If castaway on a desert island with only one record to listen to, it would have to be Muddy Waters' Hard Again. Muddy has, of course, made many fine recordings and some songs on Hard Again were previously covered by Muddy, but not the same versions. Producer / guitar hero Johhny Winter managed to capture all the emotion, frenzy and power that was Muddy Waters (and embelish the whole thing playing smokin' guitar with Muddy and the band). Muddy and Johnny loved each other - you can just feel it and hear it on every single cut - the whoopin' and laughing, and relaxed big time groove from all the alumnus of Muddy Waters Univeristy makes Hard Again the finest blues recording of all time.

Ralph Stamm

The debut cd by Michael Mckillips Bell "Caught Between a Rock & a Blue Place" contains some blues that should not be ignored. This is an "indie" and is available mail order at www.michaelmckillipsbell.com Promo copies available.

Mike Bell

My favorite right now is Lazy Lester "Blues Don't Come Knocking" I love his music and singing, it makes me feel good. There is something haunting about it that I feel deep in my soul.

Mary Ervin
The Dalles. OR

I'm a drummer for a blues band and I have to tell you, the best stuff I've ever heard from a relatively unknown band. WALTER TROUT, who gets little notariety in the east. He has many CDs out, and all of them are great. http://www.waltertroutband.com/

Steve

When I lived in Chicago, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Self Titled Album is often what I listened to while commuting home after a long day. "Blues with a Feeling." Whoa! This is what brought me to blues way back when I was still a high school student. It epitomizes what I feel is electric Chicago Blues and it's a treasure!

Steve Leyndyk

I have been playing the blues and quite frakly living them from time to time. I was wondering if you guys have ever heard of a California Blues band called "RAGING SUN" ?? I'm not like a promoter or anything, I just wanted to let you in on a local secret...
At the Doheny Blues Festival this year, I made it a point to check out Steve Copeland and Raging Sun. A couple friends said this was the LIVE band to see... And boy was that right. No kidding, these guys blew me away !!! And I'm a picky guy, for sure. So, I got their album. My 6 year old daughter plays the thing day and night. She was so blown away from just that one band, out of the whole weekend >>> It's our "thing", we go to musical events and concerts; my son plays baseball. <<< Anyway, these guys remembered her from the show. Funny. We went to Steve's birthday concert later. The whole band signed one of my old stratocasters and gave it to her, her birthday is really close too. They even gave her the first lesson before I could. Enough about the corny crap...
What I'm telling you is that these guys seem to be able to CAPTURE the "live" sound on their recorded CD !!! It has been a long time since I've seen it done. I mean since Stevie Ray Vaughan And best of all, now my daughter has become enthralled with the blues and the whole scene. It brings things to a new level, all because of the BEST BLUES BAND I have seen in a long time. If you get a moment, check em out. I know they have a website with some samples, to make it real easy.

It is worth my time in the busiest schedule to let you in on this. [Think about it]

David Tudor
Wham Dummy

Bobby Manriquez, "Another Shade of Blue(s)"; a review by ONE HAPPY CUSTOMER
(and fan from the beginning) !!

Guitar ace BOBBY MANRIQUEZ, whose manned the axe for an array of artists from E-Street Band's rock 'n roller Nils Lofgren to "wicked" soul legend Wilson Pickett, has surely come into his own with first solo release "Another Shade of Blue(s)," an independent(7/2000). Even without the
tempting comparisons to the to the true greats such as Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn, I can guarantee with fervor that this CD embodies the passion, personality and uniqueness that was a trademark of the days of Jimi Hendrix and trend-setting talent in general.His songwriting is imaginative, his singing strong and unpretentious, his mood is sexy and sure, and his mastery of the blues-rock school of guitar is AWESOME !! Visit http://www.bobbymanriquez.com

Elaine Plott - Chattanooga, TN

Another word about Walter Trout
Everybodys opinion taken into consideration, I say that Walter Trout plays the meanest Blues I've ever been privileged to hear. After 30 years of being an avid blues connoisseur, I think I've finally had my dreams come true. He never misses a beat or an angle. You can hear the blues in every note and every syllable. His Live Trout is a work of genius and "Living Every Day" is as good as it gets people. Blues comes from the soul and this man has a big one. His music is a reflection of his soul and a mirror of 21st century life,love, and loss. What else is there to the blues? So to those naysayers : Remember today's life is tomorrow's blues. Hope to see Walter somewhere near Chattanooga any time!! Come on down!!!!