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George Graham's Best of 2016 Albums List

These albums were selected by Mixed host George Graham from the over 500 CDs featured during the year on the New Releases segments presented daily on Mixed Bag. The Mixed Bag musical styles include rock, folk, blues, reggae, world music, Celtic, electronic, and other varieties presented on the program. The emphasis is on records that received little or no attention in the commercial media. Selection criteria include originality, uniqueness of sound, and quality of musicianship.

The list is arranged chronologically.

* designates Homegrown Music Artists.
Recordings featured on the Mixed Bag Weekly Album Review (Wednesdays at 9:00 PM) are linked to the review on this website.

Artist

Album Title

Label

Date First Featured

Lorne Clarke *

From My Window

independent

01/01/16

The Dawn Drapes

Let’s Be Strangers

independent

01/04/16

Charm City Junction

Charm City Junction

Patuxent

01/05/16

The Chapin Sisters

Today’s Not Yesterday

Lake Bottom

01/07/16

Danny Paisley & Southern Grass

Weary River

Patuxent

01/08/16

Tedeschi Trucks Band

Let Me Get By

Fantasy

01/12/16

War and Pierce

War and Pierce

independent

01/12/16

Mariachi

Flor de Toloache

independent

01/12/16

Paul Mark and the Van Dorens

Stowaways

Radiation

01/13/16

Christian Lopez Band

Onward

independent

01/14/16

Burning Bridget Cleary

These Are the Days

independent

01/14/16

Tin Toy Cars

Rust and Bones

independent

01/14/16

Baaba Maal

The Traveller

Palm

01/15/16

Ian McFeron *

Radio

independent

01/18/16

Bourbon Express *

One Big Losin’ Streak

independent

01/18/16

Bruce Sudano & The Candyman Band

The Burbank Session

independent

01/19/16

Buddy Miller & Friends

Cayamo: Sessions at Sea

New West

01/21/16

Karsh Kale

Up

Six Degree

01/21/16

Sweet Honey in the Rock

Love In Evolution

Appleseed

01/25/16

Judy Kass

Beyond Ash and Steel

independent

01/26/16

Good Co. *

Big Time

independent

01/27/16

Sierra Hull

Weighted Mind

Rounder

01/28/16

Wynonna and the Big Noise

Wynonna and the Big Noise

Curb

01/29/16

Simon Linsteadt

Simon Linsteadt

independent

02/01/16

Honor Finnegan

Roses and Victory

independent

02/01/16

James Hunter Six

Hold On

DapTone

02/03/16

Idan Raichel

At the Edge of the Beginning

Cumbancha

02/04/16

Rofo Audio *

Now Broadcasting

independent

02/05/16

Jon Shain & Joe Newberry

Crow the Dawn

Flyin’

