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“Ellis delivers a powerful punch of deep roots blues and wicked guitar...a foot-stomping, raucous good time...a joyous and triumphant celebration of acoustic music. You’ll feel it down to the bone.”
—Living Blues

“Glorious, raw and propulsive acoustic blues...killer vocals and biting, dazzling guitar work.”
—AllMusic

“Stripped down and raw...gruff, unembellished vocals...glistening melodies fingerpicked with delicacy...so genuine it seems like a long lost recording.”
—Blues Music Magazine 

Today, Atlanta-based blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Tinsley Ellis announced the first leg of his 2026 Labor Of Love tour. His new all acoustic album, Labor Of Love, will be released on Friday, January 30, 2026. The solo tour kicks off with three home base Georgia shows before heading to Washington, DC, New York and the East Coast, then through Chicago, Minneapolis, and the Midwest, then into Denver, Phoenix, Albuquerque and on to Florida.

Labor Of Love is Ellis' second acoustic album (after 2024's Blues Music Award-nominated Naked Truth), and his first acoustic album to contain all original material. The album will be available on CD, Georgia peach-colored vinyl LP and at all digital service providers. It is available for pre-order here. 

Since the 2024 release of Naked Truth, Ellis has been traveling on his own, performing solo all over the country in his jokingly named “Two Guitars And A Car” tour. For Ellis, playing solo, acoustic blues has helped him tap into the raw essence of the music. “I love doing these shows,” Ellis says, “I can be more expressive and emotional as a solo acoustic artist. I just love the sound of acoustic guitar. I always have.”  

TINSLEY ELLIS  -- 2026 LABOR OF LOVE TOUR

With Labor Of Love, Ellis delivers a raw, edgy, self-produced set of 13 original compositions, all performed with pure emotional honesty. The songs spin modern tales of floods, conflagrations, voodoo spirits, personal travails and heaven-sent prayers. From the feral opener Hoodoo Woman to the John Lee Hooker-groove of Long Time to the evocative, Skip James-inspired To A Hammer to the Son House-style stomp of Sunnyland, Ellis inhabits his songs in a way that is simply astonishing.  

Each performance carries the weight, experience and hard-earned wisdom Ellis learned over four decades on the road, making Labor Of Love as profoundly deep and moving as any music he has made in his career. It covers the gamut of emotions, finding good times in the hard times, mixing gentle beauty with foot-pounding ferocity.

During a break from the recording of the new album, Ellis spent time in Bentonia, Mississippi, birthplace of Skip James and home to blues legend Jimmy “Duck” Holmes. Ellis soaked up the spirit of this tiny Delta town, hanging out with Holmes and getting a deep insight into genuine Bentonia blues. While there, Ellis performed with Holmes at his famous Blue Front Café, soaking up every moment. “Once I got home,” notes Ellis, “I went right back to the studio and incorporated everything that I just experienced into my music.”

For the album, Ellis used six different open tunings on his beloved 1969 Martin D-35, his 12-string Martin D-12-20, and his 1937 National Steel O Series guitars. He also, for the first time in his career, played mandolin on three of the album’s songs. The instrumentation and the tunings, he notes, create endless possibilities, and he finds himself constantly invigorated by the music.

“No matter what I play, I like to have an edge. For me, just playing this music is a labor of love. I sat at the feet of Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf. I got into this music because of them. I always told myself if I could just make a living playing the blues, I’d be, at least in my own mind, successful.”

Premier Guitar believes he’s more than reached that goal, declaring, “Ellis is a legend of American blues music...he’s an American music treasure. He delivers a sermon on the power and glory of the blues, and is one of modern blues’ greatest performers.”

