Three recording artists got my attention in 2012. Andre Williams was a brand new name to me, introduced by the Sadies. A 70 year old dirty rhythm and blues singer with a rough reputation and an even rougher voice, released Night and Day, and like a lot of music here, I first heard on CBC Radio Two. I will follow up buying more their music both together (Red Dirt 1999) and their own projects> They each have significant recording histories and it’s nice to look forward to something new. The other I had just heard about but hadn’t heard, and that was the bass bass playing vocalist Esperensa Spalding, an bit like an updated mashup of Cassandra Wilson and Regina Carter.
- Andre Williams and the Sadies – Night & Day
- Blackie and the Rodeo Kings – Kings and Queens
- Bonnie Raitt – Slipstream
- Dave Young – Aspects of Oscar
- Tom Waits – Bad as Me
- Dave Maclean – Blues Outside the Box
- The Black Keys – El Camino
- Esperenza Spalding – Radio Music Society
- Dianna Krall – Glad Rag Doll
- Norah Jones – Little Broken Hearts
- Dr. John – Locked Down
And from 2011, but purchased in early 2012
- Ry Cooder – Pull up some dust and sit down (notable for it’s catchy “No Banker Left Behind – Woody Guthrie would have been proud, and it would be great for any folk festival sing along)
- Joe Lovano – Bird Songs
- Ron Carter – All Blues
- Robbie Robertson – How to Become Clairvoyant