Released 10 years ago this week, ‘Back to the River’ once again blended blues, R&B, gospel and rock. But Susan Tedeschi was headed toward something big.

Jorge Calderon’s straight-forward ‘Blue Rhythm Highway’ forgoes studio trickery and flash in favor of strong songs and solid playing.

Released 10 years ago this month, ‘UFO Has Landed’ was definitive in a way the always-restless Ry Cooder never quite allowed himself to be.

If you haven’t yet discovered the hidden blues treasure Little Freddie King, ‘Fried Rice & Chicken’ is a perfect way to get acquainted.

Long past the hit-making phenomena of the ‘Silk Degrees’ years, Boz Scaggs is still providing some very good reasons to keep listening to him with his third return-to-my-roots record in a row, ‘Out of the Blues.’

To Mike Zito, ‘First Class Life’ is taking joy in the place he finds himself in. For the rest of us, it’s just first class blues.

A terrific addition to Lance Lopez’s catalog, ‘Tell the Truth’ boasts an assessable combination of excellent guitar playing, strong vocals and deft production.

Robert Finley stopped to talk about different things but mostly, he just played, accompanied only by the rattling window unit.

Even in my jazz-centric world, I can come upon enough standout non-jazz records to put together a decent-sized Best of 2017 list.

Released 10 years ago this week, Left Lane Cruiser’s ‘Bring Yo’ Ass to the Table’ lunges straight for your soul and puts a stranglehold on it.