        

Lil’ Ed Williams is a slide guitarist extraordinaire…electrifying and raucous. He represents one of the few authentic links to pure Chicago blues.
—The Chicago Tribune

Outrageous, forceful Chicago blues slide-guitar…piping hot energy…Lil’ Ed is a star of the first magnitude.
—DownBeat

Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials don’t just rock the house, they threaten to blow the whole thing down. Muscular, scalding, explosive guitar…incendiary soul played with fiery intensity...a raw-boned tour-de-force, raucously felt and blisteringly articulated.
—Blues Revue 
 

On Friday, February 27, 2026, Blues Hall Of Famers Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials -- led by Chicago slide guitar icon Lil' Ed Williams -- will release Slideways, their 10th Alligator Records release, and perhaps the crowning achievement of their entire career. For nearly 40 years together, Lil’ Ed Williams and The Blues Imperials—bassist (and Ed’s half brother) James “Pookie” Young, guitarist Mike Garrett and drummer Kelly Littleton—have been delivering gloriously riotous, intensely emotional, wickedly playful Chicago blues to audiences around the world. Lil’ Ed—like his musical forebearers, slide guitar masters J.B. Hutto (Ed’s uncle), Elmore James and Hound Dog Taylor—is a giant of the genre. Slideways will be available on CD, blood-red vinyl LP and at all digital service providers. It is available for pre-order here.

Also on February 27, the band will kick off their 2026 Slideways tour with a hometown record release party at historic FitzGerald's Nightclub in Berwyn, Illinois. See full tour dates below.

The first single from the album, the original foot-stomper Bad All By Myself, premieres today, along with a striking new video.

Produced by Williams and Alligator Records founder and president Bruce Iglauer, Slideways is a dynamic, high-energy collection of 13 songs, including 12 written or co-written by Williams. With the band at the absolute height of their powers, Williams’ singing and playing is thrilling and at times hair-raising. The songs—eight featuring the deep blues keyboard playing of Ben Levin (“He’s got that old-time style,” says Williams)—are filled with simple, relatable truths. They feature colorful characters in humorous to harrowing situations, some sinning while grinning, others smiling while crying. From the high-octane opener Bad All By Myself to the feral 13th Street And Trouble to the home wrecking Flirt In The Car Wash Skirt to Lil’ Ed’s heartbreaking and soul-shattering reinvention of Homeless Blues, Slideways is a tour-de-force of old school Chicago blues performed with up-to-the-minute urgency.

Williams says the new album captures the band in all its glory, and Iglauer brought out the best in each member. “Bruce challenged us. He pulled things out of me I didn’t expect, and I’m glad he did. Pookie worked his butt off and played great. Mike always plays something cool. He lays the flavor down the way I like it. And Kelly, he’s a wildman. He makes me stomp my foot even harder than normal.”

Mixing smoking slide guitar boogies and raw-boned shuffles with the deepest soul-burners and heart-wrenching slow blues, Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials perform each track with an impassioned sense of wild abandon. Lil' Ed's celebratory slide work, deep blues string bending, fervent vocals and riveting original songs, all powered by The Blues Imperials’ rock-solid, road-tested, telepathic musicianship, are as real and hard-hitting as Chicago blues gets. According to Guitar World, “The band is a snarling boogie-blues machine.” The Boston Globe says Lil’ Ed plays “positively scorching guitar,” and the band delivers “a classic Chicago vibe with an energy that’s timeless.”

With Slideways’ endlessly enjoyable music, Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials provide an entry point for new listeners as much as a "welcome home" to long time “Ed Heads” all over the world. After almost four decades together, the band’s authentic, unvarnished blues and their infectious energy, joyful showmanship and masterful performances have been honed to a razor’s edge. Even so, they continue to push each other to greater musical heights. “I love my guys to the point of no return,” adds Lil’ Ed. “They always surprise me.” As for the band’s durability, he says, “What I love is that we’re a family, and families stay together.” 

LIL' ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS  -- 2026 SLIDEWAYS TOUR

        

On Friday, January 30, 2026, Atlanta-based blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Tinsley Ellis will release Labor Of Love, his second acoustic album (after 2024's Blues Music Award-nominated Naked Truth), and first acoustic album to contain all original material. The first single from the album, the powerful Hoodoo Woman, premieres today, along with a newly created video directed by filmmaker Troy Bieser.
 
