Currently, the Award-winning Digital Blues is aired 20 times per week on 16 stations around the world. Visit the broadcast schedule page for details.

With effect from 15th June 2026 Classic Hits KCCZ 95.3 will discontinue operations and the Phoenix operations will transition to the San Fernando Valley in California where a new station, KQYS-DB (Q-SKY Radio), will commence broadcasting on July 1st. 2026.

Whilst many of the previously syndicated programmes at KCCZ 95.3 will be discontinued, I am delighted and honoured that the management wish to continue airing Digital Blues. Details of day/airtime to follow. I thank them for their support and faith!

For a while, Digital Blues was also aired on Gozo Radio but the station had to close down for various reasons. But, the great news is that Goxo Radio is back and will be airing Digital Blues weekly. Again, details of day/airtime to follow.

So, come July, Digital Blues will be airing 21 times on 17 stations around the world and, of course, the podcasts of the weekly show will continue to be available on Mixcloud and RSS.com from 11.00 UK time on the Sunday following the show’s first airing!

So many ways to listen to Digital Blues!

I am very pleased to announce that as from Sunday 31st May 2026 the award-winning Digital Blues’ weekly shows joined the schedule on Sapphire Radio Paphos in Cyprus.

Each and every Sunday between 16.00 and 18.00 local time (14.00 & 16.00 BST, 15.00 & 17.00 CEST) the first hour will feature the current week’s edition and the second hour will feature an edition taken from Digital Blues’ archives which date back to 2016.

Sapphire Radio Paphos is a not-for-profit community radio station supporting local communities, charities and businesses in and around Paphos ‘bringing love, happiness and sunshine to listeners wherever they may be’. You can tune in at https://www.sapphireradio.com/ and also on Alexa – say ‘Alexa enable Sapphire Radio Paphos’

I look forward to your company every Sunday for some Digital Blues ancient and modern on Sapphire Radio Paphos!

From Tuesday 27th January 2026, there will be another weekly opportunity to catch the award-winning Digital Blues on Buzz Town Radio, your local station for Leighton Buzzard featuring great tunes and good vibes — streaming live on Mixcloud!

The station is ‘all about the music, the buzz, and the community, bringing you the best of local talent, live shows, and events from Leighton Buzzard to Dunstable and everywhere in between’.

You can listen to Buzz Town Radio on Mixcloud via the link on their website www.buzztownradio.co.uk.

Digital Blues airs at 21.00 UK time each and every Tuesday.

From Sunday 25th January 2026, there will be three opportunities each week to catch Digital Blues on 242 Radio based in Edinburgh, Scotland but broadcasting to the world.

242 Radio is a 24-hour music station which takes its name from the wavelength (242 metres on the medium wave band now known as AM) of Radio Scotland, a station which first hit the airwaves on 31st December 1965 broadcasting from a former Irish lightship, the Comet, anchored four miles off Dunbar in the Firth of Forth.

Like so many offshore stations during what has been described as ‘the golden era of offshore radio’, Radio 242 encountered many problems and to improve coverage moved to anchor off Troon, Scotland and later to a location off Northern Ireland. After many more trials and tribulations, Radio 242 closed down, along with many other stations, just before midnight on 14th August 1967 when the Marine Offences Act came into effect.

You can listen to 242 Radio via their website https://www.242radio.com/ and many of the usual streaming radio players. Digital Blues airs at 24.00 Saturday, 17.00 Monday and 20.00 Thursday – all UK time.

Last week, TopCat Radio, an independent cultural association and internet radio broadcaster, based in Tortosa, Cataluña, Spain advised that it was closing with immediate effect.

Also, when doing my New Year check on stations to which Digital Blues is syndicated, I discovered that Warwick Town Radio has closed down. I know not when as they did not give any notification of closure!

If you are with or know of a radio station that would like an award-winning, 58 minute, weekly English language show featuring great blues inflected music from around the world then do get in touch or let me have contact details.

This year I received more than three hundred albums from bands and artists from around the world, many of which I really enjoyed. The task of narrowing the long list down to a realistic number of ‘most favourites’ was not easy. There could easily have been a top 50!

