Grant Britt

August is stuffed with outstanding blues releases. Keb’ Mo’ makes a couple of appearances, with a stripped-down acoustic album The Breakdown, as well as on the Morgan Freeman-curated Symphonic Blues Experience. Ruthie Foster is as magnificent as ever on her latest outing, Just Say Yes, on Sun records.

July was a banner month for blues releases with the release of a massive box set from blues grand dame and legend Ma Rainey, featuring her entire recordings at Paramount Records between 1923-1928. Additionally, Chris O'Leary provides some hard-core roadhouse blues, and Albert Castiglia goes to

June showcases a collection of past glories as well as a new offering from Swamp Dogg, and one that slipped by us from pianist Joe Krown last month. Additionally, Smithsonian Folkways has assembled an impressive blues collection that features well-known blues artists performing material that may be unfamiliar to

May's blues offerings feature a trio of powerful blues women. Belgium's Ghalia Volt may look like a rockabilly queen, but her output is more Mississippi hill country blasted with chunks of bombastic rock. Irish powerhouse Grainne Duffy bemoans heartbreaking situations in a soulful rasp that cuts

April's offerings could be viewed as a legacy celebration. That's especially true of Corey Harris, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Guy Davis’s new collaboration, Fight On, True Blues Vol 2. This month also features new releases from Texas Tornado Freddie King (whose live set is still the

EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to No Depression’s newest column — Best of the Blues. Each month we’ve asked long-time No Depression contributor, Grant Britt, to round up some of his favorite new blues records for your listening pleasure. March serves up another righteous bundle of blues topped off