02/10/16

Solas

All These Years

THL

02/10/16

Terri Hendrix

Love You Strong

independent

02/11/16

Gary Lucas & Jann Klose

Stereopticon

independent

02/12/16

Sultans of String *

Subcontinental Drift

independent

02/15/16

Wren

Stitch on Dream

independent

02/19/16

The Pines

Above the Prairie

Red House

02/22/16

Sidestepper

Supernatural Love

Realworld

02/23/16

Toronzo Cannon

The Chicago Way

Alligator

02/24/16

Mavis Staples

Living on a High Note

Anti-

02/25/16

Janiva Magness

Love Winds Again

Blue Elan

02/25/16

Balkun Brothers *

Balkun Brothers

independent

02/25/16

Peter Karp

The Arson’s Match

independent

02/26/16

Jay Smar *

Giving Back: A Tribute to My Peers

independent

03/02/16

Eileen Ivers

Beyond the Bog Road

E-one

03/02/16

Bonnie Raitt

Dig In Deep

Red Wing

03/03/16

Snarky Puppy

Family Dinner Volume Two

Universal Classics

03/04/16

Esperanza Spalding

Emily’s D+Evolution

Concord

03/07/16

Tim Hockenberry

Tim Hockenberry

Poignant

03/07/16

Ben Abraham

Sirens

Secretly Canadian

03/10/16

Willie Nile

World War Willie

independent

03/10/16

Jocelyn and Chris Arndt *

Edges

independent

03/11/16

The Currys *

West of Here

independent

03/16/16

Goose

Moon Cabin

independent

03/17/16

Graham Nash

The Path Tonight

Blue Castle

03/18/16

The Rides

Pierced Arrow

429 Records

03/18/16

Minotaurs

Weird Waves

independent

03/21/16

Charles Bradley

Changes

Dunham

03/22/16

Elizabeth Geyer

The Bridge

independent

03/23/16

Shotgun Wedding

South of Somewhere

independent

03/24/16

Supersonic Blues Machine

West of Flushing, South of Frisco

Provogue

03/25/16

Ronnie Spector

English Heart

429 Records

03/28/16

Ceu

Tropix

Six Degrees

03/28/16

Peter Wolf

A Cure for Loneliness

Concord

03/29/16

Curtis Salgado

The Beautiful Lowdown

Alligator

03/29/16

Ray LaMontagne

Ouroboros

RCA

03/30/16

Cha Wa

Funk 'n Feathers

independent

03/30/16

Teddy Thompson & Kelly Jones

Little Windows

Cooking Vinyl

03/31/16

Jeff Buckley

You and I

Columbia Legacy

04/01/16

Van Wagner *

A Mountain Man's Dream

independent

04/04/16

Cosy Sheridan

Sometimes I Feel Too Much

independent

04/04/16

Wilder Atkins

Hope and Sorrow

independent

04/05/16

Acme Giants

Acme Giants

independent

04/06/16

Noam Weinstein *

On Waves

independent

04/08/16

Del McCoury

Del and Woody

independent

04/12/16

Moreland and Arbuckle

Promised Land or Bust

Alligator

04/13/16

Andrew Bird

Are You Serious

Lone Vista

04/13/16

Roots of Creation

Livin' Free

independent

04/14/16

Brother Sun

Weights and Wings

independent

04/15/16

Notify

Inconcept

Ropeadope

04/18/16

Dave Nachmanoff

Spinozza's Dream

independent

04/18/16

Rachael Sage

Chronographic

Mpress

04/19/16

Carla Ulbrich *

Totally Average Woman

independent

04/25/16

Anders Osborne

Spacedust and Ocean Views

independent

04/25/16

Ziggy Marley

Ziggy Marley

Tuff Gong

04/27/16

Clarence Bucaro *

Pendulum

20/20

04/28/16

Trashcan Sinatras

Wild Pendulum

independent

05/02/16

Joe Giacoio *

I Love Hamburgers

independent

05/02/16

Shoebox Letters

Love Sick Town

independent

05/03/16

The Misty Mountain String Band

Red Horizon

independent

05/04/16

Albert Castiglia

Big Dog

Ruf

05/06/16

Corrine Bailey Rae

The Heart Speaks Speaks in Whispers

Virgin

05/10/16

Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate

Monistic Theory

Cumbancha

05/11/16

Seaons

Aprilis

independent

05/13/16

Melodic Intersect *

Looking Back

Aimrec

05/16/16

The Barefoot Movement

Live In L.A.

independent

05/17/16

San Felix

Fire Island

independent

05/17/16

Sloan Wainwright

Uncovering

independent

05/18/16

The Regulators

One of These Days

independent

05/18/16

Rob Heath

The Key

independent

05/19/16

Michael Doucet & Tom Rigney

Cajun Fandango

independent

05/19/16

William Bell

This Is Where I Live

Stax

05/24/16

Bill Evans

Rise Above

independent

05/25/16

The Monkees

Good Times

Rhino

05/27/16

Dave Murphy

American Landscape

independent

05/27/16

Shawn Colvin & Steve Earle

Colvin & Earle

Fantasy

05/31/16

Paul Simon

Stranger to Stranger

Concord

06/03/16

Alexis P. Suter Band *

All for Loving for Loving You

American Showplace

06/06/16

Ana Popovic

Trilogy

independent

06/06/16

Joel Zoss

Lila

independent

06/07/16

Sara Watkins

Young in All the Wrong Ways

New West

06/08/16

The Maxx

Funkbox

independent

06/09/16

Roosevelt Dime

Red Shoes

independent

06/09/16

Ivas John

Good Days a Comin’

