Johnny Full-Time's Favorite CD's of 2009

Below Is the Text Transcript Of the "Five Faves of 2009" Podcast.

Hello,

I'm John Luttrell, Owner and Webmaster here at FullTimeBlues.com, and host of Full-Time Blues Radio. This is a special "Five Faves of 2009" Podcast, where I will discuss and play clips from my favorite Blues albums of the past year.

First, I want to tell you Full-Time Blues airs Saturdays From Noon-2:00, Central Time, on 91.5 WUEV, in Evansville, Indiana. It's "The Home for New, Independent, and Local Blues Music"; and you can find out how to listen to the show by clicking on the Radio tab at FullTimeBlues.com.

Websites everywhere have been giving out their year end awards and "Best Of" lists over the past several days, but I wanted to do something a little different. I'll be looking back at the five Blues CD's that I got the most enjoyment out of in 2009. I'm not breaking down which albums are the best, or counting them down. I'm just discussing five CD's I really dig.

I chose from albums that I have gotten since FullTimeBlues.com opened in April, whether they be submissions to the show, or albums I've purchased. So, without any further delay, let's get to it!

Greg Nagy - Walk That Fine Thin Line - Big O Records 2009

His voice packs power and cuts through everything else on the record. Tracks like the opening title cut, as well as "Sunrise," show off Nagy's vocal strength, while "She's My Baby" and "M & O Blues" are the perfect example of Nagy's Soul roots.

In my review of Walk That fine Thin Line, I mentioned I couldn't stop listening to this CD. I still pop it in from time to time, although I don't listen to it over and over; but it's still just as powerful and entertaining as it was the first time I heard it.

Shirley Johnson - Blues Attack - Delmark Records 2009

It was a good thing, too, because I would have hated to miss out on this record. I had no prior knowledge of Shirley Johnson going into my review of this disc in June, and came away with a surefire favorite after listening to Blues Attack. I described the title song as simply a great piece of Blues music, and a great example of the attitude that Johnson brings throughout the disc.

Blues Attack features great cover versions of songs like "634-5789" and "Unchain My Heart," but it's songs like "You Shouldn't Have Been There" and "Take Your Foot Off My Back" that really shine through on this CD. I said in my review of Blues Attack that all of the songs were standouts, and I agree with that statement today.

Here's hoping it doesn't take another seven years before we get another new record from Shirley Johnson.

Joe Bonamassa - The Ballad Of John Henry - J&R Adventures 2009

His self described "most personal" record, Bonamassa recorded six originals and six covers for the disc, including my favorite track on the album, "Stop!" Other covers include a version of Tom Waits' "Jockey Full of Bourbon" that Waits would likely enjoy himself, and a cool take on Ike and Tina's "Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter." I'm more impressed, however, with Bonamassa's original material. Songs like "Lonesome Road Blues" and "Happier Times" never leave my iPod.

Joe Bonamassa is riding a tremendous high following 2009. With the releases of both The Ballad Of John Henry and his DVD concert Live From the Royal Albert Hall, a successful tour (which I got to see), and another truckload of awards for his mantle, 2009 will be hard to top for Bonamassa; but I'm starting to get the impression that he's up to the challenge.

Levon Helm - Electric Dirt - Dirt Farmer Music 2009

A little back story: I love The Band. The first time I saw The Last Waltz was one of those "new favorite" moments, and I rushed out and bought the soundtrack. I really enjoyed all of the members of The Band, but I was always drawn to songs like "Ophelia," and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." Levon Helm's voice just spoke to me.

So, when I ran across Electric Dirt at the WUEV Studios this year, I had to give it a listen. Tunes like Helm's tak on the Grateful Dead's "Tennessee Jed," a pair of Muddy Waters songs ("You Can't Lose What You Ain't never Had" and "Stuff You Gotta Watch") and other covers, have been spun into beautiful mixtures of Blues, Dixieland Jazz, Gospel, and other styles; but the track that stood above them all was "Growin' Trade," the story song of a stuggling farmer who turns to fielding marijuana to support his family and keep his farm.

Levon Helm only takes co-writing credits on two of Electric Dirt's 11 tracks, but the way he approached the arrangements and vocals on the album make you sure that these songs all belong to the man singing them here.

Mac Arnold & Plate Full O' Blues - Country Man - Plantation #1 Productions/Vizztone Label Group 2009

The album is top-to-bottom amazing, and where Country Man stands above Levon Helm's Electric Dirt for me, is that all but two of the album's 13 songs were written by the band. The only cover tunes on Country Man are Muddy Waters' "Screamin' and Cryin'" and Robert Miller's "If Walls Could Talk."

Mac Arnold and Plate Full O' Blues composed 11 honest, thoughtful, and in some cases biographical songs, including "Farmer," "I Ain't Sugar Coatin'," and "Mule For A Chevrolet," (which was written about Arnold's decision to leave the farm to pursue his career in music.)

I highly recommend this album to anyone, and I know at least one person has taken that advice.

So, there you have it, my Five Faves of 2009. I hope that you enjoyed this look back, and I hope that you will tune in to Full-Time Blues to hear songs from these albums, and so many other amazing records that I could have just as easily included in this list.

Thank You For An Amazing 2009, and Here's To An Even Better 2010.

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