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	Top Blues Picks 2004

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Each month Bad Dog Blues takes a look at essential blues, those artists whose music stands the test of time. Each month we'll pick an artist or two or discuss a slice of blues history that we feel is important. We'll make sure to list all essential records. This month Jeff Harris and Gary Reinhardt, the hosts of Bad Dog Blues, and one of our regular contributors pick their top records for the year 2004.

Top Blues Picks 2004

Jeff Harris' Top New Releases

1) TOMMY BROWN/REMEMBER ME/BONEDOG
2) ERNEST LANE/THE BLUES IS BACK!/ACOUSTIC MUSIC
3) JODY WILLIAMS/YOU LEFT ME IN THE DARK/EVIDENCE
4) JOHN LEE HOOKER JR./BLUES WITH A VENGEANCE/KENT
5) PERCY SLEDGE/SHINING THROUGH THE RAIN/VARÈSE SARABANDE
6) W.C. CLARK/DEEP IN THE HEART/ALLIGATOR
7) BOBBY RUSH/FOLK FUNK/DEEP RUSH
8) THE MANNISH BOYS/THAT REPRESENT MAN/DELTA GROOVE
9) JIMMIE LEE ROBINSON/CHICAGO JUMP/RANDOM CHANCE
10) HOUND DOG TAYLOR/RELEASE THE HOUND/ALLIGATOR
11) BRUCE KATZ BAND/A DEEPER BLUE/SEVERN
12) COREY HARRIS/MISSISSIPPI TO MALI/ROUNDER
13) RONNIE EARL/NOW MY SOUL/STONY PLAIN
14) DAVE SPECTER & STEVE FREUND/IS WHAT IT IS/DELMARK
15) CHARLES BROWN/A LIFE IN THE BLUES/ROUNDER
16) NORA JEAN BRUSO/GOING BACK TO MISSISSIPPI/SEVERN
17) JOHNNY DYER/ROLLIN FORK REVISITED/MOUNTAINTOP
18) JIMMY DAWKINS/TELL ME BABY/FEDORA
19) BIG JOE DUSKIN/BIG JOE JUMPS AGAIN/YELLOW DOG
20) SUE FOLEY/CHANGE/RUF
21) KENNY NEAL & BILLY BRANCH/DOUBLE TAKE/ALLIGATOR
22) WALLACE COLEMAN/THE BAD WEATHER BLUES/PINTO BLUE
23) LEE GATES AND THE ALABAMA COTTON KINGS/MUSIC MAKER
24) NATHAN JAMES & BEN HERNANDEZ/MAKE A CHANGE SOMETIME/INDEPENDENT
25) JERRY "BOOGIE" MCCAIN/BOOGIE IS MY MAN/MUSIC MAKER

Jeff Harris 's Top Reissues

1) LEROY CARR/THE BEST OF LEROY CARR/SONY-LEGACY
2) HOMESICK JAMES & SNOOKY PRYOR/THE BIG BEAR SESSIONS/SANCTUARY
3) MUDDY WATERS/HARD AGAIN-I'M READY-KING BEE/EPIC-LEGACY
4) LUCILLE BOGAN/SHAVE EM' DRY: THE BEST OF/SONY-LEGACY
5) BYTHER SMITH/HOLD THAT TRAIN CONDUCTER/DELMARK
6) MISS. JOHN HURT/D.C. BLUES: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS RECORDINGS/FUEL 2000
7) GATEMOUTH MOORE/CRYIN' AND SINGIN' THE BLUES/SAVOY
8) BACK TO THE CROSSROADS: THE ROOTS OF ROBERT JOHNSON/YAZOO
9) BIG JOHN WRENCHER/BIG JOHN'S BOOGIE PLUS/SANCTUARY
10) BUKKA WHITE/BIG DADDY/BIOGRAPH