According to Ellis, the song reflects his love of the Mississippi Hill Country Blues. "It's inspired by R.L. Burnside," Ellis says of the track. "I did shows with R.L. here and in Europe, and his music became ingrained in my soul."

With Labor Of Love, Ellis delivers a raw, edgy, self-produced set of 13 original compositions, all performed with pure, emotional honesty. The songs spin modern tales of floods, conflagrations, voodoo spirits, personal travails and heaven-sent prayers. From the feral opener “Hoodoo Woman” to the John Lee Hooker-groove of “Long Time” to the evocative, Skip James-inspired “To A Hammer” to the Son House-style stomp of “Sunnyland,” Ellis inhabits his songs in a way that is simply astonishing.  

Each performance carries the weight, experience and hard-earned wisdom Ellis learned over four decades on the road, making Labor Of Love as profoundly deep and moving as any music he has made in his career. It covers the gamut of emotions, finding good times in the hard times, mixing gentle beauty with foot-pounding ferocity.

During a break from the recording of the new album, Ellis spent time in Bentonia, Mississippi, birthplace of Skip James and home to blues legend Jimmy “Duck” Holmes. Ellis soaked up the spirit of this tiny Delta town, hanging out with Holmes and getting a deep insight into genuine Bentonia blues. Later, Ellis performed with Holmes at his famous Blue Front Café, soaking up every moment. “Once I got home,” notes Ellis, “I went right back to the studio and incorporated everything that I just experienced into my music.”

For the album, Ellis used six different open tunings on his beloved 1969 Martin D-35, his 12-string Martin D-12-20, and his 1937 National Steel O Series guitars. He also, for the first time in his career, played mandolin on three of the album’s songs. The instrumentation and the tunings, he notes, create endless possibilities, and he finds himself constantly invigorated by the music.

Since the 2024 release of Naked Truth, Ellis has been travelling on his own, performing solo all over the country in his jokingly named “Two Guitars And A Car” tour. For Ellis, playing solo, acoustic blues has helped him tap into the raw essence of the music. “I love doing these shows,” Ellis says, with plans to continue touring solo for the foreseeable future. “No matter what I play, I like to have an edge. For me, just playing this music is a labor of love. I sat at the feet of Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf. I got into this music because of them. I always told myself if I could just make a living playing the blues, I’d be, at least in my own mind, successful.”

Premier Guitar believes he’s more than reached that goal, declaring, “Ellis is a legend of American blues music...he’s an American music treasure. He delivers a sermon on the power and glory of the blues, and is one of modern blues’ greatest performers.”  

        

“Unforgettable music and electric performances... Southern Avenue showcase the soul of Memphis. Their stories resonate long after the last note of music fades”
—Rolling Stone

“Voices soaring, beats pulsing, and spirits on fire…between the irresistible grooves and unflagging positivity, it’s impossible not to feel reborn and uplifted after spending time with this dynamic quartet.”
—No Depression 

"Rootsy stripped-down Memphis soul…masterfully written songs [featuring] Tierinii Jackson's soaring vocals"
—AllMusic
 
"Inquisitive and uplifting…The band’s signature whisk of roots, blues and soul stylings lean into the spirit of Memphis [and] maintain a timelessness and soul-laden delivery not unlike The Staple Singers."
—Relix 
 

On Friday, November 7, The Recording Academy announced the nominees for the 2026 GRAMMY Awards. 

Memphis-based blues, soul and gospel-influenced roots band Southern Avenue received a nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album for their groundbreaking 2025 Alligator Records debut release, Family. This is the band's second GRAMMY nomination.