After much thought and agonising and plenty of revisiting, I have come up with twenty-one albums which topped my personal favourites chart! If yours is not there, I am sorry. I must stress, this is a very personal selection and it’s not in any form of order of merit, the listing is purely alphabetical!

As an aside and doing a bit of number crunching, 8 are from the USA with the remainder coming from Europe (including the UK) and Scandinavia. Proof if any was needed that the abandonment of the Blues Foundation’s insistence in their mission statement that the Blues is a uniquely American music form was long overdue.

So here we go with my twenty-one favourites from 2025.

ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW – THE INVISIBLE BLUESMAN – THE LAST MUSIC COMPANY

Who would have imagined the high pitched and, some might say, reedy voice that fronted Amen Corner back in the late 60s would become a significant but vastly underappreciated figure on the Blues scene both in the UK and around the world? This is Andy’s debut blues album and includes a reworking of ‘Gin House’ which was many people’s first introduction to Andy when it was a top twenty hit for Amen Corner in 1967.

BEN TYZACK – BLUES TO THE RIVER – INDEPENDENT

Amazing to think that this is a  debut solo album from the man who for 33 years has, perhaps, been best known as the front man of the Spikedrivers, the superb UK/American/Irish trio/quartet who are calling it a day at the end of 2025. Six varied and delicious tracks showcasing Ben’s excellent guitar skills, as well as his songwriting talent. What a great debut!

BERNARD SELLAM & THE BOYZ FROM THE HOOD – BARNYARD BOOGIE – BLUZTRACK PRODUCTIONS

The second album from Bernard and his great band that brings a wonderful blend of vintage R&B with a vibrant freshness. And boy, does it rock! The French six-piece is joined by guests on some of 14 wonderful tracks, 11 of them originals and offering almost 50 minutes of great music. This is an album I keep returning to and this is one band I must see live!

BIG DAVE & THE DUTCHMEN – BIG DAVE & THE DUTCHMEN – NAKED

A debut album from a Belgian – Dutch six-piece which brings the listener a great mix of fifties Chicago blues, gospel, swing and ‘swamp pop’ with 11 tracks, mostly originals. This is an album full of soul but one which really swings. Blues how I love to hear them played! I love it!

BOBBY CHARLES – LAST TRAIN TO MEMPHIS – THE LAST MUSIC COMPANY

So much more than just a compilation album and featuring cameos by luminaries such as Willie Nelson, Fats Domino, Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry, Sonny Landreth, Delbert McClinton and Maria Muldaur this wonderful double album offers more than 30 hugely varied tracks, all written and produced by Louisiana resident and legendary songwriter Bobby Charles, coming from his ‘lost years’ – 1971 to 2003. It is impossible to choose a ‘best’ track, or even one that is not ‘up there’ with the others. An absolute gem that is a joy to listen to!

CANDICE IVORY – NEW SOUTHERN VINTAGE – NOLA BLUE RECORDS

Described as a ‘groundbreaking’ album, this offering from Memphis born Candice Ivory is an absolutely wonderful collection of material paying homage to the Blues as well as the heroines and heroes who created it. Featuring special guests from around the world as well as Candice’s Memphis based band the Blue Bloods, the album is a joy to listen to.

CECILYA AND THE CANDY KINGS – PARISIAN MAMBO – DIXIEFROG – ROCK’N’HALL RECORDS

Originally from Spain, Cecilya moved to live in Paris in 2019 and this, her third album, offers a wonderful melange of swing and rhythm ’n’ blues done fifties style and infused by Chicago, New Orleans and the West Coast which has you moving from the first note. With her talented musical partner, guitarist Rodolphe Dumont, Cecilya has created an album which should grace your collection and should certainly be on your party turntable!