independent

06/10/16

The Motet

Totem

independent

06/13/16

Grant Farm

Kiss the Ground

independent

06/13/16

Sarah Jarosz

Undercurrent

Sugar Hill

06/14/16

Tanbark

Write Soon

independent

06/16/16

Sam Bush

Storyman

Sugar Hill

06/17/16

Saso Sandic

Alley Raven

independent

06/20/16

Marley’s Ghost

The Woodstock Sessions

independent

06/20/16

Joel Miller with Sienna Dahlen

Dream Cassette

Origin

06/23/16

Water Street

Waiting for Martin

independent

06/23/16

The Broadcast

From the Horizon

independent

06/27/16

JJ Thames

Raw Sugar

Malaco

06/30/16

Jeff Beck

Loud Hailer

Atco

07/22/16

Jacob Collier

In My Room

Membran

08/01/16

Baked Potatoes

Loaded

independent

08/01/16

Ryan Shupe

We Rode On

independent

08/02/16

Luke Bulla

Who Loves You Better

Pure Music Nashville

08/04/16

Greg Greenway

20,000 Versions of the Sun

independent

08/11/16

The Belle Hollows

Miller’s Creek

independent

08/12/16

Ryley Walker

Golden Sings That Have Been Sung

Dead Oceans

08/15/16

Joanna Connor

Six String Stories

M.C.

08/16/16

Project Grand Slam

The Queen’s Carnival

independent

08/23/16

The Unknown New

Thieves

independent

08/30/16

Throttle Elevator Music

IV

independent

08/30/16

Hilton Park

Moments

independent

08/31/16

Matt Miskie

Rooms of Love

independent

08/31/16

Richard Shindell

Careless

independent

09/01/16

Spiritual Rez

Setting in the West

independent

09/05/16

Madeleine Peyroux

Secular Hymns

Impulse

09/06/16

Bruce Katz Band

Out from the Center

American Showplace

09/07/16

Jim Kweskin & Geoff Muldaur

Penny’s Farm

independent

09/09/16

Dawes

We’re All Gonna Die

Hub

09/20/16

Doyle Bramhall II

Rich Man

Concord

09/21/16

Rhythmic Statues

One Big Day

independent

09/22/16

The Furious Seaons

Look West

Stone Garden

09/27/16

Cameron Mizell

Negative Spaces

Destiny

09/27/16

Cosmic American Derelicts *

Whiskey and Blood

independent

09/29/16

Norah Jones

Day Breaks

Blue Note

09/30/16

Sonny Knight & the Lakers

Sooner or Later

Secret Stash

10/03/16

Bob Weir

Blue Mountain

Columbia

10/05/16

Dwight Yoakam

Swimmin’ Pools, Movis Stars…

Sugar Hill

10/05/16

David Crosby

Lighthouse

Verve

10/06/16

various artists

Dear Jerry: Celebrating the Music of Jerry Garcia

independent

10/10/16

Colin James

Blue Highways

True Nirth

10/11/16

Suzanne Vega

Lover Beloved

independent

10/14/16

Eric Johnson

EJ

Provogue

10/17/16

Lucy Woodward

Til They Bang on the Door

Ground Up

10/18/16

Soul Basement

What We Left Behind

independent

10/21/16

Kenny White

Long List of Priors

independent

10/24/16

Jordan Tice

Horse County

Patuxent

10/24/16

C Duncan

The Midnight Sun

Fat Cat

10/26/16

Devon Allman

Ride or Die

Ruf

10/26/16

American Football

American Football

Polyvinyl

10/28/16

The Nth Power

Live to Be Free

Harmonized

11/02/16

The Pretenders

Alone

BMG

11/10/16

various artists

Putumayo Presents African Rumba

Putumayo

11/11/16

Jonatha Brooke

Midnight Hallelujah

independent

11/14/16

Van Morrison

Keep Me Singing

Caroline

11/14/16

Matt Pond PA

Winter Lives

independent

11/15/16

Josienne Clarke & Ben Weller

Overnight

Rough Trade

11/16/16

Nico Muhly & Teitur

Confessions

Nonesuch

11/22/16

various artists

The Musical Mojo of Dr. John – Celebrating Mac and His Music

Concord

11/29/16

various artists

The Life and Songs of Emmylou Harris

Rounder

11/30/16

Mickey Theis

Range Songs

independent

12/02/16

Club D’Elf

Live at Club Helsinki

independent

12/09/16

Gillian Welch

Boots No. 1The Official Bootleg

Acony

12/13/16

Alexis P. Sutor *

Live at Briggs Farm

Briggs Farm

12/15/16


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This page last updated January 15, 2017