Gary Reinhard's Top New Releases

1) RONNIE EARL/NOW MY SOUL/STONY PLAIN
2) JODY WILLIAMS/YOU LEFT ME IN THE DARK/EVIDENCE
3) JOHNNY DYER/ROLLIN FORK REVISITED/MOUNTAINTOP
4) HOUND DOG TAYLOR/RELEASE THE HOUND/ALLIGATOR
5) PAUL RISHELL & ANNIE RAINES/GOIN' HOME/TONE-COOL
6) KENNY NEAL & BILLY BRANCH/DOUBLE TAKE/ALLIGATOR
7) BRUCE KATZ BAND/A DEEPER BLUE/SEVERN
8) JOHN LEE HOOKER JR./BLUES WITH A VENGEANCE/KENT
9) BIG JOE DUSKIN/BIG JOE JUMPS AGAIN/YELLOW DOG
10) DAVE SPECTER & STEVE FREUND/IS WHAT IT IS/DELMARK
11) W.C. CLARK/DEEP IN THE HEART/ALLIGATOR
12) SUE FOLEY/CHANGE/RUF
13) ALEX SHULTZ/THINK ABOUT IT/SEVERN
14) BOBBY RUSH/FOLK FUNK/DEEP RUSH
15) PERCY SLEDGE/SHINING THROUGH THE RAIN/VARÈSE SARABANDE
16) ERNEST LANE/THE BLUES IS BACK!/ACOUSTIC MUSIC
17) DR FEELGOOD POTTS/MAKE IT TALK/ECKO
18) JIMMIE LEE ROBINSON/CHICAGO JUMP/RANDOM CHANCE
19) CHARLES BROWN/A LIFE IN THE BLUES/ROUNDER
20) JANIVA MAGNESS/BURY HIM AT THE CROSSROADS/NORTHERNBLUES
21) ROBERT LOCKWOOD JR./THE LEGEND LIVE/M.C. RECORDS
22) TEXAS RED/NOTHUN' CAN SAVE ME NOW/COLD WIND
23) HOUND DOG TAYLOR/RELEASE THE HOUND/ALLIGATOR
24) LEE GATES AND THE ALABAMA COTTON KINGS/MUSIC MAKER
25) NATHAN JAMES & BEN HERNANDEZ/MAKE A CHANGE SOMETIME/INDEPENDENT
26) ROD PIAZZA & THE MIGHTY FLYERS/KEEPIN’ IT REAL/BLIND PIG
27) VARIOUS ARTISTS/BLUES HARP MELTDOWN VOL. 2/MOUNTAINTOP
28) WILLIE "BIG EYES" SMITH/BLUESIN' IT/ELECTRO-FI
29) DAVID MAXWELL/MAX ATTACK/BLUE MAX
30) ARTIE 'BLUES BOY' WHITE/FIRST THING TUESDAY MORNING/A CHILL TOWN

Gary Reinhard's Top Reissues

1) MUDDY WATERS/HARD AGAIN-I'M READY-KING BEE/EPIC-LEGACY
2) HOMESICK JAMES & SNOOKY PRYOR/THE BIG BEAR SESSIONS/SANCTUARY
3) LEROY CARR/THE BEST OF LEROY CARR/SONY-LEGACY
4) BYTHER SMITH/HOLD THAT TRAIN CONDUCTER/DELMARK
5) VARIOUS ARTISTS/WINDY CITY BLUES/STAX
6) BACK TO THE CROSSROADS: THE ROOTS OF ROBERT JOHNSON/YAZOO
7) LUCILLE BOGAN/SHAVE EM' DRY: THE BEST OF/SONY-LEGACY
8) GATEMOUTH MOORE/CRYIN' AND SINGIN' THE BLUES/SAVOY
9) MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD/IF YOU LOVE THESE BLUES/KICKING MULE
10) MISS. JOHN HURT/D.C. BLUES: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS RECORDINGS/FUEL 2000
11) VARIOUS ARTISTS/AMERICAN FOLK BLUES FESTIVAL VOL. 2/HIP-O
12) ROOSEVELT/CHICAGO BOOGIE/DELMARK

Dave Moskal's Top New Releases
(Dave Moskal Hosts "Muskie's Juke Joint" On WGMC Radio 90.1)

1) JIMMIE LEE ROBINSON/CHICAGO JUMP/RANDOM CHANCE RECORDS
2) BARBARA LYNN/BLUES & SOUL SITUATION/DIALTONE
3) KENNY NEAL & BILLY BRANCH/DOUBLE TAKE/ALLIGATOR
4) BEN HARPER W/THE BLIND BOYS/THERE WILL BE LIGHT/VIRGIN
5) TOMMY BROWN/REMEMBER ME/BONEDOG RECORDS
6) TAD ROBINSON/DID YOU EVER WONDER/SEVERN RECORDS
7) NORA JEAN BRUSO/GOING BACK TO MISSISSIPPI/SEVERN
8) MEL WAITERS/A NITE OUT/WALDOXY
9) JOHN LEE HOOKER JR/BLUES WITH A VENGEANCE/KENT RECORDS
10) MANNISH BOYS/THAT REPRESENT MAN/DELTA GROOVE
11) JOHNNY DYER/ROLLING FORK REVISTED/MOUNTAINTOP
12) MAVIS STAPLES/HAVE A LITTLE FAITH/ALLIGATOR
13) DR FEELGOOD POTTS/MAKE IT TALK/ECKO
14) DUKE ROBILLARD/BLUE MOOD/STONY PLAIN
15) ROD PIAZZA & THE MIGHTY FLYERS/KEEPIN’ IT REAL/BLIND PIG
16) W.C. CLARK/DEEP IN THE HEART/ALLIGATOR
17) JUSVON/I’M JUSVON/PARLIAMENT RECORDS
18) ROY ROBERTS/DAYLIGHT WITH A FLASHLIGHT/ROCK HOUSE RECORDS
19) VASTI JACKSON/NO BORDERS TO THE BLUES/VJM RECORDS
20) ROY TYLER & NEW DIRECTIONS/THREE WAY CALLING/SEVERN

