charm and distinctiveness. Dion has been involved in music since the early sixties and has breathed new life into his career with his series of Blues albums. His voice is somehow always pleasant to the ear, the perfect production does the rest.

The opening Soulforce is the only song in which the contribution takes place via the guitar, Susan Tedeschi plays the leading role in this song with her refined guitar playing. The other participants are Danielle Nicole, Valerie Tyson, Christine Ohlman, Rory Block, Randi Fishenfeld, Maggie Rose, Sue Foley, Shemekia Copeland and Joanne Shaw Taylor. With his girlfriends, Dion has once again managed to put together an accessible, smooth and varied album. Top album.

10. Jovin Webb – Drifter

Label: Blind Pig Records

Probably best known as a finalist on American Idol, this debut album proves that Webb is a real deal Bluesman and songwriter. Webb is a great storyteller as songs like The Dirty South prove, and one with a wry sense of humor as the more Rock & Roll number Wig on Wrong shows. Living Reckless highlights his gospel roots with the keyboards of Mike Rojas leaving no doubt this is a Gospel inspired tune. You will often hear people ask “Where is the future of the Blues?”  Well guess what? It is alive and well and right here in this young artist. We can’t wait to see what he brings with his next album!

11. Chris Cain – Good Intentions Gone Bad

Label: Alligator Records

In the world of blues, few artists shine as brightly as Chris Cain, whose soulful guitar and storytelling prowess have earned him a well-deserved reputation. His latest album, Good Intentions Gone Bad, is a stunning testament to his evolution as both a musician and a storyteller, further solidifying his place among the genre’s finest. With 13 original tracks, the album blends Cain’s signature guitar riffs with a lively horn section, creating a rich, dynamic sound that captures the essence of modern blues. Good Intentions Gone Bad marks the pinnacle of Cain’s career, where traditional blues meets contemporary influences. Each track reflects his deep passion for storytelling, with a sound that resonates with both long-time blues fans and new listeners alike. This album is a journey through the heart of the blues, offering a timeless experience that reaffirms Chris Cain’s status as a modern blues legend.

12. Altered Five Blues Band – Testifyin’ 

Label: Blind Pig Records

For one of the hardest working Contemporary Blues bands out there, what can you expect from their 7th studio release? How about a 5 song digitally released powerhouse EP? Testifyin’ fits this bill and all five songs are complete keepers!

Produced for Blind Pig Records by Tom Hambridge, Testifyin’ comes at you like polished Blues nails being hammered home. Vocalist Jeff Taylor makes you believe every powerful word he sings. Songwriter and guitarist Jeff Schroedl is so precise with his guitar, you can hear influences from many legendary guitarists who have come before. Keyboardist Steve Huebler adds brilliantly to the sound and is co-writer on Whiskey Got Me Married, the albums second cut. The rhythm section of Bassist Mark Solveson and drummer Alan Arber are timely and tight, as expected from the Altered Five Blues Band. Finally, add in some blistering and soulful harp playing by special guest, Jason Ricci on three of the 5 cuts. Score!!
Altered Five Blues Bands EP, Testifyin’ is sharp, sly and fun. Truly Blues brilliance that leaves you wanting more.

13. Bernard Allison – Luther’s Blues

Label: Ruf Records

Luther’s Blues is Bernard Allison’s tribute to his late father the legendary blues guitarist Luther Allison. An amazing artist, some might say musical genius in his own right, Bernard has brought us a selection of his father’s songs – songs that celebrate a life lived in and through music. He’s done this deploying a wide spectrum of musical styles – all of which his father employed before him.

The music in this double album is superb from the first note to the last. Bernard dominates his instrument; he makes it snarl, weep, scream. Notes bloom into life under his ministrations – mournful, joyous, even seductive. Not only has Bernard breathed new life into some of his father’s more obscure backlist, but he has made those songs his own.

Run, don’t walk, to add this album to your collection. Treat yourself to an evening of it – with lights down low, a beverage of your choice and this album. You won’t regret it.

14. Kenny Wayne Shepherd – Dirt On My Diamonds, Vol. 2

Label: Provogue

Veteran Blues rocker Kenny Wayne Shepherd strikes gold with the release of Dirt On My Diamonds Vol. 2. Released less than a year after Volume 1, the album picks right up where the first one left off. Produced in Muscle Shoals Alabama at the FAME studios, this release cooks from beginning to end.

Kenny Wayne and Noah Hunt share lead vocals throughout, with Kenny displaying some of his finest vocal work to date. Shepherds’ guitar is blistering when you expect it, and pulled in more delicately at times, demonstrating real mastery when he plays. One thing the casual listener may notice is Shepherd can proudly dial up sounds from several different musical genres. He demonstrates that good music can come from anywhere. Call it the Kenny Wayne Shepherd genre if you may. The album is compact, with 8 great cuts making it up.

