Lonnie Johnson 'Blues and Ballads' (Vol.I)

Well I may suggest you Roberto Ciotti, the king of Italian bluesmen:-) he's very popular in clubs in Rome and around Italy, but still remain an underground figure. If you think an Italian can't sing the Blues, well, I suggest you to visit his web site and hear some audio samples: www.robertociotti.com (it is also in English.)

How about KEn Burns' DVD collection of "The Blues" It's available at Tower, Amazon, Borders, etc. It's the history of the blues and has a soundtrack that includes NEW album compilations from many of his favorite artists. There is a separate CD collection to go with the mini-series.

There is not a blues fan out there who wouldn't appreciate this, unless, of course, he/she was deaf, blind, brain-dead, and maybe living in a cave in Pakistan without electricity.

Respect,

The Shaman

Well, it's obviously not Christmas anymore, so I'm guessing you bought him something, but what the heck, I'll contribute a few anyway! Try this:

Various Artists - And This Is Maxwell Street: a 3 cd set, my box says "The street recordings made for And This Is Free, Mike Shea's legendary 1964 documentary film about Chicago's Maxwell Street. Featuring unrealeased performances by Robert Night Hawk, Carey Bell, Big John Wrencher, Johnny Young, and others."

Neal Pattman - Prison Blues: the baddest one armed harmonica player in the world, amazing in concert, from Athens Georgia.

I'm pretty sure both of the above can be found on Amazon.com. Oh, also try the website www.MusicMaker.org (non-profit agency providing aid & relief to older blues musicians in need) to find out about some great unrecognized blues artists. The advisory board for Music Maker is: B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Dickey Betts, Jimmy Herring, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Carey Williams, and Tom Rankin. Pretty cool!