DIGITAL BLUES’ TWENTY-ONE FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF 2025
This year I received more than three hundred albums from bands and artists from around the world, many of which I really enjoyed. The task of narrowing the long list down to a realistic number of ‘most favourites’ was not easy. There could easily have been a top 50!
After much thought and agonising and plenty of revisiting, I have come up with twenty-one albums which topped my personal favourites chart! If yours is not there, I am sorry. I must stress, this is a very personal selection and it’s not in any form of order of merit, the listing is purely alphabetical!
As an aside and doing a bit of number crunching, 8 are from the USA with the remainder coming from Europe (including the UK) and Scandinavia. Proof if any was needed that the abandonment of the Blues Foundation’s insistence in their mission statement that the Blues is a uniquely American music form was long overdue.
So here we go with my twenty-one favourites from 2025.
ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW – THE INVISIBLE BLUESMAN – THE LAST MUSIC COMPANY
Who would have imagined the high pitched and, some might say, reedy voice that fronted Amen Corner back in the late 60s would become a significant but vastly underappreciated figure on the Blues scene both in the UK and around the world? This is Andy’s debut blues album and includes a reworking of ‘Gin House’ which was many people’s first introduction to Andy when it was a top twenty hit for Amen Corner in 1967.
BEN TYZACK – BLUES TO THE RIVER – INDEPENDENT
Amazing to think that this is a debut solo album from the man who for 33 years has, perhaps, been best known as the front man of the Spikedrivers, the superb UK/American/Irish trio/quartet who are calling it a day at the end of 2025. Six varied and delicious tracks showcasing Ben’s excellent guitar skills, as well as his songwriting talent. What a great debut!
BERNARD SELLAM & THE BOYZ FROM THE HOOD – BARNYARD BOOGIE – BLUZTRACK PRODUCTIONS
The second album from Bernard and his great band that brings a wonderful blend of vintage R&B with a vibrant freshness. And boy, does it rock! The French six-piece is joined by guests on some of 14 wonderful tracks, 11 of them originals and offering almost 50 minutes of great music. This is an album I keep returning to and this is one band I must see live!
BIG DAVE & THE DUTCHMEN – BIG DAVE & THE DUTCHMEN – NAKED
A debut album from a Belgian – Dutch six-piece which brings the listener a great mix of fifties Chicago blues, gospel, swing and ‘swamp pop’ with 11 tracks, mostly originals. This is an album full of soul but one which really swings. Blues how I love to hear them played! I love it!
BOBBY CHARLES – LAST TRAIN TO MEMPHIS – THE LAST MUSIC COMPANY
So much more than just a compilation album and featuring cameos by luminaries such as Willie Nelson, Fats Domino, Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry, Sonny Landreth, Delbert McClinton and Maria Muldaur this wonderful double album offers more than 30 hugely varied tracks, all written and produced by Louisiana resident and legendary songwriter Bobby Charles, coming from his ‘lost years’ – 1971 to 2003. It is impossible to choose a ‘best’ track, or even one that is not ‘up there’ with the others. An absolute gem that is a joy to listen to!
CANDICE IVORY – NEW SOUTHERN VINTAGE – NOLA BLUE RECORDS
Described as a ‘groundbreaking’ album, this offering from Memphis born Candice Ivory is an absolutely wonderful collection of material paying homage to the Blues as well as the heroines and heroes who created it. Featuring special guests from around the world as well as Candice’s Memphis based band the Blue Bloods, the album is a joy to listen to.
CECILYA AND THE CANDY KINGS – PARISIAN MAMBO – DIXIEFROG – ROCK’N’HALL RECORDS
Originally from Spain, Cecilya moved to live in Paris in 2019 and this, her third album, offers a wonderful melange of swing and rhythm ’n’ blues done fifties style and infused by Chicago, New Orleans and the West Coast which has you moving from the first note. With her talented musical partner, guitarist Rodolphe Dumont, Cecilya has created an album which should grace your collection and should certainly be on your party turntable!
DOUG MACLEOD – BETWEEN SOMEWHERE AND GOODBYE – REFERENCE RECORDINGS
Multi- award-winning Memphis resident Doug’s laconic delivery, his wonderfully relaxed but spot on guitar and original songwriting which tell such great stories combine to produce another cracking album recorded in Nashville with some excellent local musicians collectively known as the Funky Chester Rhythm Section. A mix of solo and ensemble pieces, this is yet another gem from Doug MacLeod that begs to be played on repeat!
JESSIE LEE & THE ALCHEMISTS – LEGACY – MUSIC BOX PUBLISHING
This is the very popular French quintet’s third album and offers a varied bill of fare ranging from blues to soul to 70’s rock. With Jessie’s evocative and wide-ranging vocals backed by an excellent band, this is an album that grows on you each time you listen. In addition to her own band, Jessie Lee is a regular on tour around the world with Brit Floyd.
JON CLEARY – THE BYWATER SESSIONS – FHQ RECORDS/WELL KEPT SECRET
This superb album from Jon Cleary is both an excellent introduction to the man and his music for new listeners and a delight for his many ardent fans. I have heard it described as his best album ever! Every musician playing originates from or is based in New Orleans and the tracks bring all the grit, funk and joy that is typical of Jon’s music.