Southern Avenue plays uplifting and timeless original music. They are known worldwide for their inclusive, message-driven songs fueled by hard-hitting grooves and electrifying guitar. The band is unlike any other on the scene today, featuring lead vocalist/songwriter Tierinii Jackson, her husband, guitarist/songwriter Ori Naftaly, and her sisters, drummer/vocalist/songwriter Tikyra (T.K.) Jackson and percussionist/violinist/vocalist Ava Jackson. 

Southern Avenue says, "Family was born out of everything that’s real to us...love, pain, joy, and growth. A GRAMMY nomination reminds us to always stay true to who we are.” 

The 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 1, 2026.

Blues Blast magazine has announced the winners of its 18th annual Blues Blast Music Awards. This year, Alligator Records artists Shemekia Copeland and Tommy Castro received honors.

Shemekia Copeland was named the Female Blues Artist Of The Year. Her most recent album is the GRAMMY-nominated Blame It On Eve.

Tommy Castro, leader of Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, was recognized for his 2025 release Closer To The Bone, winning the Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year Award.

A full list of winners and nominations can be found at http://www.BluesBlastMagazine.com. 

Shemekia Copeland
Female Blues Artist Of The Year

Tommy Castro & The Painkillers
Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year: Closer To The Bone

 

 

JJ Grey and Mofro concoct a vivid blend of blues, Southern rock and funk, complete with richly evocative lyrics and an easygoing sense of blue-collar storytelling. [This is] lucid, plainspoken American music showcasing a broad array of styles and sounds.
—NPR

Rich, funky swamp blues, rootsy rock and gritty soul. Grey celebrates fundamental joys with a knack for simple truths.
—New York Times 
 

On Friday, October 31, Alligator Records will reissue JJ Grey & Mofro's critically acclaimed album Orange Blossoms as a deluxe 2-LP vinyl set. The album, pressed on special sunburst splash vinyl and housed in a high-quality, is newly remastered and spins at 45rpm to deliver the best possible sound. Originally released on Alligator Records in 2008 on CD only, the success of Orange Blossoms helped cement Grey as one of his generation's deepest, most profound songwriters and among the most emotionally powerful live performers on the scene.

According to Grey, “Hard to believe 17 years have passed since this album was released. Bookended with the title track, which was an old story told to me about lost love, and capped by I Believe (In Everything), a story I lived one crazy night in a car crash. Life is so surreal." 

Orange Blossoms was produced by Grey and his long-time friend and cohort Dan Prothero. It was recorded in north Florida and boasts some of JJ's most memorable and moving music. The album features 12 songs (including 11 originals) inspired by Grey’s life experiences and visionary observations. He moves effortlessly from gospel-tent fervor to Southern-fried rockers to deeply emotional soul. Orange Blossoms is a fan favorite: a groove-driven masterpiece fueled by JJ’s gritty, smoldering vocals and intense, funk-infused guitar and keyboard work.

Like Florida’s state flower, the orange blossom, musician JJ Grey’s songs are fascinating, beautiful, and complex. Both are products of the same ground: the rich, fertile and ancient soil of the Sunshine State. Born and raised just outside of Jacksonville, Florida, JJ comes from a long tradition of Southern musical storytellers and, like the best of the great Southern writers, he fills his songs with details that are at once vivid, personal, and universal. His multi-textured music overflows with dynamic rhythms and thought-provoking lyrics.

The Chicago Sun-Times described Orange Blossoms as, "Inspired front-porch soul-storytelling with a bit of the Delta at its heart…intriguing and deliriously funky…deep-in-the-pocket soul stirrers."
 

