Best European Blues Album

Steve Lury & Andres Roots "Live In Lerwick" is Blues Underground Network's Best European Blues Album of the year!!! Recorded at the Shetland Blues Festival in 2013, the album was released so late in 2014, it didn't make the Canadian webzine's 2014 list and was included in this year's instead, which is great - the Best USA Blues Album went to Buddy Guy, the Best UK Blues Album to Ian Siegal, etc. Read the full Year End Review here!



Previously, four CD's featuring guitar and production by Andres Roots have occupied that spot: Bullfrog Brown's "Mother River Delta" in 2008 and "Moon and Central" in 2009, Andres Roots "Roundabout" in 2010, and L.R.Phoenix "The Hollow Log..." in 2011 (the latter has just been reissued and is finally available online). Additionally, Andres Roots Roundabout "Three!" earned the distinction of a Best Blues Instrumental Album in 2013, and Bullfrog Brown's "Moon and Central" was honoured with Best Original Cover Art - like all the records listed above, the sleeve was designed by Siret Roots.

2015: Looking Back

Photo by Raul Terep.

It is time to look back on 2015, and what a year it's been! Just to add up the numbers: there were 40 gigs in 4 different countries (Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Sweden) with 12 different line-ups, with venues ranging from 14 festivals to shows in churches, town halls, museums, clubs, pubs and bars, on riverboats and street stages. The nature of those shows varied from opening for Dr. Feelgood to lecturing on the history of the blues to jamming with Bert Deivert, Brian Kramer, Jonzip McNeill, Howard Fishman, and many others. 

The "Winter Is Coming" EP with its still current title was recorded and released; the track "Winter Blues" with Bert Deivert that appeared on the CD has already made the Blues Corner "best of 2015" list on Rock Radio UK. A video was filmed for "Chicken Man" which made #2 on two different TV pop music programmes; you can now vote for it to appear on national broadcasting's best Estonian videos of 2015 show here. A number of tracks were completed for next year's new studio album, with four more two be wrapped up in the months to come; a vinyl compilation containing material from 2010-2014 has been mastered for a January 2016 release, with further details TBA before New Year.



The 2016 compilation LP "Roots Music" and the new CD album will be part of a modest anniversary: in 2016, Andres Roots will be celebrating his 40th birthday and 20 years on stage. There will be at least one big live event of a very special nature, but it's too early to reveal the details; there will certainly be concerts in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Poland in 2016, as well as further lectures on blues history in Tartu and Pärnu. 

But for now, thank you very much for a wonderful year - and happy holidays! :) 

Lectures on Blues History

J.B. Hutto @ London's 100 Club, 1972 photo (c) Steve Lury. Poster design by Siret Roots.

On January 28 & April 28, Andres Roots will be delivering a 2-part lecture on the history of the blues at the Pärnu Central Library. Both lectures are free and a similar programme will follow at the Tartu Public Library in February 2016. Join the Facebook event here!