DOUG MACLEOD – BETWEEN SOMEWHERE AND GOODBYE – REFERENCE RECORDINGS

Multi- award-winning Memphis resident Doug’s laconic delivery, his wonderfully relaxed but spot on guitar and original songwriting which tell such great stories combine to produce another cracking album recorded in Nashville with some excellent local musicians collectively known as the Funky Chester Rhythm Section. A mix of solo and ensemble pieces, this is yet another gem from Doug MacLeod that begs to be played on repeat!

JESSIE LEE & THE ALCHEMISTS – LEGACY – MUSIC BOX PUBLISHING

This is the very popular French quintet’s third album and offers a varied bill of fare ranging from blues to soul to 70’s rock. With Jessie’s evocative and wide-ranging vocals backed by an excellent band, this is an album that grows on you each time you listen. In addition to her own band, Jessie Lee is a regular on tour around the world with Brit Floyd.

JON CLEARY – THE BYWATER SESSIONS – FHQ RECORDS/WELL KEPT SECRET

This superb album from Jon Cleary is both an excellent introduction to the man and his music for new listeners and a delight for his many ardent fans. I have heard it described as his best album ever! Every musician playing originates from or is based in New Orleans and the tracks bring all the grit, funk and joy that is typical of Jon’s music.

KAZ HAWKINS – COMING HOME – EARLYBIRD RECORDS

Hailing from Belfast but now resident in Normandy, France, Kaz has described this album as the one she has always wanted to make which is  ‘not blues, not jazz, just Kaz’. With 13 tracks, the album sees Kaz exploring her Celtic roots as she pursues her mental health crusade. And there are beautiful, delicious orchestrations by her German collaborators, Mathis Richter-Reichhelm and Michael Handschuch, which underline Kaz’s passionate and meaningful lyrics and vocal mastery so well, introducing a fresh, new dimension to the music we love so much.

L.R.PHOENIX – IF THE DEVIL SANG THE BLUES – INDEPENDENT

Described as Finland’s Charlie Patton, with this live recording from Upton Blues Festival in 2016, Phoenix takes you to a back porch out in the Mississippi Delta with songs from the likes of Patton, Son House, R.L.Burnside, Fred McDowell and others which he says are ‘inspired, borrowed or stolen from ‘ them and others. The result is very, very special.

LARKIN POE – BLOOM – TRICKI WOO RECORDS

The eagerly awaited release of Meghan and Rebecah’s album does not disappoint. The publicity material says of the album, there is a ‘theme of self-acceptance’ set ‘against a backdrop of contemporary blues and rock influences’. There really is nothing to add but to heartily recommend this excellent album.

MANU LANVIN – MAN ON A MISSION – GEL PRODUCTIONS

This album from the son of the celebrated French actor, Gérard Lanvin, is aptly titled. Underpinned by the blues, there is rock, soul and even some music that could be called pop, all of which exploits Manu’s talents as both musician and producer. With a voice that has been compared with Howlin’ Wolf and B.B. King, Lanvin has produced an album that is really one to be listened to.

MARY STOKES BAND – HOMETOWN BLUES – INDEPENDENT

This glorious collection of acoustic blues comprises 20 tracks recorded at Sonic Studios in Dublin between 1999 and 2002 which was originally released as a limited run of 300 in preparation for the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival of 2002. The CDs sold out over the Festival weekend and it was not until 2025 that the original recordings were recovered, restored and released, along with two more recent bonus tracks, on CD. The result is a wonderful combination of blues tracks and those with a more traditional Irish feel. This is an exceptional album and a joy to listen to.

MICKE & LEFTY FEAT CHEF – LIVE ON AIR – HOKAHEY! RECORDS

2025 saw Finland’s Micke Bjorklof celebrate a big birthday and to mark the occasion he released two albums. With his band Blue Strip, an album of ‘Outtakes’ from previous album recording sessions plus a live double album of this highly regarded trio celebrating their 25^th year together. The sessions were recorded for Deutschlandfunk Radio, during the pandemic, and at the Blues Baltica Festival in Eutin, Germany in 2023. A wonderful collection of live fun, music and dynamism.