Orange Blossoms Track Listing:

Side 1
Orange Blossoms
The Devil You Know
Everything Good Is Bad

Side 2
She Don't Know
The Truth
WYLF

Side 3
On Fire
Move It On
Higher You Climb

Side 4
Dew Drops
Ybor City
I Believe (In Everything)

        

“They kick out the jams and take us higher and higher, swinging and swaying with pulsing horns and pulsating guitars. Richly textured, raucous and rambunctious...we’re dancing from the first track to the last.”
—Living Blues 
 
“Roomful of Blues are the best little big band on the scene. Virtuoso musicianship [that is] jubilant, horn-propelled R&B magnificence. Boisterous and rousing with tight, fluid arrangements and an infectiously joyous spirit.”
—Blues Music Magazine
 
“Jumps, swings, struts, and rocks…supercharged and ready to rumble.”
—No Depression   
 

On Friday, October 10, Rhode Island-based blues, jump, swing and soul band Roomful of Blues -- among the premier blues ensembles in the world -- will release their new Alligator Records album, Steppin' Out!. With this record (the band's 20th), new lead singer -- emotive, full-throated vocalist D.D. Bastos -- makes her debut as the first female vocalist to record with Roomful of Blues in its history-making six decades. The album will be released on red vinyl LP, CD, and will be available at all digital service providers. The song You Were Wrong premieres today. The album version of the track can be heard here. A smoking hot live performance video of the song is below:

You Were Wrong was written by Z.Z. Hill and first heard by Bastos on a Magic Sam album years ago. According to Bastos, "Adding this longtime favorite to my first recording with Roomful of Blues is a thrill for me. The band’s energy level on this song takes Roomful’s performance to the next level. It moves me every time we play it and I see the excitement in the audience’s  faces. It brings back that feeling, as though I’m hearing it for the first time." 

Roomful of Blues, according to DownBeat magazine, “are in a class by themselves.” On record and on stage, the band—first formed in 1967 and led by master guitarist Chris Vachon for over three decades—delivers a toe-tapping mix of jump, swing, blues and proto rock ‘n’ roll. USA Today says they play “high voltage, swinging jump blues and R&B.” With longtime tenor and alto sax player Rich Lataille leading the horn section since 1970, Roomful of Blues’ impeccable musicianship has earned them five GRAMMY Award nominations and seven Blues Music Awards. Twice, the prestigious DownBeat International Critics Poll has selected them as Best Blues Band.

With Steppin’ Out!, Roomful of Blues continues to break new ground, with Bastos' voice front and center. She brings fresh, dynamic energy, passionately singing each song as if she’s lived them all, all the while honoring Roomful’s rich traditions and signature “little big-band” sound.  

Produced by Vachon, Steppin' Out! features 14 rollicking, house-rocking performances. Bastos’ and the musicians’ emotional connection to the material is palpable from the first note to the last. The album opens with the supercharged, guitar and horn-storming cover of Billy “The Kid” Emerson’s Satisfied. The track list includes timeless reinterpretations of mostly obscure songs originally recorded by legends including Big Mama Thornton (You Don’t Move Me No More), Big Maybelle (I’ve Got A Feeling and Tell Me Who), Etta James (Good Rocking Daddy), and Buddy and Ella Johnson (Why Don’t Cha Stop It). Jimmy McCracklin’s Steppin’ Up In Class, Tiny Bradshaw’s Well Oh Well, and Smiley Lewis’ Dirty People, like all the songs on the album, are unearthed treasures.

Bastos could not be more aware of the significance or more proud of this album. “I am so excited to be the first female singer to record with the band. They are such an amazing group of musicians, such a well-oiled machine. I am thrilled to ride this wave.” 

And Vachon is a huge fan of Bastos, always happy to sing her praises, saying, “D.D. Bastos wrings every bit of emotion from every song she sings. She is a showstopping entertainer.” 

BIOGRAPHY
The current lineup of Roomful of Blues features guitarist and bandleader Chris Vachon, who first joined in 1990 and has been leading the group since 1998. The band has maintained its instantly identifiable sound through great musicianship and a stellar horn section—featuring tenor and alto saxophonist Rich Lataille, who first joined in 1970. Lataille’s masterful playing can evoke either the fat-toned, honking sax of the glory days of early rock or the cool elegance of big band swing jazz. Along with Vachon, Lataille, and lead vocalist D.D. Bastos, Roomful of Blues features the talents of keyboardist Jeff Ceasrine, bassist John Turner, drummer Mike Coffey, baritone and tenor sax player Craig Thomas and trumpeter Christopher Pratt.

