This five-disc, 116-track box set presents a sweeping history of the blues from its emergence in the early 1900s clear through to its various contemporary guises, and includes samples of country blues in all of its regional variations, as well as cuts from string bands, jug bands, jazz combos, gritty Chicago blues outfits, and a look at how rock artists like Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix incorporated the blues into their distinctive styles. Intelligently gathered and arranged, it treats the blues both from a historical perspective and from a working assumption that the form is still alive and well, continually morphing and transforming itself. There simply isn't a better or deeper survey of the blues on the market.

The first solo release by contemporary blues-based artist Keb Mo' mixes a reverence for traditional country blues with more streamlined elements of commercial pop. Keyboards, bass and drums (in addition to Keb Mo's contributions on guitar, harmonica and banjo) flesh out breezy soul-inflected pop such as "She Just Wants To Dance" and the island flavored "Tell Everybody I Know." Though gears continue to shift, from organ-drenched gospel to hillbilly lite, Keb Mo' brings things back to the source with inventive homages to the blues altar, such as in his re-casting of two Robert Johnson songs.

On his second album, Keb' Mo' begins to expand the borders of his Delta blues by recording with a full band on a couple of tracks and attempting more expansive, rock-based song structures. The attempts aren't entirely successful and it's ironic that he decided to try rock-oriented material after he received such praise for his traditionalist debut. Still, there are a few songs on the album that rank with the best on his first album, which suggests that Just Like You is merely a sophomore slump.

This three-CD set documents some historic country-blues performances by the likes of Mississippi John Hurt, Skip James, Bukka White, Mississippi Fred McDowell and Mance Lipscomb. The urban side of things is well represented by Lightnin’ Hopkins, John Lee Hooker, Memphis Slim, Muddy Waters with Otis Spann, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and The Chambers Brothers turning in a riveting rendition of “See See Rider.” Included here are 11 previously unreleased tracks. A must for acoustic-blues fans.

The occasion of the series of television films broadcast under the umbrella title The Blues in the fall of 2003 provided the opportunity to compile the highlights of Keb' Mo''s recording career thus far into a single-disc collection. One might argue that, with only four regular albums under his belt (there was also a children's album, Big Wide Grin), Keb' Mo' wasn't quite ready for a best-of, but those albums attracted a wide audience among blues fans; each one lodged in the Top Five of Billboard's Top Blues Albums chart, and the second and third, Just Like You and Slow Down, won Grammys for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Actually, it's the self-titled first album from 1994 that is the most impressive (as well as the least "contemporary"), and six tracks from it have been excerpted here, with three from Just Like You, four from Slow Down, and one from the fourth album, The Door…

The Dutch recording artist, which not only in Germany but also far successfully inspires his audience about the European boundaries, surprises and power now with his first best-of. For the title of Homecooking, Hans Theessink has himself selected the songs and thematically distributed on 3 CDs: Blues cooking and song cooking his best blues find interpretations as well as a selection of his most beautiful songs. Live cooking includes many tracks of the 2004 DVD "A Blues & roots Revue" for the first time on CD released!

The Jo Ann Kelly archive has been very poorly treated over the years, with only Indigo's occasional forays during the late 1990s truly spotlighting one of Britain's most underrated, but highly-treasured, blues vocalists. Into this sorry state of affairs weighs Blues Matters!, the label wing of the magazine of the same name, with a collection that totally lives up to its title. Sixteen tracks, recorded between 1967-1984, are bundled up within, and capture Kelly ranging across the stylistic spectrum. The set kicks off with four numbers taken from a rare Harlequin blues EP compilation, recorded with Tony McPhee in 1965. This was not Kelly's first session, she'd done an earlier one for Mike Vernon's Purdah label, but that remains unreleased, and thus this was the music with which Kelly was introduced to the world…