MIKE ANDERSEN – ALL OUT OF LOVE – CUSTOM RECORDS

Although this is Mike’s 10^th album, this is the first time I have had the pleasure of discovering this Danish musician’s music, thanks to a French publicist!  10 wonderfully varied tracks, some defying genrification, (huzzah!), some simple one man and his guitar acoustics, some with haunting strings, some straight blues, in fact the whole nine miles! Add some heartfelt experiential lyrics and you have an album that deserves a so much wider audience.

ROOMFUL OF BLUES – STEPPIN’ OUT – ALLIGATOR RECORDS

The multiple Grammy nominated award winning Roomful of Blues dates back to 1967. Their latest release sees a departure in that the band has added soul-stirring vocalist DD Bastos to their line-up bringing another dimension to the band’s repertoire encompassing jump, swing, rock’n’roll and contemporary blues all held together by a huge helping of funk! Amongst the 14 tracks are great covers of timeless classics first given life by Etta James, Big Mama Thornton, Jimmy McCracklin, Tiny Bradshaw and more. A cracker!

SOUTHERN AVENUE – FAMILY – ALLIGATOR RECORDS

If ever an album was appropriately titled, this is it. Southern Avenue have produced an album containing a ‘vibrant blend of Memphis soul and blues, warm sister harmonies, and positive messages reminiscent of The Staple Singers.’ Songs that are hard-hitting, telling the universal truths about the unshakable power of togetherness. The three Jackson sisters plus Ori Naftaly create a musical unit that is redolent of love and togetherness and oh so tight!

TAJ MAHAL & KEB’ MO’ – ROOM ON THE PORCH – CONCORD RECORDS

This is the eagerly anticipated but slightly unexpected follow-up by two giants of the Blues scene to their 2017 collaborative Grammy winning album, ‘TajMo’, and it has certainly been worth the wait. Some describe them as the ‘best living Blues musicians’ and with 11 Grammy wins each, they could be described as true statesmen of the Blues. This varied 10 tracker brings something for almost everyone with 7 originals plus 3 covers ranging across a century. Another gem from this pairing and their guests.

THE FREAKY BUDS – WESTERN SMOKE – FREAK LAND RECORDS

From France comes the second album by The Freaky Buds, a four-piece band who play what they describe as ‘contemporary garage blues & rock’ – another new sub-genre of blues! Recorded and produced by Kid Andersen at the renowned Greaseland Studio in the USA, the album finds inspiration from the roots of blues as purveyed by R.L. Burnside and The Red Devils. But the music is resolutely contemporary with the band drawing upon inspiration gained from a Californian road trip immediately prior to their studio session. The long roads, the warmth of the countryside and inspirational meetings along the way all incorporated in the albums’ 11 tracks. A very enjoyable album.

You can tune in to TopCat Radio and, of course, Digital Blues at https://topcatradio.eu/music-player/ and you can find out more about TopCat Radio at www.topcatradio.eu

In 2024 I received more than 300 albums and choosing my favourite fifteen was very difficult – I could, with little extra effort, made it my terrific twenty-five or my favourite fifty! But I wanted to stick with the previous format so fifteen it is and here they are, in strict alphabetical order! So the position of an album on the page does not reflect a chart position!

I know that my choices will not meet with universal approval, indeed there may be many who simply ask ‘Who?’

There will be others who will ask ‘where’s the blues’? There always are!

But I think you will find that these fifteen albums reflect the wide and eclectic variety of music which I try to bring you each week on Digital Blues and I will be pleased if you come across some stuff you have not heard before.

You can hear tracks from these fifteen albums plus 14 more that I really enjoyed in the editions of Digital Blues which first aired in the weeks commencing 29th December, 2024 and 5th January 2025, podcasts of which are available on RSS.com at https://rss.com/podcasts/digital-blues-podcast/1818567/ and https://rss.com/podcasts/digital-blues-podcast/1822064/ and on Mixcloud at  https://www.mixcloud.com/DigitalBlues/week-commencing-29th-december-2024-review-of-2024-part-2/    and    https://www.mixcloud.com/DigitalBlues/week-commencing-5th-january-2025-review-of-2024-part-2/