Buy these Top Ten CDs today
Charles Brown

Bob Corritore

Roy Gaines

Chris Smither

Joe Louis Walker

Kid Ramos

Kirk "Eli" Fletcher

Steve Guyger

Francine Reed

Wilson Pickett

Corey Harris

To commemorate a year of exciting new blues releases, this month we've selected our Top Ten List of new CDs. I wrote most of the reviews in past years, but we were pleased to add several new reviewers in 1999. So my Top Ten list consists primarily of CDs which I reviewed. Be sure to also check the Top Ten lists submitted by several of our contributors. Thanks for your support of Blues Bytes over the past 12 months!

- Bill Mitchell

Bill Mitchell (editor of Blues Bytes)
NOTE: Although a lot of great blues was released in 1999, no single CD jumped out at me as THE number one. So I'm going to just list my 10 favorites in alphabetical order by artist.

Charles Brown - In A Grand Style - We lost one of the great ones this year, so it's only appropriate that Charles Brown makes one last appearance on my Top Ten list. Goodbye, Charles.

Bob Corritore - All-Star Blues Sessions - A collection of studio recordings made in Arizona with many visiting guest stars.

Roy Gaines - I've Got The T-Bone Walker Blues - A truly underrated artist pays tribute to his guitar hero.

J.J. Malone - See Me Early In The Morning - Gritty urban blues from the Bay Area.

Bob Margolin - Hold Me To It - A very heartfelt album from one of the finest contemporary artists of the decade.

The Johnny Nocturne Band with Kim Nalley - Million Dollar Secret - New singer Nalley has made a good swing band even better!

Billy Price - Can I Change My Mind - Soul music doesn't get much better than this late-season release produced by Swamp Dogg.

Snooky Pryor - Shake My Hand - One of the originals just keeps getting better as he approaches his 80th birthday. Think how great he'll sound when he's 90!

Chris Smither - Drive You Home Again - A very pleasant disc from one of the best songwriters around.

Joe Louis Walker - Silvertone Blues - A sparser, more acoustic album from this consistently fine performer.

I'll close with a mention of the many fine CDs released this year by the Music Makers organization. In addition to benefiting a lot of needy blues musicians around the country, they've also done a great service recording discs by artists like Beverly "Guitar" Watkins, Algia Mae Hinton, Etta Baker, John Dee Holeman, and more.

Steve Hinrichsen (one of the best of the new Blues Bytes reviewers)

1. Kid Ramos - Kid Ramos
2. Kirk "Eli" Fletcher -I'm Here & I'm Gone
3. Joe Louis Walker - Silvertone Blues
4. Mike Morgan & The Crawl - I Like The Way You Work It
5. Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers - Here & Now
6. Steve Guyger - Past Life Blues
7. Omar & The Howlers - Swingland
8. Otis Grand, Debbie Davies, Anson Funderburgh - Grand Union
9. Skeeter Brandon & H'way 61 - I'm A Man Of My Word
10. James Cotton, Charlie Musslewhite, Billy Branch, Sugar Ray Norica - SuperHarps

Alan Shutro (long-time Blues Bytes reviewer and soul afficianado)

1. Francine Reed - Shades Of Blue
2. Jo Jo Benson - Reminiscing In The Jam Zone
3. Artie White - Can We Get Together
4. Luther Allison - Live In Chicago
5. Bob Corritore - All-Star Blues Session
6. Wilson Pickett - It's Harder Now
7. Oscar Toney Jr. - Oscar's Winners
8. Ollie Nightingale - Best Of ...
9. Willie Clayton - It's About Love
10.Barbara Carr - What A Woman Wants

Graham Clarke (Blues Bytes reviewer from Mississippi)

In no particular order:
Larry Garner - Baton Rouge
Roy Gaines - I've Got the T-Bone Walker Blues
Jimmy "T99" Nelson - Rockin' and Shoutin' the Blues
Corey Harris - Greens From the Garden
Chizmo Charles - Up All Night
Walter "Wolfman" Washington - Blue Moon Rising
Johnnie Bassett - Party My Blues Away
Brooks, Hunter & Walker - Lone Star Shootout
Jimmy Johnson - Every Road Ends Somewhere
Various Artists - From Mississippi to Chicago