Released in 2001 by Classic Blues, The Essential is a comprehensive two-disc retrospective celebrating the legendary country blues singer, guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist Armenter Chatmon, better known as Bo Carter. Famous both for his foundational work with the Mississippi Sheiks alongside his brothers and for his vast solo output, Carter was one of the most popular and influential acoustic blues performers of the 1930s. Renowned as the undisputed master of the hokum double entendre, Carter delivered sly, humor-filled songs backed by intricate, proto-ragtime fingerpicking guitar patterns and sweet fiddle melodies. This 36-track anthology balances his famous double-entendre classics like Banana In Your Fruit Basket, Cigarette Blues, and All Around Man with straightforward blues masterpieces. Highlights include the original landmark recording of Corrina Corrina, the satirical social commentary of Sales Tax, the fiddle-driven Back To Mississippi, and deep acoustic blues cuts like Old Devil Blues and Shake 'Em On Down. Essential for collectors and blues enthusiasts, this compilation provides a definitive look at one of the pre-war Delta's most versatile and entertaining musicians.

Released on Deep Rush Archives, The Essential Recordings - Volume One is a powerhouse 10-track collection celebrating the unmistakable, genre-defying sound of legendary blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Bobby Rush. Long celebrated as the undisputed king of the chitlin' circuit and vaulted into broader international prominence through Martin Scorsese's blues documentary series, Rush brings his signature blend of "Folk Funk," deep Chicago blues, Delta slide, and humorous soul to this inaugural archival collection. The set combines live fan-favorites, unreleased vault gems, and striking studio cuts. Highlights include the funky battle-of-the-sexes groove A Man Can Give It (But He Sure Can't Take It), the clever riffs of Handy Man, and the tender, expressive balladry of Crazy Bout You. Special archival highlights include a soulful, funk-infused interpretation of Al Green's Take Me To The River and the moving, seven-minute acoustic homage Dedication, paying heartfelt tribute to fallen blues icons Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, and Little Walter. Packed with earthy harmonica work, tight grooves, and magnetic storytelling, Volume One stands as a essential portrait of an American blues master.

One of the best recordings in Chess Records' 50th Anniverary series is the first of two bookend Muddy Waters collections, His Best 1947-55. Documenting Waters's most creatively and commercially successful years at Aristocrat/Chess, this collection begins with his formative years and ends with Waters at his peak. So you're in for a lot of terrific bottleneck slide guitar work as well as electric Chicago blues; what's to criticize? Superb remasterings of "I Can't Be Satisfied", "Rollin' and Tumblin'," "I'm Ready", and "Mannish Boy" are simply beyond reproach. With simple bass accompaniment from Ernest "Big" Crawford, Waters's bottleneck tracks are spare, haunting and, quite frankly, perfect country blues. And listening to Waters, Little Walter, Willie Dixon, and Jimmy Rogers piece together (and perfect very quickly) the classic Chicago sound is pure blues epiphany. At the very least, this collection shows you why Waters's rollicking stop-time classics like "Mannish Boy" and "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" have sparked endless imitations over the years–and why nobody has played them better since.

Released in 2019 on the Netherlands-based Black & Tan Records, Tree Man is a raw, electric tour de force from veteran Mississippi bluesman Boo Boo Davis. Born and raised in Drew, Mississippi—in the heart of the Delta—Davis delivers a gritty, stripped-down blues sound that bridges traditional raw Delta roots with modern electric intensity. Featuring his booming vocals and harp blowing alongside driving guitar work, the album captures an unfiltered studio vibe packed with primal grooves and foot-stomping rhythms. Track highlights like "Dirt Road," "What the Blues is All About," and the title track "Tree Man" showcase Davis's storytelling prowess and visceral, soul-baring energy. Stripping away artificial polish in favor of pure emotion, Tree Man stands as an essential listen for lovers of authentic, hard-hitting electric blues.

Albert King recorded a lot in the early '60s, including some classic sides, but they never quite hit the mark. They never gained a large audience, nor did they really capture the ferocity of his single-string leads. Then he signed with Stax in 1966 and recorded a number of sessions with the house band, Booker T. & the MG's, and everything just clicked. The MG's gave King supple Southern support, providing an excellent contrast to his tightly wound lead guitar, allowing to him to unleash a torrent of blistering guitar runs that were profoundly influential, not just in blues, but in rock & roll (witness Eric Clapton's unabashed copping of King throughout Cream's Disraeli Gears). Initially, these sessions were just released as singles, but they were soon compiled as King's Stax debut, Born Under a Bad Sign.