There seems to be a plethora of BEST OF lists out there. Best 100 guitarists these days. Best female vocalists. Best of! Best of! I have my own lists, too, but since I don't know a soprano from a tenor (work-related hearing loss) and have no understanding of the skills to play an instrument, I can only present artists that I am CURRENTLY spending a lot of my time listening to—those who play with the passion I love.

So here are a few of my lists. Check them out. You can catch a few at Playing with Fire 2024.

Living Female Vocalists
Dawn Tyler Watson
Meghan Parnell - Bywater Call
Lady Blackbird
Kaz Hawkins
Noa Eguiguren - Noa and the Hell Drinkers
 
Living Male Vocalists
Raul Malo - Mavericks
Aynsley Lister - Aynsley Lister Band
Thorbjorn Risager - Thorbjorn Risager and the Black Tornado
Ben L'Oncle - Ben L'Oncle Soul
Tom Hollister - Cardinal Black
 
Living Blues/Rock Guitarists
Dom Martin - Dom Martin Band
Aynsley Lister - Aynsley Lister Band
Chris Buck - Cardinal Black
Gaetano Pellino - Gaetano Pellino and Soul Sarah
Paul Deslauriers - Chambers Deslauriers Band
 
Living Brass
Pat Carey- sax - Downchild Blues Band
Richard Thornton - sax- Jack DeKyzer Band
Julian Nalli - sax- Bywater Call
Steve Dyte - trumpet- Bywater Call
Neil Brathwaite - sax- Blackburn Brothers Band
 
Living Keyboardists
Jesse O'Brien - Steve Marriner Band
Jonny Dyke - King King
Matt Weidinger - The Tonewheels
Moritz " Mo" Fuhrhop - Henrik Freischlader Band
Mitch Towne

Living Drummers

 Gary Graig - Blackie and The Rodeo Kings

 Michael Leasure - Walter Trout

 Senri Kawaguchi - Jazz Advengers

 Adam Roberts - Cardinal Black

 Tom Gilkes - Willie and The Bandits

 

Let me know who you are listening to.

Jeff