KAZ HAWKINS – COMING HOME – EARLYBIRD RECORDS
Hailing from Belfast but now resident in Normandy, France, Kaz has described this album as the one she has always wanted to make which is ‘not blues, not jazz, just Kaz’. With 13 tracks, the album sees Kaz exploring her Celtic roots as she pursues her mental health crusade. And there are beautiful, delicious orchestrations by her German collaborators, Mathis Richter-Reichhelm and Michael Handschuch, which underline Kaz’s passionate and meaningful lyrics and vocal mastery so well, introducing a fresh, new dimension to the music we love so much.
L.R.PHOENIX – IF THE DEVIL SANG THE BLUES – INDEPENDENT
Described as Finland’s Charlie Patton, with this live recording from Upton Blues Festival in 2016, Phoenix takes you to a back porch out in the Mississippi Delta with songs from the likes of Patton, Son House, R.L.Burnside, Fred McDowell and others which he says are ‘inspired, borrowed or stolen from ‘ them and others. The result is very, very special.
LARKIN POE – BLOOM – TRICKI WOO RECORDS
The eagerly awaited release of Meghan and Rebecah’s album does not disappoint. The publicity material says of the album, there is a ‘theme of self-acceptance’ set ‘against a backdrop of contemporary blues and rock influences’. There really is nothing to add but to heartily recommend this excellent album.
MANU LANVIN – MAN ON A MISSION – GEL PRODUCTIONS
This album from the son of the celebrated French actor, Gérard Lanvin, is aptly titled. Underpinned by the blues, there is rock, soul and even some music that could be called pop, all of which exploits Manu’s talents as both musician and producer. With a voice that has been compared with Howlin’ Wolf and B.B. King, Lanvin has produced an album that is really one to be listened to.
MARY STOKES BAND – HOMETOWN BLUES – INDEPENDENT
This glorious collection of acoustic blues comprises 20 tracks recorded at Sonic Studios in Dublin between 1999 and 2002 which was originally released as a limited run of 300 in preparation for the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival of 2002. The CDs sold out over the Festival weekend and it was not until 2025 that the original recordings were recovered, restored and released, along with two more recent bonus tracks, on CD. The result is a wonderful combination of blues tracks and those with a more traditional Irish feel. This is an exceptional album and a joy to listen to.
MICKE & LEFTY FEAT CHEF – LIVE ON AIR – HOKAHEY! RECORDS
2025 saw Finland’s Micke Bjorklof celebrate a big birthday and to mark the occasion he released two albums. With his band Blue Strip, an album of ‘Outtakes’ from previous album recording sessions plus a live double album of this highly regarded trio celebrating their 25th year together. The sessions were recorded for Deutschlandfunk Radio, during the pandemic, and at the Blues Baltica Festival in Eutin, Germany in 2023. A wonderful collection of live fun, music and dynamism.
MIKE ANDERSEN – ALL OUT OF LOVE – CUSTOM RECORDS
Although this is Mike’s 10th album, this is the first time I have had the pleasure of discovering this Danish musician’s music, thanks to a French publicist! 10 wonderfully varied tracks, some defying genrification, (huzzah!), some simple one man and his guitar acoustics, some with haunting strings, some straight blues, in fact the whole nine miles! Add some heartfelt experiential lyrics and you have an album that deserves a so much wider audience.
ROOMFUL OF BLUES – STEPPIN’ OUT – ALLIGATOR RECORDS
The multiple Grammy nominated award winning Roomful of Blues dates back to 1967. Their latest release sees a departure in that the band has added soul-stirring vocalist DD Bastos to their line-up bringing another dimension to the band’s repertoire encompassing jump, swing, rock’n’roll and contemporary blues all held together by a huge helping of funk! Amongst the 14 tracks are great covers of timeless classics first given life by Etta James, Big Mama Thornton, Jimmy McCracklin, Tiny Bradshaw and more. A cracker!
SOUTHERN AVENUE – FAMILY – ALLIGATOR RECORDS
If ever an album was appropriately titled, this is it. Southern Avenue have produced an album containing a ‘vibrant blend of Memphis soul and blues, warm sister harmonies, and positive messages reminiscent of The Staple Singers.’ Songs that are hard-hitting, telling the universal truths about the unshakable power of togetherness. The three Jackson sisters plus Ori Naftaly create a musical unit that is redolent of love and togetherness and oh so tight!
TAJ MAHAL & KEB’ MO’ – ROOM ON THE PORCH – CONCORD RECORDS
This is the eagerly anticipated but slightly unexpected follow-up by two giants of the Blues scene to their 2017 collaborative Grammy winning album, ‘TajMo’, and it has certainly been worth the wait. Some describe them as the ‘best living Blues musicians’ and with 11 Grammy wins each, they could be described as true statesmen of the Blues. This varied 10 tracker brings something for almost everyone with 7 originals plus 3 covers ranging across a century. Another gem from this pairing and their guests.
THE FREAKY BUDS – WESTERN SMOKE – FREAK LAND RECORDS
From France comes the second album by The Freaky Buds, a four-piece band who play what they describe as ‘contemporary garage blues & rock’ – another new sub-genre of blues! Recorded and produced by Kid Andersen at the renowned Greaseland Studio in the USA, the album finds inspiration from the roots of blues as purveyed by R.L. Burnside and The Red Devils. But the music is resolutely contemporary with the band drawing upon inspiration gained from a Californian road trip immediately prior to their studio session. The long roads, the warmth of the countryside and inspirational meetings along the way all incorporated in the albums’ 11 tracks. A very enjoyable album.