Dirt On My Diamonds Vol.2 is a very well crafted album. It is Kenny Wayne Shepherd at his finest.

15. Warren Haynes – Million Voices Whisper

Label: Fantasy Records

Million Voices Whisper, Blues rocker Warren Haynes’s long awaited fourth solo album, was worth the nine-year wait. This isn’t to imply that Warren Haynes isn’t prolific or that he doesn’t work hard. He unquestionably does. He’s got 12 previous albums to his name including three studio and six live albums with Gov’t Mule. This having been said, Million Voices Whisper eclipses Warren’s previous work. It’s a knock-down, drag out tour de force.

Co-Allman Brothers’ Band alums Warren and Derek Trucks co-wrote Real, Real Love to bring one of the late Gregg Allman’s incomplete ideas to fruition. Two other co-written tunes are similarly flavored. The friends collaborate throughout. Two particularly notable tracks, These Changes and Hall of Future Saints feature what amount to instrumental duels between Trucks and Haynes. The latter is the final track in this excellent album – an epic anthem to the late greats such as Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Freddie and Albert King, Coltrane, Miles.

16. Bywater Call – Shepherd

Label: Bywater Call Records

Identifying themselves as a southern soul, roots rock band, seven member Toronto based Bywater Call has earned a place on this list. Shepherd, the group’s third studio album, is a beautiful mix of roots, guts and swamp with unexpected moments of intimacy.

If you constantly wrestle with the Herculean tasks involved in overcoming life’s obstacles, this is the album for you. Bywater Call has not gone unnoticed by the international blues scene, for excellent reasons. Treat yourself to their newest album, a banquet of interesting styles and delicious sounds.

17. Fabulous Thunderbirds – Struck Down (TIE)

Label: Stony Plain Records

The Fabulous Thunderbirds are celebrating a milestone with their 50th anniversary release, Struck Down! After an eight-year wait, this new studio album is a vibrant return to form, showcasing the band’s signature sound with a stellar lineup of guest musicians. The album features collaborations with legendary artists like Billy Gibbons, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, Elvin Bishop, Mick Fleetwood, and Terrance Simien on accordion. With nine original tracks and a cover of Memphis Minnie’s Nothin’ in Ramblin, this album is sure to please fans old and new. It’s the perfect stocking stuffer for blues and rock enthusiasts this holiday season!

17. Albert Cummings – Strong (TIE)

Label: Ivy Music Company

Albert Cummings is a long time favorite of the Blues Music Fan Radio audience. He is a Massachusetts native who for a large part of his career has been a custom home builder by day and an award winning bluesman by night. He is renown for his prowess on the guitar and he has a powerful vocal delivery. His latest album Strong features 12 songs. It was recorded in Nashville and produced by Grammy Award winner, Tom Hambridge.

18. Colin James – Chasing the Sun

Label: 5026176 Ontario Inc

Eight time Juno Award and 31 Maple Blues Award winner, Canadian bluesman Colin James has released his 21st studio album – Chasing the Sun.

This album is different from any of his earlier albums in that it is seemingly more introspective blues as opposed to his often rocking blues sound. He has help on the album from Lucinda Williams, Charlie Musselwhite, Colin Linden, Darryl Jones and Charley Dayton along with a host of others who bring this album to life with James’ signature guitar playing and song styling. The track Protection features Lucinda, and Charlie shows up with his amazing harmonica work on Devilment (the rockiest song on the album) and Come To Find Out. James’ phrasing brings the blues to the forefront of most of the tunes and the guitar work on all tunes, especially Come To Find Out, is stellar. This album rightfully deserves a spot on the Blues Music Fan Radio Top 20 of 2024.

19. Sue Foley – One Guitar Woman

Label: 5026176 Ontario Inc

Sue Foley – One Guitar Woman: A Tribute to the Female Pioneers of Guitar

This album is Sue and Sue only, just a woman and her acoustic guitar and in my opinion, her best work yet. Ms. Foley pays tribute to the women who were pioneers of roots guitar playing and in most cases did not receive the praise they so richly deserved. If you enjoy pure unencumbered acoustic guitar and powerful accompanying vocals this is the album for you.

20. Chris O’Leary – The Hard Line

Label: Alligator Records

Chris O’Leary’s 6th solo album is a standout addition to the 2024 blues scene, marking an exciting milestone with his debut on Alligator Records. The blend of sharp songwriting and deeply personal, vivid storytelling seems to offer a compelling experience for fans of blues and beyond. O’Leary’s background as a Marine and federal police officer brings an authentic, gritty edge to his narratives, creating a rich tapestry of life’s highs and lows. With 12 original tracks, this album appears to be a powerhouse of reflection, emotion, and wisdom—making it an essential listen for 2024. A well-deserved home at Alligator Records.

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