Dave Moskal's Top Reissues

1) HOUND DOG TAYLOR/RELEASE THE HOUND/ALLIGATOR
2) CAREY & LURRIE BELL/SECOND NATURE/ALLIGATOR
3) BIG MAMA THORNTON/W/MUDDY WATERS -1966/ARHOOLIE
4) CHARLES BROWN/A LIFE IN THE BLUES/ROUNDER
5) VARIOUS ARTISTS/NIGHT TRAIN TO NASHVILLE/LOST HIGHWAY
6) LEROY CARR/BEST OFF/COLUMBIA/LEGACY
7) BYTHER SMITH/HOLD THAT TRAIN/DELMARK
8) SUNNYLAND SLIM/HIGHWAY 61/FUEL 2000
9) MUDDY WATERS/HARD AGAIN/EPIC/LEGACY
10) IKE TURNER/KING COBRA/THE CHICAGO SESSIONS/FUEL 2000
11) LITTLE RICHARD/GET DOWN WITH IT: THE OKEH SESSIONS/EPIC LEGACY
12) REVEREND J. M. GATES/BEST OFF/COLUMBIA/LEGACY
13) VARIOUS ARTISTS/WATTSTAX/STAX
14) MEMPHIS SLIM /I’LL JUST KEEP ON SINGIN’ THE BLUES/SAVOY
15) J. B. HUTTO/STOMPIN’ AT MOTHER BLUES/DELMARK
16) GATEMOUTH MOORE/CRYIN’ AND SINGIN’ THE BLUES/SAVOY
17) MISSISSIPPI SHEIKS/BEST OFF/COLUMBIA/LEGACY
18) BOOBY MOORE & RHYTHM ACES/GO AHEAD AND BURN/RPM/SHOUT
19) JOHN LEE HOOKER/JACK O’ DIAMONDS/EAGLE RECORDS
20) VARIOUS ARTISTS/THE UNITED RECORD STORY/DELMARK

Notable Releases

-THE HOLMES BROTHERS/SIMPLE TRUTHS/ALLIGATOR

-DIXIE HUMMINGBIRDS/DIAMOND JUBILATION/ROUNDER

-SNOOKY PRYOR/MOJO RAMBLE/ELECTRO-FI

-CHARLES CALDWELL/REMEMBER ME/FAT POSSUM

-JOHN MAYALL & FRIENDS/70TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT/EAGLE

-TARBOX RAMBLERS/A FIX DOWN EAST/ROUNDER

-MARION JAMES/ESSENCE/SOUL FOOD

-PAT BOYACK/VOICES FROM THE STREET/DOC BLUES

-THE BLASTERS/LIVE: GOING HOME/SHOUT! FACTORY

-CHIEF SCHABUTTIE GILLIAME/SNAKES CRAWLS AT NIGHT/RANDOM CHANCE

-JAMES COTTON/BABY, DON'T YOU TEAR MY CLOTHES/TELARC

-JW-JONES BLUES BAND/MY KIND OF EVIL/NOTHERNBLUES

-HENRY BUTLER/HOMELAND/BASIN STREET

-SANSONE, KROWN, FOHL/SHORT STACK

-SAM MYERS/COMING FROM THE OLD SCHOOL/ELECTRO-FI

-PAUL OSCHER/ALONE WITH THE BLUES/ELECTRO-FI

-BEVERLY "GUITAR" WATKINS/THE FEELINGS OF.../MUSIC MAKER

-NICK CURRAN/PLAYER/BLIND PIG

-DR. JOHN/N'AWLINZ DIS DAT OR DA UDDA/BLUE NOTE

-CLARENCE "GATEMOUTH" BROWN/TIMELESS/HIGHTONE

-PINETOP PERKINS/LADIES MAN/M.C. RECORDS

-HENRY GRAY & THE CATS/LIVE IN PARIS/LUCKY CAT

-DETROIT JR./BLUES ON THE INTERNET/DELMARK

-FILLMORE SLIM/THE GAME/MOUNTAINTOP