The original Roomful of Blues began in 1967 when a group of southern Rhode Island teenagers with a shared passion for the blues formed a straight-ahead Chicago-style electric blues band to explore the music of their Windy City heroes. In 1970, Rich Lataille joined Roomful while still in his teens and was one of the creators of what has become the most legendary horn section in contemporary blues. It was Rich’s interest in the swinging bands of the ’30s and ’40s that led Roomful to forge the distinctive sound that has become the band’s trademark. Roomful of Blues released their self-titled debut album in 1977 on Island Records (reissued on Hyena Records), which brought them to the attention of fans and critics around the world.

Recording for Rounder Records’ Bullseye Blues and Varrick labels between 1980 and 2001, Roomful of Blues cut nine albums that won them international fame and major rock radio airplay. They’ve gigged with stars ranging from bluesmen B.B. King, Otis Rush and Stevie Ray Vaughan to rockers Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana. The band has performed in cities from coast to coast, and traveled abroad to 22 countries including Lebanon, Poland, Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Switzerland, Turkey and Russia. The New Yorker says the band brings “thunderous performances that get feet stomping and hands clapping.”

Since Roomful of Blues joined the Alligator Records family, their popularity continues to soar. Their first Alligator CD was the Grammy-nominated That’s Right! in 2003, followed by Standing Room Only in 2005, Raisin’ A Ruckus in 2008, Hook, Line & Sinker in 2010, 45 Live in 2013, In A Roomful Of Blues in 2020 and Steppin’ Out! in 2025.

Joyous and rambunctious, Roomful of Blues is a band built to deliver the goods night after night. Their winning combination of horn-driven jump, swing, blues, rock ‘n’ roll, R&B and soul remains their calling card, as does their ability to fill the dance floor. “We always keep things fresh, and we keep the excitement level high,” says Vachon. “Playing this music is an immense amount of fun for us. And it’s just as much fun for our audience.” Now, with Bastos and her richly expressive, swaggering vocals leading the charge, the band is captivating audiences old and new everywhere they perform. With Steppin’ Out!, Roomful of Blues remain a defining musical force in the blues world, with their sound rooted in tradition, but their sights reaching far into the future.  

        

“Unforgettable music and electric performances...Southern Avenue showcase the soul of Memphis. Their stories resonate long after the last note of music fades”   —Rolling Stone

Rootsy stripped-down Memphis soul…masterfully written songs [featuring] Tierinii Jackson's soaring vocals —AllMusic

Inquisitive and uplifting…The band’s signature whisk of roots, blues and soul stylings lean into the spirit of Memphis [and] maintain a timelessness and soul-laden delivery not unlike The Staple Singers.  —Relix

GRAMMY-nominated Memphis-based roots, blues, and soul band Southern Avenue, whose Alligator Records debut album Family continues generating massive amount of radio, press and popular acclaim, have announced dates for the second leg of the Family tour. Featuring lead vocalist/songwriter Tierinii Jackson (who can also be heard on the soundtrack for the hit film, Sinners), her husband, guitarist/songwriter Ori Naftaly, and her sisters, drummer/vocalist/songwriter Tikyra (T.K.) Jackson and percussionist/violinist/vocalist Ava Jackson, the band is unlike any other on the scene today.

Southern Avenue are known worldwide for their inclusive, message-driven songs and soaring harmonies, all fueled by hard-hitting grooves and electrifying guitar. The band's new single, So Much Love, is now hitting radio airwaves around the world. According to Tierinii, “'So Much Love is about finding love in the little things. Those quiet, beautiful moments we sometimes overlook. We wrote this song as a thank you to our fans, to remind us all that love is always there if you’re open to seeing it.”

