Buddy Guy Just Won What Might Be His Last Grammy – And I Need a Minute

Buddy Guy Wins Best Traditional Blues Album – And It Feels Like a Goodbye

I'll be honest. When they announced Buddy Guy's name at the 68th Grammy Awards on February 2nd, I didn't jump out of my chair. I sat there for a second, staring at the screen, feeling something heavy settle in my chest. Because 'Ain't Done With The Blues' isn't just another album. At 89 years old, Buddy has been telling us for a while now that he's winding down. And this record – raw, personal, uncompromising – sounds like a man saying what he needs to say before the lights go out.

The competition was stiff. Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo's 'Room On The Porch' is gorgeous. Maria Muldaur's Victoria Spivey tribute is a labour of love. Charlie Musselwhite's 'Look Out Highway' is classic Musselwhite. And Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Bobby Rush teaming up on 'Young Fashioned Ways'? Come on. That alone deserves a whole blog post. But Buddy Guy winning this one felt right. It felt necessary.

If you've seen Buddy live – and I've been lucky enough to catch him three times – you know there's nobody quite like him. That polka-dot Stratocaster, the way he walks into the crowd, the way he can go from a whisper to a scream in half a beat. He learned from Muddy Waters. He taught Hendrix tricks. He is the living, breathing chain that connects Delta acoustic blues to modern electric. And if this Grammy is the last one, it's one hell of a full stop.

Robert Randolph Takes Contemporary Blues – And Honestly, Good for Him

On the contemporary side, Robert Randolph's 'Preacher Kids' beat out some heavy hitters: Joe Bonamassa's 'Breakthrough,' Samantha Fish's 'Paper Doll,' Eric Gales' 'A Tribute To LJK,' and Southern Avenue's 'Family.' I know some people will argue about this one. Bonamassa fans are vocal, and Samantha Fish has been on a tear lately.

But Randolph's pedal steel guitar playing is something else entirely. The man comes from the Sacred Steel tradition – church music, gospel, deep spiritual stuff – and when he bends those notes, you feel it somewhere words can't reach. 'Preacher Kids' is loose, funky, spiritual, and a little bit wild. It's not smooth. It's not polished. It's real. And sometimes that's exactly what the blues needs.

I have to admit, I was pulling for Joe Bonamassa on this one. The guy deserves a Contemporary Blues Grammy at some point – he's done more for the genre's commercial visibility than almost anyone alive. But Randolph's record is genuinely special. No hard feelings, Joe. Check out our profile of Joe Bonamassa if you want the full story on his incredible output.

Big Blues Bender 2026: Bonnie Raitt, Bobby Rush and a Lineup That Hurts My Wallet

Speaking of lineups that make you reconsider your savings account: Big Blues Bender just announced their 2026 roster, and I need to sit down. September 10–13, Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. Headlined by Bonnie Raitt. Let that sink in.

The rest of the bill reads like a blues fan's fantasy draft: TajMo (that's Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo' together, and yes, it's as good as it sounds), Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Tab Benoit, Booker T. Jones, Ruthie Foster, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bobby Rush, Mike Zito, Danielle Nicole Band, Victor Wainwright… I'm getting tired just listing names. And they've got a special 'One for the King' tribute to B.B. King in the Bender One Series.

The Bender has quietly become one of the best blues festivals in America. It's not a field festival – it's a hotel takeover. Every ballroom, every lounge, every corner becomes a stage. You stumble from Bobby Rush doing his thing in one room to Tab Benoit tearing it up in another, and there's no mud, no parking lot, no sunburn. Just four days of concentrated blues madness in air conditioning. If I could swing a trip to Vegas in September, I'd be there in a heartbeat.

For those keeping track: Bobby Rush is 93 and still touring. Ninety-three. The man is indestructible. Read more about him in our Bobby Rush profile – his story is one of the most remarkable in all of music.

Billy Branch Reminds Us That Chicago Harp Is Alive and Dangerous

One record that came out late last year but deserves way more attention: Billy Branch & The Sons of the Blues – 'The Blues Is My Biography.' Released on Rosa's Lounge Records – a Chicago label, because of course it is – this album is the real deal. Billy Branch is 73, he's been called the successor to Little Walter as the King of Chicago Blues Harmonica, and on this record he plays like he has something to prove.

The album is part autobiography, part love letter to the Chicago blues tradition. It features Bobby Rush on the opening single 'Hole in Your Soul,' and the combination of Branch's razor-sharp harp and Rush's timeless swagger is perfect. But it's the deeper cuts that got me. There are moments where Branch strips it down and just plays, and you can hear fifty years of smoke-filled clubs and late-night jam sessions in every breath.

Branch has three Grammy nominations. He should have a win by now. Whether the Academy catches up or not, 'The Blues Is My Biography' is the kind of album that matters – not because it reinvents anything, but because it does what the blues has always done: tells the truth, with feel, no apologies. If you love harmonica blues, you need this record. Period.

Vero Beach Blues Festival: The Lineup That Made Me Double-Take

One more thing before I let you go. Down in Florida, the Vero Beach Blues Festival has quietly put together a lineup that stopped me mid-scroll: Eric Gales, Bobby Rush (yes, again – the man is everywhere), Sue Foley, and Mud Morganfield (Muddy Waters' son, carrying the family name with class). That's a seriously good weekend of blues, and in February in Florida, which beats February in Norway by approximately one million degrees.

Sue Foley is someone I wish more people knew about. Canadian, based in Austin, plays a pink Telecaster with more authority than most guys manage with their entire pedalboard. Her tone is clean, her phrasing is sharp, and she writes songs that stick with you for days. We've got a full profile of Sue Foley on the site – do yourself a favour and check it out if you haven't already.

These smaller regional festivals are often where you get the best blues experiences. No corporate sponsors on every surface, no VIP tiers that cost more than a used car. Just blues fans in lawn chairs, cold beer, and musicians who play like their lives depend on it. That's what it's all about.

Your Turn – What Did You Think of Grammy Night?

That's my week in blues. Buddy Guy getting what might be his final Grammy. Robert Randolph surprising a few people. Big Blues Bender announcing a lineup that could bankrupt me. Billy Branch proving the harp is still the most soulful instrument in blues. And festivals from Vegas to Vero Beach keeping the whole thing alive.

I want to hear from you. Was Buddy the right pick? Should Bonamassa have taken the contemporary category? Are you planning any blues festival trips this year? Drop me a line at post@slowblues.no or share this with someone who needs more blues in their life.

And while you're here – why not explore some of the artists we talked about today? Dive into our profiles, take our Blues Quiz, or just put on 'Ain't Done With The Blues' and turn up the volume. The neighbours will understand. Probably.