Listen to So Much Love here: 

With this tour, Southern Avenue -- recently named the 2025 Band Of The Year by Living Blues magazine -- will bring their signature brand of Memphis roots and soul music to all corners of the U.S. Dates include a performance at AmericanaFest in Nashville on September 11, where they will also deliver a live-on-air performance at the NPR Music Day Stage hosted by Nashville's WMOT-FM.

Sharing their excitement, tastemaker NPR Music station WXPN-FM in Philadelphia named Southern Avenue as its August "Artist To Watch". The band will perform live at the station's famous XPoNential Music Festival on September 19.

Additionally, NPR Music chose the song Upside as their "Live Sessions Song Of The Day" on Thursday, July 24. Southern Avenue's stripped-down performance was originally recorded for WNRN-FM in Richmond, Virginia.

See tour dates below: 

Since the April 2025 release of Family, Southern Avenue has earned a remarkable amount of positive press and has received radio play worldwide. No Depression shouted, "Voices soaring, beats pulsing, and spirits on fire…between the irresistible grooves and unflagging positivity, it’s impossible not to feel reborn and uplifted after spending time with this dynamic quartet."

AllMusic declared, "Family is Southern Avenue’s most remarkable album to date. Glorious, iconic, three-part harmony vocals…a dynamic, organic meld of soul, blues, Memphis funk and roots rock. Gritty and soaring stomp-and-roll…hip, warm and summery…spiritually uplifting and hard-driving."

Blues Music Magazine added, "Family highlights the seamless beauty and forthright honesty of the Jackson sisters’ stellar harmonies, conjuring up memories of The Staple Singers...a joyful celebration that packs a musical punch...a vibrant prayer for a brighter tomorrow." 

Blame It On Eve Named Blues Album Of The Year
In "The Largest Critics Poll In The History Of Jazz" (DownBeat)
 

"Her voice is strong and soulful, her message comes from the heart"  —Mavis Staples

“Shemekia Copeland is the greatest blues singer of her generation.”  —The Washington Post

“Shemekia Copeland has established herself as one of the leading blues artists of our time. Profound and truly powerful.”  —NPR Music

Legendary music publication DownBeat, in its August 2025 issue, announced the winners of the 73rd Annual Critics Poll. The magazine honored multi-GRAMMY-nominated blues, roots and soul singer Shemekia Copeland with the coveted DownBeat Critics Award for Blues Album Of The Year for her Will Kimbrough-produced 2024 release, Blame It On Eve.

With over 250 critics participating, this is, according to DownBeat publisher Frank Alkyer, "the largest and most comprehensive Critics Poll in the history of jazz."

Copeland could not be more excited, saying, "Timing really is everything. The entire Blame It On Eve album addresses issues important for many women today, and evidently for a lot of men too. And winning the DownBeat Critics Award proves that. I'm really grateful." 

The GRAMMY-nominated album has become a fan and media favorite, winning a slew of “Album Of The Year” awards, including the Living Blues Readers' and Critics' Awards and the Album Of The Year Blues Music Award. Additionally, Copeland won Living Blues and Blues Music Awards for Artist Of The Year.

Blame It On Eve was recorded in Nashville and produced by instrumentalist/songwriter Will Kimbrough (who also produced her previous three albums). The songs tackle subjects as important as a woman’s right to choose and climate change, but also leave space for Copeland to have fun and unwind. From the autobiographical, rocking blues boogie Tough Mother (featuring Luther Dickinson), to the anthemic Blame It On Eve’s good-humored but serious focus on reproductive self-determination to the happy hour of Wine O’Clock, Copeland is inspired throughout. The passionate, charismatic, joyous and at times confrontational Blame It On Eve has already become among the most celebrated releases of Copeland’s impressive, still-unfolding career.  
 
Shemekia Copeland is beloved and honored worldwide for the fearlessness, honesty and humor of her revelatory songs, as well as for her winning, engaging personality. The Chicago Tribune says, “Copeland is the greatest female blues vocalist working today. There’s no mistaking the majesty of her instrument, nor the ferocity of her delivery."